Maxwell argues that a passionate person with limited talent will outperform a passive person who possesses great talent. He feels this is because passionate people act with boundless enthusiasm, and they just keep going. One research studied showed the correlation between following passion and financial success
- 1500 people participated in this study. 83%(group A) of them embarked on a career chosen for the prospects of making money now in order to do what they wanted later. 17%(group B) pursued what they wanted to do now and worry about money later. At the end of 2o years, 101 had become millionaires. Of the 101 millionaires, only 1 was from group A
1) Passion is the First Step to Achievement: loving what you do is the key that opens the door for achievement; it's difficult to achieve when you don't have the desire to do so; the only way you can achieve anything of significance is to really want it. Passion provides that.
2) Passion Increases Willpower: what we accomplish in life is based less on what we want and more on how much we want it; people who want something enough usually find the willpower to achieve it; you can't help people become winners unless they want to win
3) Passion Produces Energy: with passion, you don't have to produce perseverance because it is naturally present in you. If somebody claims to feel "burnt out", the truth is that they probably never were on fire.
"Death isn't the greatest loss in life. The greatest loss is what dies inside of us while we live" - Norman Cousins
4) Passion Is the Foundation for Excellence
5) Passion Is the Key to Success: People are such that whenever anything fires their souls, impossibilities vanish; When 200 executives were asked what makes people successful, the #1 quality given was enthusiasm, NOT TALENT! 80% recognized that there needed to be a fire within to achieve success
6) Passion Makes a Person Contagious: people are instructed by reason, but they are inspired by passion.
"You cannot kindle a fire in any other heart until it is burning within your own" - Eleanor DoanMaxwell Then goes on to explain how to fire up your passion. I found this part of the chapter to be especially rewarding and motivating.
1) Prioritize Your Life According to Your Passion: don't spend too much time doing tasks for which you neither possess talent or passion. You must align what you are doing with your passions. This will not eliminate struggles, but you can face them with greater energy & enthusiasm. Makings this changes will involve risk, but it is so important to have your priorities line up with your passions.
2)Protect Your Passions: In life, there are two types of people when it comes to YOUR passions, they are either firelighters or firefighters. Firelighters are those who encourage you to follow your passions & dreams. Firefighters are those who throw cold water on your fire of passion and put it out. These are the individuals you want to distance yourself from, and they always find the negative in a situation. Firefighters use phrases like: "It's not in the budget", "That's not practical", "It'll never work", "That's not how we do things around here". These individuals, plain and simple, keep people from reaching their potential by trying to put out their fore of their passion.
3) Pursue Your Passion with Everything You've Got: Do you want to focus your energy on survival, success, or significance? You need to dream big. Maxwell ends by saying, "Your passion has the potential to provide you energy far beyond the limitations of your talent. In the end, you will be remembered for your passion.
Helzer's Thoughts
Living a passionate life is so much more rewarding than going through the motions of an mundane job that you are collecting paychecks for. What is mundane to me may be a passion for somebody else, so pursue your personal passion. Life is NOT about how big your bank account is or how nice your house is. Now I understand those MAY be byproducts of living a passionate life, but to me following your passions is living a fulfilling life. Just through the process of talking about passion I feel more uplifted and able to handle more difficult situations. The point Maxwell made that hit hard with me was to "Protect Your Passion." It is so important to have the strength to cut yourself off from those who are stomping on your passions. Unfortunately, those could be superiors who you can't avoid, but strive to surround yourself with MORE firelighters than firefighters. I LOVE taking Master's Classes because for 5 weeks, I am surrounded by other professionals who share some of the same passions. I LOVE attend NCDA or NMEA conventions because if feels like I just juiced up on 'roids or something. I return to my everyday life fired up. The goal then is to remain fired up, but SURROUNDING yourself with lighter fluid. In 7 days, Danielle and I leave for Poland for a missions trip. My hopes and prayers is that we return with a uncontrollable fire for Christ and can keep that fire burning strong in Ogallala.
If anybody out there feels they need that "lifeline" or connection with somebody who shares the same passions, seek them out. You know how to get a hold of me (or should). Please remember to follow your passion, prioritize your life around them, and PROTECT them. What you are passionate about will help determine what life you will live and be happy!
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