Someone—just the other day—asked me about my book, “What’s it about?”
My answer, I thought, was catchy, “It’s a story of hope, happiness and making your dreams come true.”
Then I said, “It’s a novel that explores creative alternatives to the common, mundane, Work-Success-Retirement formula.”
Ahem.
I was kinda proud of myself.
Work-Success-Retirement formula.
Has a nice ring, doesn’t it?
And, while I like the label, I’m not, to be honest, at all fond of what it represents.
What I mean is, I’m not fond of a formula that says, “Work hard. Become successful. Retire.”
Why not?
Look at it this way.
Is there something you love doing? Music, maybe? Photography, perhaps? Cooking, conceivably?
Whatever it is you love, when you’re doing it, are you looking forward to the day that you can stop (retire from) doing it?
Not too bloody likely, right?
You’re doing it because it’s fun, because you love doing it, because it’s who you are,
And you, likely, don’t want to entertain the thought of stopping.
Now, I know what you’re thinking too.
You’re thinking, “Hang on, we’re talking about work, and work isn’t something I love doing.”
But, what if work could be like that?
What if your career—your livelihood—was derived from something you loved doing?
Wouldn’t that be cool?
And that’s what the book addresses. It holds—within an amusing and compelling story about two people on a park bench—real-world, workable solutions for taking control of your career, your future, your life.
Now, before you dismiss me (and my idea), do me a favour.
Think about people you know, or you read about, or you see on TV, who make a living at something they love.
And think of those people—people well into their 60s, 70s or even 80s—who can’t dream of stopping. Won’t think of quitting. Won’t entertain the thought of retirement.
What makes them different?
(And it’s at this point that I finally get to, ahem, the point).
For months, I was searching for one word—one catchword, one byword, one slogan, one mantra—that explains, defines and illustrates what it is about those everyday people—those chefs, those journalists, those tailors, those musicians—who will never quit doing what they do.
And, after a long search, after scrolling, in mind, through an index of catchy one-word candidates, I found (at last!) the mot-juste.
And that word is; Passion.
That’s the difference.
That’s why there are people who go to work, every day, and who refuse to stop going to work every day.
Because their lives—and their livelihood—are filled with passion.
They Pursue Passion
They Experience Passion
They Own their Passion
They Communicate Passion
They Live a Life of Passion—every day.
And you can too.
All you need to do, is to
Pursue passion.
Ideas? Suggestions? Questions? Please leave a comment.
It’s Monday; can’t wait for Friday.
