Passion and profits

People pick up on it. It is attractive.

When we are engaged with our passions, it feels good. We find our natural gifts and we are motivated to do more and learn more.

However, it is a widely held belief that we must sacrifice our passions in order to earn good money and create the lifestyle we desire within our society.

Knowing and connecting with our passions means it is possible to bring joy into whatever we do. We know how to make the best of any situation - whether that is putting on music and dancing when we are cleaning, or really being present and connecting with people we are serving.

However, taking the next step and orientating our lives around our passions gives us the most potential for joy in our lives. We are then expressing our unique essence in the world, living our life purpose. Anita Moorjani explains how, rather than this being selfish or egotistical, this is actually what the world needs. Spiritually, we are all connected, and our unique expression is one thread in the tapestry of life. Us doing ‘our thing’ has a positive effect on those around us and our community.

But what about our income, freedom and lifestyle?

Marsha Sinstar said; “Do what you love and the money will follow.”

To me, this seems true to an extent. When what we do is of value to others, they will want to reciprocate. However it is problematic.

Doing what we love might lead us to a job or self-employment in an established field, like a gardener, tutor or architect. We will need to agree contracts, and our thoughts and beliefs about earning money from our passion can get in the way of negotiating a good deal. We feel so strongly about our passion, there is a tendency for us to want to give away our work, but money is a creative energy which also needs to flow. Our income from our passion is part of our sustainable, abundant, passion-filled lives.

The internet has brought us new opportunities for doing business in different ways. All self-employment is now impacted. The gardener, tutor and lawyer, although in well established services, can not ignore the internet.

By reducing our overheads and enabling us to contact more people with very specific needs over a wide area, the internet has given birth to newer businesses and made others more profitable, from crafts to coaching. We need to understand the options available so we can make good choices. It can be easy to be swept away and seduced by ‘get rich quick’ money making opportunities. Even if they work (and many don’t), it is not unusual for someone who has made a lot of money to seek coaching because they say ‘something is missing’.

Their initial motivation is usually moving away from a job they hate, or financial instability. This fear provides a short-term burst of motivation but, when that subsides, motivation becomes a struggle. Their heart just isn’t in it.
 
When we are engaged with our passions, we are inspired. We don’t need to push ourselves as we are drawn towards something bigger. This is also our 'competitive advantage'. It helps us to stand out and connect with those on the same wavelength, especially online.

I believe passion should be at the heart of our life and work. Whilst there’s a natural ‘pull’ towards our passions, we need to make sure that we are aware of the full range of our passions, and that our thought patterns do not limit us or stand in our way. This frees us up to choose lucrative careers and self-employment that engage our passions and to build the lifestyle we desire sustainably, with time and money freedom.

Does that sound good to you?

To talk about how coaching can help you orientate your life around your passion, book an initial session with a professional coach.