by Hank TrislerA number of years ago I began a correspond-
ence with Howard, a young man who had bought No Bull Selling and wrote for clarification on some issues. I've enjoyed our little chats, as Howard often asks thought-provoking questions.
ence with Howard, a young man who had bought No Bull Selling and wrote for clarification on some issues. I've enjoyed our little chats, as Howard often asks thought-provoking questions.
Recently, the company for which Howard had been working shut down his sales office and gave him the Rubber Key. This gives him an opportunity for a career adjustment and Howard is facing that opportunity with characteristic introspection. Appearing below is a message he sent me this afternoon. I'm hoping you will give him some important insights and enlighten me, as well.
Hank,
Many super successful people say that you should follow your passion when selecting your career. Here are a few examples:
"If you want to make a lot of money go to Wall Street. More importantly though, do what you would do for free. Having passion for what you do is the most important thing. I love what I do." - Warren Buffett
"I'm a firm believer that you need to love what you're doing to be successful at it. Passion is a must for great success." - Donald Trump
"This life lesson, which first clicked for me at age twenty-eight and has continued to show up at various crossroads since that time, is that there is no Plan B for passion. Do what you love and love what you do. Plan A has to come first. Besides, Plan B sucks!" - Chris Gardner
On the other hand, you have someone like Larry Winget who says:
"Passion is a load of crap. I know many passionate people. They are passionately stupid, passionately wrong and passionately incompetent. Passion and success have about as much to do with each other as gravy and Raisin Bran. But this is the trash being dumped on us by the ill-informed motivational idiots who know little about true success but are quick to tell you how to achieve it. No business ever makes it based on passion. No successful business person every made it to the top based on passion."
Wow, talk about opposite extremes! What do you make of that? Who's right? In my job search, should I only accept a position if I'm "passionate" about it, or should I accept a "good" job when I find one and focus on making a living for my family? I'd love to hear your thoughts.
Thanks,
Howard
Now, I don't know Larry Winget, but he strikes me as a brass-bound idiot. I can think of few outlooks as bleak as facing a long life doing something about which I feel no passion.
What do you think?
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