Chase Your Passion, and the Money Will Follow: A Path to Meaningful Success

A new generation of people are waking up to this truth. For years, students were guided to attend college, pick a major in a career with stability and find a job. Quickly after getting that first job, the excitement of the new career wears off. They suddenly find themselves stressed, discontent and asking, “Is this it?’ There is a better way.

I have had a successful twenty-year career in healthcare staffing and insurance. I fell into both because each offered the ability to build a successful career including promotions, recognition and a high income. While I’ve loved my time in both and gained valuable experience on how to sell, how to work with people different than me, how to run a business and the importance of increasing my emotional intelligence, I sit back now and ask, “What if?”.

I’ve been happily married for thirteen years and have been blessed with three sons. My oldest is technically my stepson. We met when he was six and since then, I’ve raised him like he was my own. I can honestly say that raising him has taught me more about the world, life and passion than anything I learned over my twenty-year professional career.

From an early age, it was obvious he was not a traditional student. He assessed off the charts in creativity but really struggled in math, reading and grammar. It was not that he did not have the intellectual ability to excel in these subjects, rather, he simply was not motivated by the subject matter. No incentives or consequences his mother and I implemented seemed to work. Why? Lack of passion.

As he entered high school, he continued to struggle in those areas but there was one subject that grabbed his attention, and it soon transitioned from an interest to an obsession: Automotive.

We thought it was a fad driven by the likes of TicTok and YouTube, but quickly we were proven wrong.

As he began to contemplate his post-high school path, we had multiple conversations about attending a traditional four-year university. It was met with some excitement but mostly dread. Then, it hit me, the “What if?” question.

What if I had chosen to pursue a career based off my passion and not the conservative path? What would life look like today?

I recently read a quote from Steve Jobs that hit home for me. “If you’re passionate about something, and you work hard, then you will be successful."

With all of this in mind, we recommended that our son attend a technical college for automotive while simultaneously working in the automotive industry to start gaining experience. In all honesty, we did believe he would change his mind about his career choice once he got his hands dirty working in the hot Atlanta heat. Quickly, we thought the glam of the industry infused in him from TikTok and YouTube would wear off, and he’d decide it was not for him. We were wrong. It only fueled his fire and grew his obsession.

Today, he is happier than ever working 40+ hours a week in an automotive restoration shop while attending technical school at night. On the weekends, he spends his down time working on cars, and his mother and I have learned more than we wanted to know about cars, car engines, car transmissions, car tunes, car turbos and car modifications.

So, what does this mean for you?

No matter if you are a student in high school or college, a mid-career professional or even approaching retirement, it is not too late to choose your passion. Money, promotions, and recognition are nice. And, yes, each should factor into your career pursuits, but these should not be the primary driver. Rather, I challenge you to choose your passion, and all these other things will follow. As a bonus, you will experience joy, excitement, and happiness in your career. To quote Confucius, “Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life”.

So, what do you think? I would love to hear your thoughts and experiences on this subject.