Whether we're thinking about starting a small business, or just thinking about what career path to choose, it's important that we follow our passions. When we think about what is needed to be successful in life and in our work, we usually think about characteristics like value, talent, ambition, intellect, discipline, persistence and luck. What many of us often fail to include in this recipe for success is passion. The passion we have, or don't have, for our work should not be underestimated. Sometimes this ingredient could make the biggest difference of all.

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The True Meaning of Success Before we talk about what I mean by passion and why it's so important, we must first explore what the true meaning of success is a bit further. Success is usually assumed to be associated with large sums of wealth or a high level of fame, but true success is not all about money,.

Success is, or at least should be, primarily defined as an achievement of something desired. So, the most successful people are the ones who achieve the things they most desire. What we desire the most, even more than money, is to be proud of what we do with our lives. This is especially true when it comes to our work. A truly successful person is one who is proud of the work he or she does. That, is the true meaning of success. Now, a lot of money shouldn't be the primary definition of success, but it's a reasonable goal to have. We all want to have enough money to sustain ourselves and our family. The thing is, if we're truly passionate about the work we do, there's probably a better chance that money will follow.

What I Mean by PassionWhen I speak of passion, I don't mean it in the romantic way. What I mean by passion is the powerful feeling of enthusiasm we all have inside of us. We are all enthusiastic and passionate about something, whether its finance, food or a favorite sport. That enthusiasm is very powerful. When we can combine it with our work, we are setting ourselves up well for achieving true success.

Why Passion Is so Important When we are enthusiastic and proud of the work we do, the better equipped we'll be to overcome the many obstacles that will surely arise in the process of starting a business or moving up in a career. Also, the more enthusiasm we have, the more inclined we are to work harder at improving ourselves. This will allow us to continuously get better at the work we do. The better we get at our work, the better we can get paid for doing it.

Ensuring we are passionate about our work will not only provide us with a meaningful career, but it will also give us a good chance of being paid well. The passion we have for our work can be the difference between making a living or making a killing.

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The Successful of Our Time Steve Jobs One of the most successful companies in the world today is Apple. When we think of Apple we also think of Apple's ex-CEO, the late Steve Jobs. Carmine Gallo wrote an article called, "The Seven Success Principles Of Steve Jobs," which outlines seven key factors that are responsible for Jobs' success. The article is based on multiple interviews with Apple employees and Steve Jobs himself. Believe it or not, the No. 1 principle in this article is, "do what you love." Steve Jobs believed in the power of passion, and once said, "people with passion can change the world for the better." Jobs claimed that the passion he had for his work made all the difference.

Chris Gardner Chris Gardner, the once homeless man turned multi-millionaire stockbroker that Will Smith plays in the movie, "The Pursuit of Happyness," once expressed what he believes is the secret to success. He stated that he believes the secret is to "find something you love to do so much, you can't wait for the sun to rise to do it all over again." He explains that the most inspiring leaders are those who don't work at a job, but pursue a calling.

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Follow Your Passions And Success Will Follow