Have you ever met someone whose passion for what they do is so strong that it’s almost contagious! You find you get caught up in their enthusiasm and feel motivated to push further yourself?

It’s amazing how tangible true passion is. It’s really hard to hide it, and really easy to spot someone who has it! Question is… do you have it? Do you have passion for your life, your career, your studies? Can people see it and feel it from their interactions with you?

Do you have passion?

Here are a few questions to ask yourself:

• Do people tell you that you’re inspiring? (Not necessarily because of what you’ve achieved, but because of your attitude and approach to life)
• Do you find you complain a lot? Whether about people, or things that affect you, are you generally negative about life and what it has given you or done to you?
• Do you look forward to the exciting things you can do with your life and career in the future? Or is it just the money that motivates you to achieve your goal?
• Have you defined and identified those things that give you a sense of fulfillment?

People find passionate people inspiring. If people pick up that energy from you, you’re on the right track!
People who come across as negative complain a lot and blame others for things that go wrong. They come across as hopeless about how to improve and change their lives. This is draining for those around you and can drive people away. Passionate people tend to get over things a little quicker and look at how to take control, rather than stay a passenger.

Sure, your studies are a means to an end, but there’s so much you can take from the experience, so much you can learn about yourself, what you want to focus on, where you’d want to work etc. Ticking the modules off the list until you’re done may get you your degree, but there’s no passion there!

Your professional journey is long, it’s tough and has many obstacles and unforeseen detours. What keeps you going through the studying and the work?

The way you approach your career will be defined by your passion and your drive, so keep them in the front of your mind. If you haven’t found your passion… look for it! Keep in mind that it’s unlikely to be money! Money isn’t what gets you out of bed eager to face the day. You want to find that thing that makes you excited to face tomorrow, worth the effort you’re putting in, and differentiate you from those around you.

Passion doesn’t get killed by hard work and tough times. It’s the reason you feel that the tough times are worth it, are building something in you that will be grateful for later. It will turn your tough times into learning curves, reasons to keep going, face your demons and the challenges the world throws at you.

Find your passion, build it, keep it! Let other people be motivated by the enthusiasm they see in you.