One of the most commonly used statements by motivational speakers or success gurus across the world is “Follow your Passion”. What we want you to think is “Why do others have to tell us to follow our passion?” Shouldn’t that happen naturally? If we are passionate about something, following it would be a natural phenomenon, right? But in reality, it is easier said than done. No matter how much effort we put in to keep up with our passion, we are unable to stick to it throughout our life. 

We all know that passion is a feeling of intense enthusiasm or a strong desire for something. Have you ever felt such intense emotion for something? Of course, you have! However, there is something that everyone needs to introspect and that is whether you are passionate about the outcome or the process? If your passion is just for the outcome or the result that you would achieve after doing a particular thing then it’s not passion, it’s greed. Suppose someone comes to you and says that he is passionate about becoming an IAS officer but he doesn’t enjoy studying and hates investing time learning topics related to general awareness. What would be your suggestion to such a person? Bro, it would be better if you could be passionate about something that you enjoy. Most of the people around us are passionate about the outcome and don’t enjoy the process. This is not passion. This is pseudo passion.

Be passionate about the process and only then will you be different from the crowd. That means, if you are passionate about becoming an IAS officer, then by default you must be passionate about the process of studying and learning. The day you develop passion and love for the process instead of the outcome or the result, you become unique; you become unconventional.

One day, I was roaming around a street and I saw an old man, weak and lonely. Leaning on his walking stick, he was inching ahead slowly. He could barely walk. Feeling pity about his condition, I went to him and told, “Excuse me, Sir, You should not roam around in this condition, you may injure yourself if you fall, why don’t you go home and take rest. He replied, “Young man! I love to walk so much that I don’t care about falling; if I fall I would get up and start walking.” I felt as if I have been struck by the wisdom of life.

You would have noticed that the people who are consumed with passion, never think about what others would say. They are so deeply involved in whatever they do that they don’t even bother about success or failure. They just enjoy being passionate and unconventional.