In dozens of interviews I've done with people who have pursued their
passions in their careers, the single most commonly mentioned success
factor has been the importance of outside support.
Whatever form it takes - emotional support, a belief that they can do
it, knowledge, motivation, etc. - that external influence can have an
enormous impact.
Luckily most people have an inherent willingness - desire even - to
be a part of that. Richard Tait, co-founder of the
game company Cranium (and one of the most passionate people I have
ever met), sums it up nicely.
"Have the confidence and belief that people want you to be happy," he
says. "Finding your passion is a good thing. Embrace it, and move
forward with confidence that there are people around you who can give
you that support infrastructure. Other people, they want you to be
happy. They want you to succeed."
Pursuing your passion means getting off the treadmill of the expected
path and blazing the trail that's right for *you*. Sometimes that can
feel a bit like swimming against the stream.
Friends and family can offer a tremendous emotional support system to
keep you going, reminding you of what you’re doing and why, and
reinforcing the belief that you can.
Your colleagues can play an invaluable role as well, providing you
with a fountain of knowledge, motivation, and plain old forward motion.
For travel photographer/writer Alison Wright, it's about the Buddhist
concept of having a sangha, a community of like-minded people. "Most
of my friends are creative writers and photographers," she notes, "so
our life is not about impressing each other with our cars so much as
it is about our quality of life and our creative output."
In my own journey, I have been truly blessed by the people who have
reached out with support, emotional as well as insights and
inspiration. I definitely couldn’t have come this far without it.
Take a look around you and make a list. Who is already part of your
support team? Who could be? Do they know? If not, take a minute and
bring them into the picture. Tell them what you’re doing, and how they
can support you.
