It’s a wonderful thing when your passion becomes your business, but is also means that your passion becomes, on some level, work.
Just as love in a relationship takes work, where there is a deep investment in growing something, it will take commitment, patience, and perseverance when challenges arise. Yet, this shouldn’t take away from the overall joy you feel in a relationship or job.
On the other hand, if you struggle to find passion in what you do, then you are one of the majority. For most of us, we have to dig a little deeper to find joy in our work, but finding it is important, especially when it comes to working in a family business. And when we do find that aspect of the business we enjoy, it doesn’t just make us happier – it benefits the business, as well.
Find Passion Outside of the Business
I still remember the day, many years ago, when I found myself looking around my office, evaluating my position, and thinking, “You know what? I don’t think I love what I do.”
It wasn’t that I planned to leave the family business, but I found myself at a crossroad. I had to find something I loved to do that I could engage in individually. It didn’t necessarily have to be a part of my current job, but I knew I was unsatisfied, and that imbalance was started to affect my work and those around me.
That thought stuck with me for months until one day, after voicing my concern for the hundredth time at one of my forums, my forum buddy, Z. Makkawi, turned to me and said, “What is it that you want to do?” Everything stopped. I had voiced what I didn’t want to do for so long, and yet I hadn’t thought about what I did want. Without thinking, I just said the first thing that came to mind, “I want to play the guitar,” I told him. “So play the guitar,” he replied. “Who’s stopping you from learning?”
“Nobody.”
“Then play the guitar.”
So I did. Guitar playing, of course, isn’t a part of our family business. I found something else to love within that. But finding a passion that was just for me, that was outside of work, was rewarding in and of itself.
Find Passion Where You Are
Many of us complain every day about what we don’t like about our jobs, but few of us take the time to ask, “But what do I like?”
There is something to love in everything in this world, even the ugliest, dirtiest jobs have a bright side. And when you find that small joy, you can build on it, slowly at first and then more and more, until you can bring it into balance with the rest of your work. But finding that happiness and developing it depends on you. If there’s truly nothing at all that speaks to your passion, then first ask yourself what you do want. Once you know what that is, consider how that passion could benefit your family’s business as much as it does you. You may surprise yourself.