Often you’ll hear from motivational speakers and millionaires about the importance of following your passions. You’re told that you need to follow your dreams, and when you do, you’ll be successful. It often sounds like optimistic nonsense…
… But it’s not entirely wrong.
There is significant value both personally and professionally when you lead a life that is more authentic to yourself. You’ll find that not only are you happier, but you may be more successful as well.
Why You Should Follow Your Dreams
Those that find themselves motivated by secondary gain, or are driven to do work or hobbies that are not in line with who they are as a person, often find that they are much less happy. That lack of happiness bleeds into other components of their life, possibly making their relationships worse.
Yet there is much more to it than that. When you’re following a path that is not in line with your passions, other people can pick up on it. The people around you are receptive to how you feel. They can tell, either consciously or subconsciously, that you are dissatisfied with where you are headed, and not necessarily the right person for the path you’re on.
This will have an effect on you both personally and professionally. When someone senses that you are not being authentic to yourself, they will listen less, feel less respectful of what you do, and not believe in their heart that you should move forward.
But if you follow your passions and live by your core principles:
- People will be more attracted to what you do and what you say.
- People will sense that you will go far, and reward you as a result.
- People will be responsive to your happiness and energy.
In other words, if you follow your passions, you put yourself in a position to be more successful. If you dream of making money, you have a better chance to make money. If you dream of growth, you have a better chance to grow. Throughout all that, you’ll also be happier in the process.
That’s why it’s not just motivational speakers that believe you should follow your passions. Even psychologists know that there is real value, personally, professionally, and financially, to being true to yourself. Following your passions is simply the right choice for those that have spent their lives motivated by what they fear, not what they love.
