Passion intrinsically links to vision. A good vision should certainly match with your passion.

The word “passion” gets tossed around quite a bit. It is almost a buzz word in the self-help realm. That doesn’t make it any less important though.

We just need to realize that passion isn’t just some flippant idea that is fun to chat about and discuss. It’s real, and it’s necessary. It also isn’t just about enjoying something. It is about needing something. If you have a passion, you wake up and fall asleep thinking about it. When you are doing something else, you will catch yourself thinking about it.

Leaders need to have passion because that’s what makes them tick. Imagine you are a leader and you’re working on two projects. One is a passion project that you are completely beholden to. The other is some simple busy-work that you have to do to make ends meet. Which one is going to motivate you?

More importantly, which one is going to help you motivate the people you lead? People aren’t stupid and know when our leaders are faking it. If you feel passionate about something, then it will emanate from every pore of your being.

Great leaders feel passionate about their vision. It’s this passion that allows them to make sure their vision becomes a reality.

Example: Mother Theresa

“We ourselves feel that what we are doing is just a drop in the ocean. But if that drop were not there, I think the ocean would be less by that missing drop.”

While she was a quiet and shy woman, Mother Theresa made up for it with an unbelievable reservoir of passion. She wasn’t working for glory or fame. She was doing what she believed she was put on this earth to accomplish. She spent 50 years working among the poorest people in the world. The missionary order she founded is now active in 133 countries, still doing the work she was so passionate about to this day.

Why It’s Important in Everyday Life:

Having a true passion is the kind of thing that wakes you up early in the morning ready to hit the ground running.

You might have a lot of success in your life, working towards goals that don’t ignite you, but what if you were working towards something you truly loved and cared about?

Imagine how much easier it would be! Imagine how more effective you would be!

Not many of us have the luxury of doing something we truly love. That's a shame. Reaching goals that match your passion is not only preferable, but it’s also more rewarding than going after something that doesn't inspire you.

You may not be in a position to follow or chase your passion, but just having one is a potent force. People who have something they are passionate about always feel better about themselves and are happier in general. Our whole lives we hear that if you work hard, you reach your goals, and one day you will be happy.

Well, what if we flip the script. What if we find something at the start that makes us happy, and we work towards that? Why does happiness have to be a destination, and not a journey?