People need to change their perception of problems and to think of them as challenges. Problems tend to be looked at as ugly, unwanted things. But problems are here to teach us where we went wrong, what not to do, provided that we choose to learn from them. What’s wrong with challenges, we all like them to some extent don’t we?

I think one of the fundamental problems that people have with problems, is a core belief people have about themselves: Are we naturally good at things or our we beings with infinte potential to grow and learn?It’s the good ol’ nature vs. nurture debate. How you answer this question says alot about how you face challenges. If you believe you can face a challenge and learn and grow from it then you are fit for life. But if you hold the belief that “I’ll never make it. I was born poor. It’s not in my genes. I’m not that type of person.” That type of belief isn’t suited for growth.

That idea of “passion” is like saying you want to be Superman when you grow up. Every job, hobby, or passion is not 100% bliss. I often give the example of eating chocolate. There are many people totally passionate about chocolate, but that doesn’t mean they can eat it for every meal. That would become disgusting to anyone.

Derek Sivers had a good article recently where he said that,

“Wiping someone else’s baby’s bottom feels like work.
Wiping your own baby’s bottom doesn’t feel like work.”
http://sivers.org/notwork

I think that he is missing the point. Does this mean that he has a passion for wiping his baby’s bottom? Of course not. He has a passion for being a good father, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t a lot of crappy work that comes along with it. I am sure he is not so fond of the crying in the middle of the night that keeps him from sleeping. Or wiping vomit off of his shirt.

As Carlos says,
“Passion following seems like a “problem-less” life. It’s not real.”

That is precisely the problem. If people think that “passion” is a glamourized perfection, then they will spend their whole lives searching and end up disappointed.

We live in amazingly great times. Life is good by every measure, however that doesn’t mean there are aren’t any bad parts. Follow your passion, just don’t expect your life to turn out like a Hollywood movie.

3. Hire department heads that are experts in their field and are better at their job than you would be.

Going back to the point above, you might have a good idea for a business, but chances are, you didn’t build it alone. It may have started off that way, but along that way you found hard working people that helped take your idea and build it into what it is today.

To me, I think it’s about: what can you do that provides value to others, that solves a problem, that you can necessarily make a living at, but that you also enjoy doing?

Living your passion isn’t easy—I’d say it’s harder than ignoring the question of what you care about and enjoy doing. It’s a challenge to consciously seek that out and struggle to balance 1) earning your living AND at the same time 2) doing what’s meaningful to you.