Post: #1

I've had multiple jobs since graduating; I'm starting another this month.
I've had two that excited me in terms of the industry, or what I did from one day to the next, or what I was working to achieve.

I do get a measure of satisfaction from completing something, or from the company of competent people I get on well with, but I've come to evaluate actual or prospective employment solely on what a role pays.

For example, I applied to train as a teacher after much badgering from family and friends, just so I'd have a defined career and some clear progression, and the thought of that didn't move me much either. I just looked at the starting salary, holidays, and wondered whether primary or secondary schools would give me a shorter, simpler day.

I may be cynical, I may be lazy, I may just be burned out, I don't know. I just don't, at the moment, have any passions beyond making a decent living.
I've worked in local government, restaurants, retail, IT installation, and the goodness or badness of the environment was for me, pretty secondary to the pay. I can connect to people, learn about the field, build good relationships and even stand out to bosses and customers, I just want not
to be poor more than anything else.
I'm trying to start a side business, but still...,

What makes you enthusiastic for your work?
Financial gains, bragging rights, freedom, or fringe benefits like time off?
Goals achieved, people helped, valuable skills passed on?
What do you think your "passion" is?
Does passion matter in doing what you do?
Do you think you can find a passion when you lack one?

Post: #2

I am really skeptical and pessimistic about this subject.

Getting a job you are passionate about is like hitting the lottery.
After a few more years in the work force you will give up on chasing that dream and become like everyone else... Motivated by money. Then benefits. Then freedom.

The only thing I have done at work for pride, bragging rights and achieving goals are things that I have done in the military. I think that is the only situation in my life when I was passionate about my work.

The trick is to find something you are actually good or talented at, so you can get paid for doing it with as little effort.
I only have 2 real talents in life.
The first is getting paid to do fuck all. I have managed to get away with doing as little as possible my whole working life, whilst getting paid the same, if not more than my colleagues.
The second is carnival games. I'm confident I could bankrupt any Carny.

Post: #3

Yes, I do.

Post: #4

I'm a real manwhore when it comes to this subject. I've have done a lot of harsh jobs that most men would run away from. I'm prepared to do almost anything for a decent paycheck in short time.
Mainly because my recent lifestyle has been to earn a lot of money fast during a short time and then I'm heading to cheap countries where I can enjoy some months on that money.

So the answer is no. The things I'm most passionate about is hard to make a decent buck of.

Post: #5

There really is nothing known as a dream job or work that you're crazily passionate about. I've found this out the hard way.

Every time I managed to get my hands on something that I thought was "the one", the excitement faded away quickly and I was looking for something better. The chase never ends.

But what I have found is that doing something you at least like helps massively.

As far as passion goes, I think it's much easier and practical to think of a passionate life or lifestyle rather than passionate work. It's like your work is a subset of your daily life so the the priority should be on making the latter as exciting for you as possible.

Chalk out a plan of activities that you really enjoy and try to incorporate that in your daily lifestyle. You will need resources like money to fulfill that plan and that is where doing work you like really helps because you don't hate it and it has a purpose to it which keeps you motivated.

Post: #6

I am not working but studying. My education(regional planning) is questionable but because I am here financially stable and the studies are quite easy to complete, I spend majority of my time reading, training and creating(writing, programming). Also got the access to all the benefits of a university(networking, girls, parties). I am not passionate about my field but passionate about the things I do generally.

I have worked in construction, as a lumberjack, city guide, handyman... these jobs were really nothing but means to earn money. When I look back, the only value I really got was growing the backbone and mental strength. Otherwise, they seem worthless to me because I didn't get much from then in a long run, all I got was money for survival. I consider them 'time wasted'. My aim is to earn living by doing what I like doing, as long as I earn the minimal amount of income for living, I am satisfied. Surely the income will eventually rise.

Life is temporary, why spend the time doing what you don't like doing in order to go on doing things you don't like doing??

You can find passions, try to find something you somewhat like doing and the more you actually do it, you may eventually fall in love to it.

Post: #7

I think you can take passion into what you do even if it's not something you're initially passionate about.

For instance, writing copy for businesses I don't care about can get old. But if you look at each job as an opportunity to improve your skill and really put your all into it, you can get fired up about the most mundane projects.

Then you keep improving and shooting for more challenging jobs.

Beyond All Seas

"The individual has always had to struggle to keep from being overwhelmed by the tribe.
To be your own man is a hard business. If you try it, you'll be lonely often, and sometimes
frightened. But no price is too high to pay for the privilege of owning yourself." - Kipling