Member-only story
Why “Follow Your Passion” is BS (And What Actually Fuels Creative Careers and Businesses)
Follow what sustains you, not just what ignites you
How often have you heard or read: “Follow your Passion!”
That advice sounds great… until you’re burned out, broke, or in the emergency room.
In June 2021, I found myself lying flat on an ER bed, chest constricted tight, hooked up to an ECG machine. Blood getting drawn. Hospital staff sticking close.
Six days earlier, I had been in the same hospital saying goodbye to my mom. At the time:
- I was late 40s.
- Exhausted.
- Scared.
Professionally, I was a senior administrator in healthcare. It was still a time of pandemic response (hence the mask in the image). A period in which I’d been buried in meetings for a year or more, engaged in emergency planning and response (at the same time)
I had also just recently finished a doctorate (January 2021). I taught a couple of nights per week at the local college. Often worked weekends. And my wife and I did…
