A Formula for Success …

“You have to love what you do. Without passion, great success is hard to come by. An entrepreneur will have tough times if he or she isn’t passionate about what they’re doing. People who love what they’re doing don’t give up. It’s never even a consideration. It’s a pretty simple formula.”

Who said this?

You may be surprised when I tell you.

Regardless, I feel it’s great a great quote.  So simple; so direct; so fundamental.

It’s all inclusive.  Everyone can follow this advise … if they choose.  Even me.

Basically, what this quote says to me is this …

If you love what you do.  If you’re passionate about what you do.  You’ll succeed.

It even goes further for me.  It says something else as well.  Something unwritten.  Something I’m reading between the lines.  Subject to my interpretation.  And that something is this …

If you love what you do.  If you’re passionate about what you do.  THEN YOU ARE A SUCCESS!

That’s what it says to me.

Notice, no mention of money.  Notice no mention of how many people are clapping in the stadium.  Notice no mention of awards.  Notice no mention of approval ratings.  Notice no mention of anything except …

… that you love and are passionate about what you do.

And, guess what?  I feel empowered.  Because it gives me control over my success.

I have the power – the choice – to love and be passionate about what I do; my work.

Who is this person anyway?

Who said this?  Who is the author of this quote?

It’s a person who creates excitement.  A person who makes things happen; big things.  A person who’s known all over the globe as a very successful businessman, entrepeneur and real estate developer.  His name is a brand.

It’s a person who’s very wealthy, but at times, has been very un-wealthy.  In one of his books he tells the story about walking past a homeless man.  It’s the middle of the night and it’s raining.  As he walks by the homeless man he thinks to himself, ‘That man is wealthier than me.’  It was a down financial period in his life; he owed billions.  He had to make a series of phone calls to “beg” the bankers for some more time to repay the money.

But, was anyone surprised when a short while later he came back to be an even bigger and stronger financial Juggernaut than before?  I feel it’s fairly safe to answer … hardly anyone was surprised.
And Now … drum roll please …

The person is none other than Donald Trump.

Are you surprised?

I was.

The more I read Donald Trump’s books, the more I admire him.  I don’t agree with all he says or with some of his style or some of his techniques.  But, I admire him more and more as I read his books and get more insight into his thinking.

I admire him because he strikes me as a person who stands up and says to the world, “This is me!  You may like me, you may not, but I’m here.  I count.  I love what I do.  I’m passionate about my business and about life.”

When I think about this I have to ask myself, “Am I doing what I love?  Am I passionate about what I do?  My work?”

Two plus years ago – when I had a JOB  – I would have answered with an emphatic “NO!”  I didn’t love my JOB.  I wasn’t’ passionate about the work I was doing.  I was only passionate about the paycheck.  And, that misguided passion lead me deeper and deeper down the hole of misery and failure.  Donald’s quote says to me, “There’s no success where there’s no passion for your work.  There can be no success if you don’t love what you do.”

So, no matter how much money I stacked up; no matter how many paychecks I accumulated – according to Donald’s quote – I could never be successful!  After all, I didn’t love my work and I wasn’t passionate about what I was doing.  Therefore, success is not possible.

But now, I can happily stand up and yell out, “YES!”  I love what I do and I’m passionate about my work.

Can I therefore say to myself, “I’m successful.”?

According to my interpretation of Donald’s quote … I can.

What’s your interpretation of Donald’s quote?

What do you take from it?

Source:   Ten Questions with Donald Trump.  Guy Kawasaki interview with Donald Trump.  The quote comes from – strangely enough – the answer to question 11!