It was not too long ago that I gave my first presentation on my current self PD - Passion at the World Council of Gifted and Talented Center.
Since then, I have continued to toy around with the concept as I know I am not quite where I want things to be. It has been a pursuit to really identify the issue that I am trying to battle and solve.
I have done some illustrations to work through my ideas.
Just a few weeks back I crafted my latest sketch where I was digging deeper into this notion of passion.
Working with students on our latest project titled BettPassion and speaking with teachers and other people online I reached this idea that there are three levels of passion. Right now I am giving them the names of Fans, Hobbies, and Career.
Fans - this is what I consider Level 1. This is where you have a passion for something in your life, but your skill set is very low or does not exist for this particular passion. This makes you a fan. For example, I love college football. I watch my Notre Dame Fighting Irish every weekend. I love it! However, I am not equipped with the skills or body to be a collegiate athlete(disregard the age factor!). I could never play at that level. Being a fan allows me to sit and enjoy the game I love. No problem and nothing wrong with this.
Hobbies - this is what I consider Level 2. At this level you have passion for something, but as opposed to not having any skills, you actually do have skills with this passion. The problem at this level is that there is not a "market" for this combo and therefore you are not able to sustain a living. This becomes a hobby. It makes you happy, you love challenging yourself, and you devote a lot of time to it, but you cannot make enough income to go full time. For me, that would be blogging and nerd toys. I love experimenting with both. I devote a lot of time, resources, and manpower working on my blog as well as tinkering with the latest and greatest nerd toys. I would also say that triathlons fit this bill as well. Regardless, I cannot make a living off of these items. Actually, these hobbies cost me money! They do help give me a purpose to my life.
Career - the last level is Level 3. This has the perfect intersection of passion, skills, and a market. When you find this intersection of all three you have found your career. It is at this point that you no longer have a "job" because you should be loving what you are doing. You have a chance to live your passion while making a living off it. This is the sweet spot and a place we should all try to achieve. This is something that is attainable for anyone. Talking with many people and some who disagree with my platform(who I love for challenging my own thinking!) I think that establishing these levels brings into focus a more realistic set of expectations when discussing passion. I know I have hit the sweet spot because I love what I do which is teaching.
So.............
What are your thoughts to this new thinking?
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