Find Your Talent. Not Your Passion.

There's magic in the intersection.

In the high-octane narrative of our lives, where self-help gurus and inspirational Instagram posts are always shoving down our throats the idea to "Follow your passion," I’d like to pump the brakes and introduce a reality check. Passion is sexy; it's the siren call leading many a bright-eyed entrepreneur onto rocky shores.

Instead, I argue that we should pivot our GPS toward something a little less glamorous but significantly more navigable: find your talent.

Now, before you hurl your artisanal coffee at me for blaspheming the sacred creed of passionistas everywhere, hear me out. Passion, while undeniably important, often burns hot and fast. It’s like that summer fling with the Vespa and the questionable tattoos – thrilling, but not exactly what you want to bank your future on. Talent, on the other hand, is the sturdy, reliable vehicle that won't break down when things get tough.

Imagine passion as the fuel. It's volatile, prone to spikes and dips depending on the day or your mood. Talent, however, is the engine itself. It’s built from sturdier stuff. It’s what you can do consistently well, what you can refine, what can propel you forward even when the tank is low on passion. It's pragmatic; it pays the bills, and it probably won't leave you stranded on the side of the highway with nothing but a "Live, Laugh, Love" bumper sticker for company.

Let’s dissect this further. Say you're passionate about music. You love it, you breathe it, you can’t imagine a world without it. But if your singing closely resembles a cat in the final throes of its ninth life, perhaps a career on the stage isn't for you. This isn't to say you abandon music – instead, you redirect.

Maybe your talent lies in production, music theory, or even crafting instruments. Here’s where finding your talent diverges from following your passion: it’s about aligning what you love with what you're actually good at. It’s the intersection of pleasure and proficiency.

Moreover, talent often leads to skill, and skill is marketable. Marketability leads to opportunities, opportunities often lead to financial stability, and financial stability can afford you the luxury of pursuing passion projects on the side without the risk of starving in a garret. In stark contrast to the starving artist archetype, finding and nurturing your talent can provide a comfortable living while still allowing room for passion to play its part.

The obsession with passion alone tends to obscure the gritty reality of the working world. We idolize the outliers who have turned their fiery passions into billion-dollar industries, but we forget the graveyard of failed ventures that were equally passionate but not grounded in tangible talent or market demand. It's like basing your career strategy on lottery odds.

Exciting, yes, but smart? Not so much.

So, in a world that venerates passion above all, dare to be different. Evaluate yourself honestly: what are you good at?

Not just okay, but really good at? Start there. Nurture it, refine it, and let it guide you to areas where your passions can flourish sustainably. This isn't settling; it’s strategizing. It’s choosing to build on a foundation of rock rather than one of sand.

While passion is the glittering wave that catches the eye, talent is the rudder that steers the ship. Finding your talent and leveraging it wisely doesn't just lead to success – it leads to a kind of professional satisfaction that passion alone cannot sustain. In the end, why choose between your heart and your head when you can use both?

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Hi there — It’s me, Brian. In addition to this space on Substack, I’m the author of The Main Thing is The Main Thing. It’s my way of galvanizing your focus to bring your life’s work to reality. It’s my guide to the highs and lows of dispelling the constant barrage of interruptions, pings, and distractions that take you away from realizing your main thing.