How To Find Your Passion And Then Live It To Its Fullest
What’s your passion?
That’s a question we’re sometimes asked, but we’re not sure how to answer it. Well, what do you love? What makes you happy? It’s a lot easier to ask than it is to answer. Deep down, we all have a passion, but it’s not so easy to find. There’s no day when it magically comes to the surface, offering the answer to your frustrations over finding the right job or plan for your life. It takes a lot of effort, self-discovery–and a lot of speculation.
Finding your passion is hard and a bit scary. For me, in order to find my passion, I had to step out of my comfort zone. I needed to find those things that gave me joy and really excited me. A lot of it had to do with opening up and being honest with myself. I needed to take risks and be willing to make mistakes that I could learn from. As I began to discover my passion, I had to keep asking myself questions and digging deeper.
Once I found my passion, my life really took off. Great passion takes you on a great journey. Finding my passion was only an introduction to the real journey. Once I found what I was passionate about, I was able to learn, grow, achieve and enjoy so much more. I took the opportunity to follow my passion and live it. Now, I am making myself a pro at following my passion.
When I was a little kid, my dad always said, “Learn what you love to do and then figure out how to make money while doing it.” And so the journey began, finding my passion, my niche, what I am good at, what I love, what makes my clock tick and world spin.
Easier said than done. It took me a long time to find my passion. I had to look at myself and be realistic. I love to talk. I love to teach and coach. My passion might have led me right into a high school as a teacher. However, I knew how much money a teacher or a coach made. I knew it wasn’t enough to let me live how I wanted to live. So I kept digging and searching. Right out of college, I started my own business. At that point, I had no idea how I would get the chance to live my passion. That first business was just a stepping stone.
At Lazzari’s, the pizza restaurant and bar I opened, I realized each day that the opportunity to teach or help my employees made me happy and excited. I felt so connected and in love with what I was doing. That’s when I saw I could still be a coach and teacher. I just had to change the stage. I could do what I love here, but do I really want to run a bar my whole life? I wanted more. I wanted bigger challenges. Eventually, I sold the restaurant and bought the family business, KB Janitorial Services. From that day forward, my bigger journey began, and I’ve loved every minute of it.
When I came to KB I knew there was work to be done. Changes needed to be made. I wanted to create this stellar culture that embodied not only my passion but also the passions of the whole team. During the process of molding the KB culture, I learned quickly that it couldn’t and shouldn’t be about me. No one wanted to follow my vision or passion, because that passion and vision wasn’t as true for them as it was for me. That’s when I decided I wanted my employees to be there for their own reasons and self-fulfillment, not mine.
As we added people who came to follow their own passions, our team came together. Now everyone has their own passion and follows that passion. They allow their passion to align with the mission and vision of the company. This creates a well-blended culture that allows amazing stuff to happen. Together, we offer exceptional service and peace of mind for all involved. Passionate people attract and work well together. Because we align the company’s mission with our individual passions and vision, the culture at KB really works. Best of all, it makes me so happy and excited as I watch it all unfold in front
of me.
The best advice I can give on your passion is to go out and find it. Then have the guts to live it!
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