June 24, 2010 at 8:50 am, by Carl

Last week, my family was watching the Discovery channel’s special 25th Anniversary special on Dirty Jobs. We really enjoy Mike Rowe and how he highlights average people who work really hard, usually in something dirty.  As someone who has dug ditches for a living, pulled wires for an electrician and swept floors (even while holding 2 Master’s Degrees), I appreciate the jobs shown.


In this special issue, Mike was skewering some famously held business motivational saying and giving them a Dirty Jobs twist.  Where he went the hardest, I thought, was against the notion that “all you need is passion” to achieve.  You know what he means—you’ve heard motivational people and books tell you that you should pursue your passion.  I’ve said much the same, so in general, Mike had my attention.


As he spoke, I was quickly reminded of a conversation I had with the mother of a former student.  We met at a funeral, of all places.  As we spoke, she shared that he was trying to follow his passion, but currently, he was still living at home, having not really connected.  Then she said a good truth—“you know, not every time you really pursue your dreams, do you make it.”


I agreed quickly with her.  What I’ve tried to say over the years is that you certainly need to have a direction, a passion that you want to see happen.  Without that sense of going somewhere intentionally, I think you just drift aimlessly.  So, in that way, I do want people to pursue their passion.  But, as my friend said, and one of the points that Mike was making, often you make a good effort but come up short.  And, after that, then what?


Certainly, your bills must still be paid.  You can’t just sit at home and let life rush past you.  Some, though, who hear the “pursue passion” statement and then miss the mark, DO just sit at home.  They think they are failures and that life has no point anymore.   They, sadly, have been misled.  The idea of pursuing your passion does not mean that the pursuit will actually connect.  And that’s not a horrible thing—in fact, for many of us, if we really did get what our initial passion was, we’d be miserable.


On Friday, I spoke at Valencia Community College for Freshmen Orientation, a task I really love.  After it was over, several students and parents came by to talk about various points I had made.  Finally, I was left with one vivacious parent who began to share her own story.  It’s a great example of what I am trying to suggest about passion. . .and a story that I think Mike would have loved.


After spending time raising her children, she was suddenly a single parent.  Those bills were not going to stop coming in sympathy for her plight.  So, in her early 30s, she determined to go back to school.  While there, she uncovered an unknown enjoyment for teaching and working with students, so she followed that dream.  But, even that wasn’t the end of the story—rather than just a happy ending of finding a passion and then following it, like many of us she found it tough to land a job.


Then, in an unforeseen kind of way, a job opened up teaching in a correctional facility.  She took the job and was an instant success, for herself, the institution and the students.  In other words, as she pursued her passion, she hit a brick wall, but then she kept on moving.


That’s basically my story and it loops us back to Mike Rowe.  What Mike said on the show was that the individuals he had interviewed in Dirty Jobs had taught him focus more on bringing your passion with you as you move through life.  When I was a freshman, all I really knew was that I loved history, so a major there made plenty of sense.  Some friends would ask “what kind of a job will you get with that,” but I never really worried about that.


First, as a Christian, I knew God had a plan for my life as long as I would let Him roll it out.  Secondly, I knew that doors would open in the years ahead that would start to solve the problem, thus, in the meanwhile, I would really enjoy college pursuing my passion and still come out at the end in a great position to get any job I might want.


Mike said on the show, “life is not about following your passion to be happy—you simply won’t fulfill every dream that you have.  Instead, you must roll up your sleeves, take advantage of every opportunity in front of you, pay the bills and get to work.”


Sounds like great advice.