When interviewing a candidate for a position, one trait a potential boss is in the lookout for is attitude.  Once that is found, the position is formally offered and the applicant becomes a probationary employee.  Why give a test period of employment?  Because in that short span of time, a superior will be able to truly find out if the applicant they offered the job to really is of the perfect fit.  Since attitude has already been stricken off the list, what other traits then will he be searching for? Oh, there are a lot.  But one thing is for sure, one check box will be under the term passion.  Like a probationary employee proving himself fit for a job, an entrepreneur must also find out for himself if he has the heart fit for the new business he has agreed to take care of.   If you have passion for your new business, chances are, you will persevere to succeed.

Louise, an acquaintance, is an example that best drives home this point.  She has always been connected with the hospitality and retail world.  Ever since college, she has worked in that industry and made a decent living out of it.  But early this year, she made a bold leap. Louise took and finished a stage management course at a local theater school and everyone could tell she has changed.

Before, Louise quietly made her living in the hospitality and retail business. If asked about her job, she’d come up with monosyllabic replies that no further conversations ensue.  Now, she is thriving in theater productions and creating waves of praises every step of the way.   She’d jump at every opportunity to share her career choice and what new productions she’s contributing to.

Indeed, Louise is a new person.   There is sheer excitement and infectious passion in her voice, her enthusiasm is highly contagious.   By leaving behind an industry she had no passion for and taking the chance to heed her heart, Louise stepped away from her once dreary survival attitude to one vibrant, excited and full of life.

According to a study conducted by Professor Charles Birch and Management Consultant David Paul titled Life and Work, 88% of people are dissatisfied with their job.  It is a pity, really.  To think that a regular human being spends nearly half of his life making a living before retiring to enjoy the fruits of his labor, to be stuck in a career that only brings you unhappiness may rob you of the chance to enjoy retirement.

So how do you know if you have the passion for the new business you are about to embark on?  Here’s a simple test: list down the three things that brightens your day when you engage yourself in it.  Is it people, sports, history, music, art, gardening, clothes, animals, languages, children, buildings, antiques or travel?  What genres of books are you usually hooked to? Conversation topics that get you excited?

Find your stage management course passion just like how Louise found hers.  Today, Louise shares that her work no longer feels like a job but simply, sheer enjoyment. It doesn’t matter if she has to work on weekends because to her, “everyday is a weekend!”  If you enjoy your own business, you will work and work without counting the hours. Your passion will be like the wind that pushes your ship forward without the need for fuel.  If there would be bumps on the road, you’ll look at them as exciting new learning opportunities and eventually, the earnings you will reap you will enjoy immensely.