F*ck passion, follow the Vision

Yeah I know, it may sound a bit harsh. But bear with me.

Over the past few years, I've found out that passion is just a mirage, it's merely based on "wants" rather than "needs". When something is based on "wants", it goes into the luxury category and luxuries are the side-dishes (for most of us). Wants are emotional.

You see, when something is based on the "needs", it becomes "essential" and essentials are a means to an end. They come with an explicit end-goal. Needs are existential. For example, wanting to be famous is a want. Needing to create something that outlives you is existential.

When you say my passion is photography, you are merely stating something vague. You are not defining a goal and when there is no goal, there is no direction to move towards. So you can never define or articulate how to go to where you want to go. You're lost, motivation goes to zero. As a result, photography becomes a side thing. Becomes something occasional. The dangerous thing here is that you might wrongly thing that photography is your true passion, because you are not much self-aware (self-awareness is a topic of its own which I go into in another post).

In contrast, when you say, I am going to be the best photographer in the city, the GOAT, or whatever your ambition is, you are setting a vision. You are setting the essential. The end-goal is set. You know where you want to go. All you need is to figure out how to get there (Basically your strategy). Things become existential, and when something gets existential, strong motivation comes with it. The engine is built and motivation acts as the fuel throughout your journey.

Now the beauty is, as you progress towards the goal, set by your vision, the progression acts as a positive feedback loop which is compounding throughout the journey. This positive feedback gives birth to "true passion". But not the emotional type. A passion that is formed on a strong-base, raised from an existential thing.

Suddenly you find yourself unstoppable. Your goal, your strategy, your motivation and their child "true passion" become your 4 horsemen, crushing whatever comes between you and your vision.

So i'd say, F*ck Passion, Follow The Vision