WOW Word-Of-the-Week #514: Passionate
June 12, 2014 by Susan Clarke
Passionate – how you feel when you have great interests and enthusiasm in life.
Is there something in your life that you are truly passionate about? What do you have a great interest in? What do you feel most enthusiastic about?
This is the second WOW by Jonathan Clements Wall Street Journal Sunday article titled, “Some Life Advice for the Class of 2014.” His son Henry graduated from Washington University and he had 7 good points of “parental wisdom”to give him. Today I will share the next three.
- Twenty years from now, you’ll likely be less happy than you are today. Our satisfaction through life tends to be U-shaped, with our reported happiness hitting bottom in our 40’s.
It could be that our happiness declines through the first few decades of our adult lives as we come to realize that our youthful ambitions won’t be realized. In midlife, we come to terms with this, and that’s when our happiness rebounds.
- You want to design a life for yourself where you can engage in activities that you’re passionate about. Often, we’re happiest when we’re striving after goals that we think are important.
It’s OK to want the promotion and pay raise, so you can buy the house and the car. But if the price paid is working at a job you hate, you have set yourself up for misery. The journey is indeed more important that the destination.
But in a world where you can expect to live eight or nine decades, one journey may not be enough. To have a fulfilling life, you may need occasionally to change careers. And the striving doesn’t stop when you quit the workforce. In your 50’s and early 60’s, you should think hard about what will give a sense of purpose to your retirement.
- The secret to getting rich is no secret: You need great savings habits. Yes, some people inherit wealth or build successful businesses. But most wealthy Americans get there by saving diligently month after month.
This week focus on what you are passionate about. Are you enjoying the journey or is your focus the destination? What are the most important goals you are striving for? Have you ever thought about what will give you a sense of purpose in your retirement?
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