Choose the Life You Want by Tal Ben-Shahar

Author:Tal Ben-Shahar
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781615191635
Publisher: The Experiment
Published: 2014-03-11T16:00:00+00:00

49.

BE DRIVEN BY GUILT AND DUTY

— or —

Pursue your passion

Passion will move men beyond themselves, beyond their shortcomings, beyond their failures.

—Joseph Campbell

When I adhere to my inner voice, I am more likely to thrive than when I do things out of guilt or a sense of duty. The former energize me; the latter enervate me. I need to ask myself: What gives me strength? What energizes me? What are my passions? What does my inner voice say to me? These questions are important for choosing general life goals (pursuing the career that is right for me, finding the right work-life balance, and so on) as well as for choosing what I want to do in the next moment (spend time with my children, read for an hour, go to the gym, and so on).

When I pursue my passions, not only do I come alive, I am more likely to infuse those around me with positive energy.49

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Steve Jobs, cofounder of Apple, sold something more than computers and gadgets. He sold emotion and passion. When he first presented the iPad to the world, he repeatedly said, “It’s just so amazing to hold.” There was obviously a genuine love for the product, a real passion for what his company had created.

Years earlier, Jobs was fired from the company he started, and he considered leaving Silicon Valley altogether. However, he realized that, though he had been rejected, he still loved what he did, and he started over—this time with NeXT and Pixar, with the latter becoming a tremendous success.

Even if we have no aspiration to become the next high-tech megastar, we can all learn from the way Steve Jobs lived his life. In 2005, when he delivered the commencement speech at Stanford University, he shared some invaluable advice with the young graduates: “Your time is limited, so don’t spend it living someone else’s life . . . have the courage to follow your heart and intuition.”

Pursuing your passions may or may not lead to material or public success; however, regardless of external success, life is short, and finding small ways to express your inner, authentic voice at work, at home, or with your friends is perhaps the most important thing you can do for yourself and the world.

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