I found a great quote recently by a famous dancer and choreographer named Martha Graham: “Great dancers aren’t great because of their technique; they are great because of their passion.”  You don’t have to be a dancer for this to apply to you.  You probably know people who are fortunate enough to have jobs that they love.  They’re successful, they get to use their favorite talents everyday, and they don’t view their jobs as “work,” no matter how much of their time must be invested.  These people are the “dancers” in the quote, and you can be a part of it.  You just need to find your passion, too.

Question Yourself

Start with what you already know about yourself.  What are you good at?  What are your favorite hobbies?  What did you always want to be or do when you were growing up?  What topics get you excited?  These are great places to begin your personal investigation.  Don’t write anything off just because you think it might not be a big moneymaker.

Research Your Passions

Once you have your talents, hobbies, etc., written down, you can begin research.  Run internet searches, read books on your topic, network and talk to other people.  Someone somewhere has figured out a way to connect this topic to a career path, and if they’re truly passionate about it and not only in it for the money, they’ll be willing to share their knowledge with you and perhaps serve as a mentor in some way.

Follow Your Passions

If you’re going to start your own business, you’ll read many times over that you must begin with a profitable idea; sell something that people will want to buy.  I’ve even written that in previous articles myself.  But make sure you read on and get all the information—your idea still has to be something you’re passionate about and enjoy doing in order to have the greatest chance of success.  If you’re not excited about your idea, how can you convince others to be excited and buy into it with you?  If you’re not excited, you’ll be less likely to put forth all the necessary effort and you won’t reach the level of success you might be expecting.

Perhaps Harold Whitman can put it into perspective for you: “Don’t ask yourself what the world needs.  Ask yourself what makes you come alive.  And then go and do that.  Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.”

Stay Curious

Once you’ve determined what makes you happy, you can start turning it into a business idea, or even just keep it as a hobby for your free time.  You’ll be more inclined to keep learning about something when you’re passionate about it because you won’t view it as a chore.  You’ll be genuinely curious to discover more information about it, learn how to become better at it, and find more ways to perhaps make some income from it.

It’s Okay to Change Passions

Are you finding that your passions are different today than during your childhood?  That’s okay!  Follow what excites you NOW.  You don’t have to force yourself to live out a childhood dream that no longer ignites passion or feels relevant.  As we get older, everything about us changes, and sometimes the change is so subtle we don’t notice it until we’re really taking the time to look within.

Here’s a personal example.  I always knew I wanted to be a writer.  Always.  And I’ve followed through on that, even through school and to the present.  But I have also had a passion for music.  I took clarinet and keyboard lessons, then focused more on singing, then set it aside.  When I entered college, I started off with my writing major, then added a theatre major as well because I discovered in high school that I loved acting.

I had full intentions of following acting dreams after college.  Then I joined a band as a singer.  I realized I should have been pursuing the musical route all along, and that’s where I am now.  I’m still extremely passionate about writing and acting, but my passion for music wins out—and I can easily combine all three while keeping music at the forefront.

I also began working out in high school.  I hated it.  I didn’t want to spend 30 minutes or more a day doing cardio.  Fast forward to just a few years ago.  A friend introduced me to a cardio workout that I absolutely loved.  I stayed motivated, convinced others to try it with my enthusiasm, and today I’m on a journey to become an instructor for the live classes that can be taught in health clubs.

Is it going to interfere with my pursuit of a music career?  No way.  Is it going to be a source of income?  Absolutely.  Is it going to reach the point of providing full-time income?  Probably not.  Will that stop me from putting my full passion into it?  Not a chance.  Will such passion open up a better potential for me to be able to turn it into a successful full-time job?  Very possible.  I can ask myself the same questions about pursuing music and give the same answers.  That’s not stopping me from going full-force on either one.

And it shouldn’t stop you, either.  It’s okay to have multiple passions, it’s okay to have changing passions.  I only encourage you to make sure you’re following them!  Don’t start out pursuing money: “Follow your passions and the rest will come.”  If you do something because it’s what you love, and you put passion into your passion, you’ll open up more opportunities than you ever thought possible.

Spend Money on Others

It’s been found that when people spend money on others, they report feeling happier than if they had bought something for themselves.  For some people, the initial parting with their money might feel questionable or make them feel slightly bad depending on the amount being spent.  But it’s really the result of spending that money that creates happiness in the spender.  Donate to your favorite charity and you’ll be able to see people in need finally receive valuable help.  Buy a gift for a friend or family member, and you’ll see their face light up, which is more rewarding than buying something for yourself only to experience buyer’s remorse.

Buy an Experience

People who spend money on an experience also report feeling happier than if they had bought material things.  Even the souvenirs purchased during a trip don’t seem to bring as much happiness as the memories attached to it.  You can relive memories again and again and experience the same emotions without getting tired of it, whereas the initial thrill of a material possession will eventually die out, and you’ll get bored with it.  And it doesn’t have to be a big vacation that brings happiness.  A small gesture like going out to dinner with a friend on a stressful night, when you really just need to vent, can bring more happiness than if that same friend had bought you a silly card to cheer you up.

Invest Internally

If you do spend money directly on yourself in an attempt for happiness, you’ll get greater results if you spend it on something that will benefit you for an extended period of time.  For example, if you invest in exercise and eating healthy, you’ll feel better physically which will result in feeling better emotionally.  Never underestimate the positive effects of treating yourself well.  If you eat a lot of junk or not-so-healthy food on a regular basis, try eating well for one week and you’ll notice how much better you feel on the average.  And there’s nothing that compares to the sense of accomplishment that comes with finishing a workout!

Money will not buy you happiness, though, if you’re constantly on a shopping spree or spending your life in search of more money.  If you do increase your income, your money will probably just find another place to disappear to and you’ll be back in the same spot, feeling miserable and setting a new monetary goal.  Try not to think about the money itself.  Instead, consider the experience you’re looking for and the results that it will produce for you or someone else.  Then put the necessary money toward it, and feel the happiness roll in.

When I look at some of my friends that went on to get a masters degree or PhD, it seems that all they did was increase their debt by taking on more student loans. Those that are receiving higher salaries have only a bachelor’s degree or no degree at all. Most these high-income friends are business owners, successful investors or have a commission-based sales job.

But does that picture say it all? Can you increase your salary and not just your debt?

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, those with higher educational degrees od make more money annually and have a lower unemployment rate. This average income data is from a 2006 survey of full-time earners that are 25 years and over:

According to the results from this survey, it does pay to obtain an advanced degree in your profession. While the numbers initially do not seem staggering, over the course of a year they do add up. The difference amounts to almost an extra $10,000 a year for someone with a bachelor’s degree that goes on to get a master’s degree.

If that person with a bachelor’s degree continued on to get a PhD, they would make an extra $25,000 a year. Over the course of a lifetime, that adds up to an extra $750,000 for someone who is 35 and retires at 65.

Even though this does not take into consideration the cost of education, your employer may offer a program to pay for your tuition and fees if you are seeking an advanced degree for your current profession. And according to this survey, once you have that higher degree you are more likely to find and keep a job.

But what about wealthy people who never graduated from college or with only a bachelor’s degree?

Having an advanced degree does not guarantee that you will make more money, and it certainly is not the only way to create a high income. There are countless stories of high-school dropouts who went on to become self-made millionaires, or even billionaires.

As evidence from high income people I know without degrees, many of these non-degree holding millionaires have become successful by building their own businesses. This, though, did not come without risks, effort and costs. While the sky is the limit when it comes to generating cash from a profitable business, the success rate is not in your favor. Obtaining an advanced degree, however, offers a high likelihood that you will earn a respectable income level the rest of your life.

Millionaire Money Habit: An advanced, graduate degree is always a wonderful opportunity that looks great on a resume and allows valuable opportunities to network. But make sure you advanced degree will increase your salary and not just put a gold star on your resume, or you could get caught in more debt and not necessarily more income. The skills you will develop from your educational experience will help you achieve more no matter your professional, financial or personal goals.

Someone with unstoppable desire has an ability to achieve great things. Unfortunately, it can be so powerful that it could be a dangerous thing and cause people harm or hardship.

While having this ultimate level of passion to reach a particular goal is important, alone it is not enough. You could want to be a millionaire, but wanting to become wealthy will not always get you there. Maybe it will, but if you want to guarantee success you need the perfect formula.

One part of the equation that is missing is getting in tune with your reality.

Before you can get out of debt, increase your income, climb Mt. Everest – whatever your goal is – you first need to take a look in the mirror and look at where you are and how you got there.
Let’s say your goal is to start your own multi-million dollar business. Maybe you’ve tried that before and it failed. Rather than dismissing it as the business failing or thinking that owning a business will not make you wealthy, analyze what went wrong.
Any time something does not go as planned it is an opportunity to become stronger.

Look closely at the situation, the experience, and the results. Learn something from it.

• What went wrong?
• What could have been done better?
• What didn’t happen that you expected to?
• How would you do things differently this time?
• What didn’t you like?

A vital part of being successful is the ability to analyze your failures and use that experience to grow.

The next part is to look at your current reality, and think about what has to change to achieve your goal. If your current reality does not provide the environment or conditions to reach your goal, what needs to change?

Never simply think or say, “It can’t be done,” because it can. If you believe in “it can’t be done,” read about the story of how Motorola engineers were faced with the challenge of creating the world’s slimmest phone. Later it became recognized by the world as the Razr.

Lastly, you create your reality by taking action. It is amazing and sad how much potential is locked up inside all of us and is never realized. How many times have you caught yourself saying, “I want to do…” and never took the first step to making that happen.

Create your reality by taking the steps necessary to change your reality. Not only by taking action, but create your reality in your mind as well. If you want to become a millionaire, start thinking like a millionaire.

• How would it feel?
• What would change?
• What would you do with your time?
• How would you spend your money?
• How much money would you make on a daily basis?
• Who would you socialize with?

Start achieving your goal now by creating the reality in your mind. Do this every day. Reality is perception, and if you change the way you look at yourself, then your dreams will become realities. This is otherwise known as the law of attraction.

When these obstacles get your way, you have a choice:

1. Accept That You Will Not Achieve Your Goal
2. Alter Your Goal to Make it Realistic With Today’s Reality
3. Eliminate The Obstacle

These goal achieving roadblocks can be anything from lack of funding to a personal relationship that is holding you back.

The people you spend the most amount of time with are a reflection of who you are. If you all of your friends spend their time chowing down buffalo wings and chugging beer, chances are you are not going to be the healthiest person in the world. If your goal is to lose weight and become fit, you will likely need to change the people you spend your time with.

Your association with the junk food crowd will hinder your ability to become healthy, but spending your time with those who have a “healthy mindset” will accelerate your ability to reach and exceed your goal at an incredible rate.

Likewise, if you have a passion and desire to become a successful entrepreneur, you may need to make some tough decisions about the people you associate with. The people your are with can either contribute to your success or prevent it.

At the very least, you need the support of those people.

An entrepreneur may be faced with having to make a significant amount of sacrifice — particularly when starting out a new business venture. For example, the time you put into your work may be your most valuable asset with a new start up. But if the people you spend your time with are unable or unwilling to give you the time you need in exchange for your chance to achieve your life long dream, a tough choice needs to be made. You either flush your dream down the toilet or find a way to eliminate the distraction.

You don’t want to live life with regrets of what could have been and resentment towards those who held you back.