Compassion Is Productive
If you want to get far in life, you have to pursue something you're passionate about. But if you want to get really far in life, you need to understand far more than your own passions & how to go after them. You also need to understand the passions of those around you & what they're chasing after.
You can only effectively interact with those around you if you understand what makes them tick, & most importantly, understand that their thoughts, motivations, & passions are entirely different than your own.
When you understand the passions of those around you, you can turn the dog-eat-dog business world of winners & losers into a zero-sum game of winners & winners. You do this by figuring out ways to help others achieve their goals in ways that also help you achieve yours.
I once had a friend share with me that he really wanted to teach art classes someday, specifically painting & sculpture classes. This friend created some pretty impressive sculpture work in his garage during his spare time. I suggested that a great way to pursue that desire would be to find a local student with an interest in sculpture & offer to take them as a protégé & teach them either for free or for a nominal fee. That's what I call a win-win-win proposition:
Win #1: My friend would gain valuable teaching experience & add extra credibility to his resume when he went looking for a place that would pay him to teach, fulfilling that passion.
Win #2: The student/protégé would gain valuable experience in the craft theat they're passionate about & learn from his guidance.
Win #3: The student's parents would appreciate his helping their child, who they're passionate about seeing succeed. (Helping someone's child succeed taps into most people's deepest passion!)
By finding a way to tie your passions into others', you can get other people excited about helping you advance your life or career!
