Passion or competence

“Passion isn’t a substitute for competence.  Passion can’t replace hard work.  Passion cannot be swapped for commitment.  Passion isn’t more important than value.

“Once you have the philosophy (you know what matters not only to you but also to your employer and your customers) and you develop the skills (you are competent to accomplish the task), then you’ve got a burning fire.  In some fields like medicine, would-be professionals must complete more than a decade of schooling and residencies before they can practice on their own.  When it comes to having major surgery or getting your car’s engine fixed, it isn’t enough to have someone who is passionate about his or her job.  That person also needs to be skilled and committed.

“While few people are passionate about every aspect of their education, they know it is part of the cost.  Their passion drives them to submit and suffer through the necessary training to reach their goals.

“Passion without commitment and hard work is like a cart without a horse–it’s not going anywhere.” – Mark Sanborn in Fred 2.0

Passion always seems so envious but it needs work to accomplish anything.  We need to have passion to get us through the hard times back to the easy times.

Renee Madison, MA, LPC, CSAT is a counselor in Colorado.  She can be reached for appointments at 303-257-7623 or 970-324-6928