Last Updated: February 6, 2024 by Quote.cc Team

Embracing the Journey of Passion and Persistence

1

A junior called me, saying she had switched jobs again, this time to sales. Over the phone, she went on and on about her career dissatisfaction over the past year. She mentioned how her job brought her no joy or sense of achievement.

Eventually, she asked, “Senior, why is it so hard to find a job that I truly love?”

I inquired about the duration of her last job, to which she replied, less than three months, working as an administrative assistant. She found the job dull and mundane, not to mention it was easy to offend people, far from her Ideal Job.

I also asked about the reasons she quit her previous jobs. The reasons were similar: the job was either boring, the colleagues were difficult to get along with, or the salary was too low with bleak prospects for advancement.

Roughly estimating, this young lady had changed four or five jobs within less than a year of graduating, spanning three different industries.

Yet, despite such frequent job changes, she still hadn’t found a job that satisfied her.

2

I asked what her ideal job looked like. She mentioned Su Mingyu from the TV series “All Is Well,” admiring her challenging and rewarding job, complete with authority, wealth, and freedom. She said, given such a job, she would pour all her passion into it.

After hearing her out, I couldn’t help but smile awkwardly.

Everyone aspires to such success, but she got it backward. It’s not about working hard only after achieving wealth and status, but rather, it’s through hard work and dedication that one attains success and recognition.

You must invest first to reap rewards. Once you genuinely commit to something, you’ll realize two things: first, focusing on doing one thing well brings far greater rewards than spreading yourself thin over many tasks.

You’ll understand that some people rush around busy with various tasks without seeing returns because they’ve never truly invested themselves. There’s a significant difference between “having done” something and actually “doing” it, much like the difference between “knowing” and “understanding.”

3

There was a young woman at my previous job who worked incredibly hard, earning unanimous praise for her dedication, surpassing even the men.

In an interview in the company’s magazine, she shared her journey over more than four years at the company, from working on the assembly line to enduring two years on a rotating shift schedule. It was hard to imagine how she managed it all.

When a promotion opportunity arose, she was the top candidate and unanimously selected.

In the interview, she said:

In my first year post-graduation, many classmates were dressed in fine clothes, working in bright, spacious offices. In contrast, I wore a labor uniform, navigating among various machines daily.

I remember being ridiculed for doing such an unglamorous and dangerous job as a woman, which was deemed embarrassing.

I was initially angry, but as I became immersed in my work, refining and dedicating myself, I realized my passion for the job stemmed from my investment in it, not the external environment. This realization made me indifferent to others’ opinions.

I became clearer about what I wanted and loved, growing more passionate about the industry and my job, and even more so about my perseverance and effort.

In my youth, I admired those who worked hard without concern for money, position, or compensation, believing that just being able to work in their chosen field was reward enough.

Indeed, when one works for the love of the job rather than the paycheck, they tend to perform their best and are usually rewarded accordingly.

4

A reader messaged me, expressing envy at my prolific writing and extensive reading, wondering how I managed to persist. She asked why she always struggled to keep up.

I told her it was because she wasn’t genuinely interested or passionate about reading and writing.

Have you ever bought a book you never read, thinking you possessed its knowledge? Have you ever made a plan you couldn’t stick to, only enjoying the planning phase?

We’re accustomed to starting things this way, only to end them hastily. This applies to tasks and life alike. When one begins to treat their life carelessly, life reciprocates in kind.

If you dance, do it as if no one is watching; if you love, love as if you’ve never been hurt; if you sing, sing as if no one is listening; if you live, live as if heaven is on earth.

Many things in this world only reveal their joy when you take them seriously. You should engage in life with care, not expectation. The more earnestly you approach tasks and work, the more you’ll find skills and joy naturally follow.

Because true love, in essence, is about constant perseverance and commitment.