No one, in my humble opinion, addresses this topic more eloquently than Scott Galloway: "If someone tells you to follow your passion, it means they’re already rich. And typically, they made their fortune in some unglamorous industry. For most young people, “follow your passion” isn’t actionable. Around 20% of people can identify a singular passion they want to follow and if you have one, it’s probably in one of the creative fields, industries that are notoriously exploitative of young, idealistic workers. Only 2% of professional actors make a living, and the 97th percentile of YouTube creators generate enough views to make a mere $15,000 per year." 

I am passionate about real estate. Did I dream of becoming a real estate professional when I was a kid? Was real estate my passion? No. Far from it. What I've learned over time though is that the more entrenched and interested I became in all things real estate related, the more I loved it. More importantly, when I devoted the time, energy and education necessary, over an extended period of time, combined with some talent needed to succeed in people-skills, sales and advisory, I grew more and more passionate about my career. Success fuels passion, possibly more than anything. Success earned over time via extensive efforts might feel better too. Being born with a talent may not be as rewarding as having some talent and then nurturing it and working really hard to refine it and grow.

So while I still hear of agents saying they really wish they were doing something else in life that 'followed their passion' those who are successful at real estate are often extremely passionate about what they are doing. Why? Passion is often fueled by success, a sense of accomplishment that speaks to being rewarded for hard work.