I recently finished Gary’s book Crush It. Stick with me on this review because despite my feelings toward it as a business book, it has a lot of value that I want to talk about.
It’s a short business book that I would say is just above average benefit to me as it focused on technologies that I’m already well familiar with and it at points appears to be a bit dated at times, but I realize it was written a few years back which is ages ago in the fast moving world of social media. So just as a pure business book, I can recommend it if you want a quick read, but nothing revolutionary here.
However, my real point in writing this review is not the material it presents, but how it got me thinking about my life. I talked about this a few days ago indirectly and as I was finishing the book, I kept thinking back to the main point….find your passion and live it. Life is too short not too. I’ve struggled with that a bit. There are a lot of things I enjoy doing, from hobbies, to work, to family activities. But what is my passion?
Will that passion become my lively hood? Not sure, but I think that if something is my passion, something that I would do for free, it would be almost difficult to not be able to make a living from it. This is something that we should all seriously think about and evaluate in our own lives, what is our passion. Leo from ZenHabits gives us a nice little guide to finding your passion that is worth reading and following.
I’m looking forward to the journey of finding my passion, I may already be living it without recognizing it, but the end result will be so rewarding and life so fulfilling, that I’ll have no choice but to crush it!!
Exceptional Christian 
Looking for a conversation along this topic. Can you share your thoughts on this concept. “In determining your passion. It would be extremely important that your passions align with what God is passionate about”
I am a radio host struggling with what God wants of me in my life. I got into radio because it’s my passion. But to be great at it I want to commit 100% (as Gary implies). Personally I find Gary Vaynerchuks message to be opposing what the Christian faith teaches.
He proposes living for your passions but you can’t do that. Doesn’t God want us to live for him? So then your passions should align with Gods right? Hey I don’t know anything I’m just asking.
Found your post on his book and thought hey someone to talk about these thoughts with. Hit me back if your down to shoot ideas around. Thanks.
-Casey
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Casey, thanks for writing. I always loving chatting about things. Though I’m an expert on none of this, let me share some thoughts on your question.
It’s been a few years since I read this book and posted this review, so my memory is thin on details but when I wrote this post, I was in a different place. I was seeking my passions without realizing I had already found it.
I’m a software developer by trade and I love what I do. I would say it’s a passion of mine. I also coach baseball, I’ve been doing that for 15+ years. I love it and would include that in my list of passions. I have four children and a loving wife. They are my passion. My point is, I have more than one earthly passion and I love them all.
You’ll notice the one thing I didn’t include in that list above. My passion for God, my love for serving Him, for following Him as he loves on His creation. What is God’s passion? I think he has a passion to bring glory to himself and perhaps more important to our discussion, he has a passion for each of us.
Look at Zephaniah 3:17, “The Lord your God is with you, He is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, He will quiet you with his love, He will rejoice over you with singing.”
He rejoices over us. If that doesn’t show passion for us I’m not sure what does. He’s a strong and powerful warrior that saves us. When he thinks of us He exults with great delight. Other times He reflects quietly over his deep affection for us. He celebrates us with singing in joy. All things that we would do (figuratively perhaps) for things we love.
So how can we align our passions with God’s? By being us, by following our passions how God created us. God created us uniquely to each have our own passions and talents. And we are to do these things as if we we were working for the Lord. Do it with the best of our abilities, with all the skill and talent God gave us.
Colossians 3:23 says, “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters.” My passion is software development. I do it with all my heart as if God himself had asked me to write the software. I give thanks to him when things are successful, I ask for His help when I run into a tough problem. I do my job, my passion with joy because I know I’m working for the Lord.
Am I doing what we think of as “God’s work?” No, not really. I’m not a missionary, I’m not preaching from the pulpit. But by joyfully doing my job, I’m being a witness to others of God. Now I have to be sure that what I do at my job can glorify God. Meaning, I’m not working for a porn website, or writing some illegal hacking software.
So my feeling is that since your passion is radio, when you are following your passion, doing a good job and giving thanks to God, your serving God’s passion by following yours. You’re passion is aligning to God’s like a compass aligns to true north.
Thanks for the discussion and sorry for the length of this. I’m by no means an expert in any of this, but always love to talk about how God is working in our lives.
God bless.
– Jason
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Jason, your last past was exactly what I need to read today. Wow. Thank you for the reminder and taking the time to share your insights!
Best,
Jennifer
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