I recently read a post by someone I admire (I’m even a paying subscriber), where he declared that “following your passion” is the worst career advice he’s ever received. He went on to say that pursuing happiness isn’t a noble life purpose—in fact, it’s selfish—and that the real goal is to be useful.

At face value, the advice to pursue usefulness seems sensible. I also agree with his later admonishment to create more than you consume. But it was so hard to hear the worthwhile bits of advice through the patriarchal, capitalist conditioning that had the mic.

The idea that what makes you happy—what lights you up—is somehow less noble than what you produce is the kind of programming that’s kept generations of us chasing approval instead of alignment. Accolades instead of inner contentment.

We’ve been taught to measure our worth by our usefulness. I had a come-to-Jesus moment with myself two years ago when I definitively planted a flag stating that my being matters more than my output.

AKA, a successful day isn’t measured by whether or not someone has found me useful.

What if the thing that lights you up is exactly what the world needs more of?

Perhaps the author was just speaking to the specialists of the world.

Because here’s what I know to be true for multipassionates:

Chasing your passion isn’t selfish. It’s essential.

For those of us whose brains light up like a Christmas tree at every new idea, curiosity is more than just a hobby. It’s the signal that tells us we’re alive. And designing a business that honors that has a ripple effect that, wouldn’t you know it, benefits the lives of others.

Kinda like being useful. 👀 👀 👀

​Click for permission to put "chasing joy" at the top of your to-do list.​

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