From Passion to Financial Success - How Do You Get There?

I've been either unemployed or underemployed since moving back home to Hawaii almost a year and a half ago. As I write this posting, I'm in Utah visiting my children. They have asked me to move back to the mainland so I can be closer to them and to my young grandchildren. That would require a job. It would have to be a job that would allow Butterfly and me to live in our own house with some measure of prosperity. So how do I do that when it's been so difficult in Hawaii?

I had always believed that a good education along with dedication and hard work would reward me (or anyone else) with good pay and a job where I could be happy. That hasn't panned out as planned. I have an IT degree, I'm a really excellent certified hypnotherapist, I have years of experience in both fields, I've owned two businesses, I have numerous unusual skills, I'm an entrepreneur at heart and I still haven't made it to financial success. What's wrong with this picture?

I've read that you should do what you are passionate about and the money will follow, so I've started looking at my passions.

The list starts with my children and grandchildren. Family. Healthy living. Making things from scratch. Computers. Books. Learning new skills and ideas. Helping people help themselves. Becoming self-sufficient. Self-improvement. Blogging. STP (Symbolic Transformation Process - the hypnosis technique developed by my clinical partner and yours truly.)

As I look at this list it becomes glaringly obvious that IT work isn't included. In fact, to be honest, I dread going back into IT with its accompanying sky-high stress levels and long work hours. Not a good sign. However, IT work is the best paying work that I've ever had. --sigh--

I love writing this blog about health topics (and recipes - I LOVE cooking). I love the research and writing about the info I've collected. I hope the research is helpful to other like-minded people. It's purely been a labor of love since it hasn't been a money-making proposition.

That points to hypnotherapy. I love working with clients. I love helping people change their minds and lives. I was on my way to success in southern Arizona when I moved to Hawaii. Starting over requires attracting clients again - advertising has not been my finest skill. Writing this article makes me realize that I need more work on myself!

So if anyone out there has any ideas on how to make a living doing any of the things I'm passionate about, please let me know.

Have any of you followed your passions and been financially successful at it? How did you get there?

The following TED video is by Benjamin Zander, conductor of the Boston Philharmonic and teacher at The New England Conservatory of Music. He is passionate about classical music and manages to make his audience feel that passion,too.

So what is YOUR passion?