Everything Counts: 52 Remarkable Ways to Inspire Excellence and Drive Results

Chapter 24. Passion Counts

"Great works can only be accomplished by those who are intoxicated with a passion for greatness."

The most powerful weapon on earth is the human soul on fire. Passion is hard-core devotion to a person or cause; it infuses life with meaning, joy, and unbridled enthusiasm. It's desire in your heart, fire in your belly, an indispensable virtue that is far more valuable than money, power, or fame. Whether you are tackling the issue of growing sales, adding value, focusing on results, embracing change, attracting talent, or raising performance, your passion will keep you committed to success.

Passion reflects confidence, spreads good cheer, raises morale, inspires associates, arouses loyalty, and laughs at adversity. It's a compelling emotion that enables you to go places others are afraid to go, to try things others are afraid to try, and to be the kind of person others are afraid to be. Passion gives you the will to start, the strength to continue, and the sustaining power to overcome the greatest of obstacles and setbacks.

Your life's path will inevitably hand you your share of obstacles. Common sense slows you down to investigate them, creative thinking will suggest some ingenious way of getting around them, and perseverance deliberately goes to work to dig under them. But your passion will boldly face and leap right over difficulties. Passion is closely related to perseverance, and perseverance is the strong determination to move toward the achievement of ...