Follow your passion?
Maybe. But I’ve always found that to come off as a bit hokey. It’s easy to say if you’re one of the 0.1% of people who hit it big, strike it rich, or achieve fame and fortune. “Follow your passion. That’s what I did, and now look at me!”
But you know who else followed their passions? The 99.9% of people who you’ve never heard of. Following a passion wasn’t enough for them. Most who pursue stardom fail, then move on to something else as Plan B.
That something else is known as “the real world,” by many. Myself included.
Yup, I’ve failed. At many a passionate pursuit. I once wanted to be a rock star, then reality sank in. Before that, I wanted to be a famous author. Never broke through. Other times, I thought I would take Mitch Albom’s job, and get to write about sports for a living. No, not cover sports like a reporter — just write about them. Well, guess what? It’s been 35 years since I carved that future out for myself, and Mitch Albom still holds his title at the Detroit Free Press.
But I’m still all right.
I’ve been reading Kenny Loggins’ recently released autobiography, “Still Alright,” for reasons that would be perfectly clear if you knew my alter-ego as the host of a yacht rock podcast called “Out of the Main.” The book is fantastic, even if you care not a whit about yacht rock or even Kenny himself. In the Afterword, Kenny provides that timeless advice, urging readers to follow their passions. Easy for him to say? Sure. But the way he says it actually managed to strike a chord with me.
Paraphrasing, Kenny suggests, “If you do something you love, you will get good at it. If you get good at something, people will hire you to do it. Get great at it, and people may just pay you to do it for them.”
“You’re a writer. Just say it.”
In 2021, I made the strategic decision to focus almost my entire business and career on writing. No longer a marketing generalist, I wanted to apply what I knew all along — but had to rediscover along the way — to be my greatest strength and perhaps greatest value: writing.
The epiphany came to me during a conversation with fellow writer, Trudi Roth, who writes for Brian Clark’s various projects, including Further, which I also highly recommend. Sensing my obvious apprehension to simply eschew my decades-long identity and embrace a more focused (perhaps, riskier?) sense of self, she finally cut through my hemming and hawing and cut right to the chase. “Tom, I’ve read your stuff. It’s great,” she started. “You’re a writer. Just say it.”
And so I did. I literally went to bed that night and said aloud, before closing my eyes, “I’m a writer.” I even wrote it in a journal I’ve been keeping. (You know writers!)
Happy endings make for the best stories.
Hot damn. I’ve been a writer ever since. And I’ve been a writer since the sixth grade, truth be told. And I’m not ever going to change that part of me, thanks in large part to Trudi and now, thanks to Kenny Loggins. His practical application of that squishy, ethereal mantra, “Just follow your dreams and anything is possible!” actually makes sense to me, the way he put it.
I’ve been writing so much and for so long that it’s only natural that I’d get at least good at it. And now, I continue to pursue great.
I’m blessed that I get to write for a living, and clients express gratitude and appreciation for what I do…what comes so naturally and easily for me, but is a struggle and onerous lift for so many.
But what all of that writing has also done is reignite a passion that I am once again about to follow after all. I’ve just finished the outline and first chapter of my second novel, releasing in early 2023, if all goes well. “The Fatal Flaw” will become my second officially published fiction title, following the release of “The Long Lost” in 2017. Here we go again. (I also have one nonfiction book. See below if you’re interested.)
That’s my story, and I’m sticking to it.
So there it is. Kenny was right after all (in addition to being still alright after all these years)!
I hope you’ll forgive this rather autobiographical post. Sorry, no insights to deliver this time. No words of wisdom to unpack. No practical tips on how to maximize the efficacy of your marketing content. But hopefully there’s some inspiration you can take from Kenny and Trudi.
Figure out what you are, then say it out loud. Then pursue that with purpose. Hopefully it’s a passion, but let it at least be a natural gift. We all have them. Then keep doing it until you get good at it. Eventually, you may even get great.
If you’d like to check out the previous books I’ve written — one fiction, one non-fiction — visit tomnixonbooks.com, and I thank you for your interest.