Passion Inspires, Talent Pays: A Roadmap for Young Graduates

Question: Sir, could you reconcile passion and talent, and how both shape financial success for young graduates?

My Response:
I have a deep passion for football, but absolutely no talent for it. I love sports, but I am not good at any of them. In secondary school, I competed in long jump and the 100m race, and I consistently came last. After a few humiliating outings, I made a simple but life-changing decision: perhaps it was wiser to invest more effort in Mathematics, Integrated Science, and the subjects where my natural ability was clear.

To this day, I can say that choosing talent over passion helped me thrive. Passion is emotionally exciting, but it does not automatically translate into financial success. What puts money in your pocket is the talent you possess, or the skill you have deliberately mastered. Passion becomes powerful only when it rests on a foundation of ability. Otherwise, it could decimate a path to financial stability.

Good People, if your passion aligns with your talent, that is a divine blessing. Indeed, blessed are the very few whose talents are entwined with their passions! But where that is not self-evident, follow this order: discover your talent (your innate strength), nurture it through discipline and learning, and with time, mastery will transform it into passion.

Indeed, when you become good at something, it becomes a passion. As a person, I write for liberation, not to be read since I can write even if no one is reading. Those days in secondary school, I could lock myself in a room and give a lecture on Mechanics simply because it was fun.

Talent, when released through dedication and mastery, fuels confidence, competence, and eventually, deep enjoyment. But if you begin with passion that lacks talent, frustration, especially financial frustration, is almost guaranteed.

People often say, “Follow your passion and money will follow you.” That is incomplete advice. If your passion cannot earn you income, then you have built your life on an emotional high without economic grounding. That is very dangerous. Passion does not pay bills. Talent or skill does!

So, identify what you do exceptionally well. Develop it relentlessly. That path is more likely to offer financial stability because excellence attracts compensation. Passion without talent leads to disappointment. But when passion and talent converge, you win twice, joy and prosperity at the same time. Good luck.

Tekedia Mini-MBA begins on Feb 9, and I invite you to join our Personal Economy Series, where we explore how individuals can build and grow their own personal economies, not only scale corporate balance sheets or national GDP.

Connect via my LinkedIn | Facebook | X | TikTok | Instagram | YouTube