Passion with Purpose
There's currently a debate regarding whether or not an individual should follow their passion or their purpose. Depending on which thought leaders you follow you get a range of answers. My stance is that it's not an issue of passion versus purpose but rather "purpose with passion".
By definition passion is a barely controllable emotion. We all have those things that deeply move us and that we can absorb ourselves with for countless hours/ years. I grew up DJing. Shopping for vinyl and playing gigs was beyond a hobby and to this day it's hard for me walk past my turntables without throwing on a record. For some people it's sports, fishing, surfing, poetry, cooking, writing... We have a tendency to look at our passions as hobbies or things that we do once we're done doing the thing that pays the bills. In many cases our passion is not our purpose in life.
Purpose is that thing that you know deep in your gut is your core strength. You know this because you're good at it and others have validated that you're good at it. You also get satisfaction and enjoyment from being good at it. By definition purpose is the reason for which something is done or created or for which something exists. I am passionate about playing guitar but it's not why I was put on this earth, Jimi Hendrix on the other hand was put on this earth to be the best guitar player who ever lived. Purpose requires hard work and dedication sure, but it comes a little easier to some than others. You have that thing that you're naturally better at than others. For the mass majority, their purpose is disconnected from their passion.
So how does one figure it all out? Should you not pursue your passions and only do that which you've been validated by others to do? Is it frivolous to pursue your passion? Can the two merge?
My recommendation is to leverage your core strengths within the field of your passion. If you're excellent with numbers but want to work in the movie business, find a way to work on the financial side of the industry. If you're passionate about sports and your core strength is writing, become a sports writer. Passionate about entrepreneurship? Become a consultant who helps other entrepreneurs build and grow their businesses. The point I'm stressing here is that once you combine your passion with your purpose you will add more value to the world. This is an explosive and powerful mix. You can recognize the combination of passion and purpose in the greats - Steve Jobs, Walt Disney, Michael Jordan...
The world needs your talents, drive, passion and purpose. Combine the two and get to work.