We all begin thinking about what we are going to be when we grow up at a very early age. We may think we want to be a doctor, lawyer, journalist or other professional. Others may think they want to be a police officer, fireman or some type of public servant. As we grow and learn more about ourselves and life, those career ideas change and grow. In fact, many people will enter college with a definite plan of action to get their degree in a specific area only to find in their final year of school that their interests and career desires have changed tremendously.

New relationships and experiences can lead to new passions in life. As we experience new relationships, hobbies and events in our lives, we develop interests and, ultimately, we become passionate about some of them. It is these passions that create the drive and purpose for our life.

As human beings, we are always maturing and evolving.

What may have been a passion in our twenties may very well change in our forties or fifties or beyond. We may find that the career we chose in college no longer

satisfies our needs, once our basic financial needs have been met. We may no longer be fulfilled by our job or career.

While as a younger person our passion was making enough money to pay the bills and take care of our growing families, our passion in our fifties may become a desire to help others or to explore our creative side as an artist or entrepreneur.

As we have developed personal skills, we may find that we are gifted in public speaking; what could be better than talking about your passion and making money at the same time? Or maybe a tragedy or life-changing illness has inspired us to help others with a similar plight. It is from these signficant life-changing events that ordinary people begin to do extraordinary things.

Nancy Brinker is a good example of this. Nancy promised her dying sister, Susan G. Komen, that she would do everything in her power to end breast cancer forever.

In 1982, Nancy's simple promise became a burning passion and soon the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation began and launched a world-wide breast cancer movement. Twenty-five years later, Komen for the Cure is the largest network in the world of breast cancer survivors and activists fighting to save lives. Nearly $1 billion has been raised and invested to help breast cancer patients and fund research to find a cure because of one person taking a tragedy and turning into their life's passion.

Unfortunately, many people fail to live a life filled with passion. Fearful of rejection or of success keeps many people from pursuing their dreams; many people simply do not have enough faith in themselves to reach for the stars.

True success and happiness comes through living a purposeful, passionate life driven by your desire for personal achievement. Not the desires of your employer, parents or spouse, but by your own interests, hobbies and desires. If we follow our true interests and not focus on the money, we will find complete fulfillment.

Dave Ramsey, the Christian financial advisor heard on radio and television stations across the country, recently said that the first step to financial freedom is finding contentment in your life. When we quit chasing that new car, new home or other luxury in life and begin to enjoy the things we already have, then we will find true happiness.

What makes you happy? Do you have a hobby that you just can not get enough of? What motivates you? Your new successful life can begin now. Take the step of writing down any way that you could make money at doing your favorite thing and try it in your spare time. You might find a new career doing exactly what you are passionate about!