What do you do when the game you’re playing is not your passion?  If you aren’t very successful in the game, the easy answer is to usually move on.  But, what if you are good at the game?  What if you show talent in your work, but you aren’t passionate about the work?

This is where it gets hard, because you know that while you are talented and can be successful in your field, you simply are not as passionate about the work as your peers or colleagues.  The good news is you’re not alone in struggling with this.  I recently ran across Curtis Martin’s Hall of Fame induction speech in which he shared that professional football was his purpose, but certainly not his passion.  For Mr. Martin, football was not the end state, but a vehicle he could use to help people.

“When I’m in situations like this, especially when I’m being honored for something that I’ve achieved in football, it always makes me feel a little awkward and out of place because I’ve just never really been able to identify with the love and the passion that a lot of my colleagues and a lot of the other alumni of the Hall of Fame have.

Most of these guys have lived for the game of football and eat, breath, sleep football.  I was someone who was somewhat forced to play football.  I can remember draft day like it was yesterday.  My family and I were sitting around and were watching the draft. The phone rings and it’s Bill Parcells.  I answer the phone and say “Hello,” and Parcells says, “Curtis, we want to know if you’re interested in being a New England Patriot?”  I said, “Yes, yes, sir.”  And we hang up the phone.  As soon as we hang up the phone I turn around to everyone and I said, “Oh my gosh, I do not want to play football.”

No, you’re laughing, but this is the truth.  I turned around and said, “I don’t want to play football.  I don’t even know that I like football enough to try to make a career out of it.” My pastor at the time was a guy by the name of Leroy Joseph, and I’m so glad he was there to talk some sense into me.  He says, “Curtis, look at it this way, man.”  He said, “Maybe football is just something that God is giving you to do all those wonderful things that you say you want to do for other people.” I tell you, it was like a light bulb came on in my head.

That became my connection with football.  I don’t know if he wouldn’t have said that to me if football would have gotten out of me what it got out of me.  I definitely wouldn’t be standing here.  And ever since he said that, I knew the only way I was going to be successful at this game called football is if I played for a purpose that was bigger than the game itself because I knew that the love for the game just wasn’t in my heart.” 

Sometimes the work we are doing is not what we love doing, or are even passionate about for that matter.  When this occurs, and for most of us, this will occur, you have to connect the work you are doing with a higher purpose.  This higher purpose could be in teaching and mentoring the team that works with and for you, it could be serving your community or country as a military member or first responder, or it could be as simple as providing three square meals and a roof over your family’s head.

Whatever the reason, don’t let a perceived lack of passion prevent you from following a higher calling and working with a purpose.  Passions can change over time, but working with a purpose and higher calling in mind will ensure that we serve more than just ourselves – as exemplified by Curtis Martin.

You can watch the full speech here