Aspire. Passion. Partner. Grit. Build. Courage. These are the six pillars that Engler Entrepreneurs strive to live by. Each is vital to succeeding at building enterprises that contribute value to agriculture and the community – which is Engler’s mission. They all have earned a place as one of the six pillars. That being said, there is one that really sticks out to me. Passion.
Let’s step back for a minute. As a college student, I can’t count the number of times I’ve been asked, “So, what do you want to do after graduation?” I know exactly what I want to do. I want to work in the beef industry. More specifically, I want to return to my family’s operation and feed cattle. However, lots of students (perhaps even the majority) have no idea how to answer that question. They say things like, “I don’t know yet”, “I’ll figure it out when the time comes”, or “I’ll take whatever job comes along”. I feel sorry for these people. So what’s the difference? I believe the difference is passion. I know exactly what I want to do after college, because I have found what I’m passionate about – feeding cattle. Granted, passions may change over time, but I’d speculate that many college students have never considered – or searched for – what their passion may be.
So why is this such a big deal? I know in my own life, I wouldn’t be happy if I wasn’t following my passion. If I didn’t care about my job, or don’t enjoy what I’m doing…it’s not worth working at. I’m passionate about three things – Jesus Christ, family, and the cattle business. These are three things that I consider worth living for. If I don’t pursue these passions, I won’t be happy – and I probably won’t be successful. I’m confident that if I do continue to live out my passions, I will have a very meaningful, joyful, and successful life. Success can mean different things, but for me, success means making real change for the things I’m passionate about. For example, my goals are to advance the Gospel of Christ, love my family, and improve the cattle feeding business.
I would challenge everyone to ask themselves, “What am I passionate about?” Make a short list (maybe less than 5) of things that bring you joy. And, most importantly, ask “What is worth living for?” I believe that this is the single most important question you can ever ask yourself. Once you figure that out, you will be well on your way to living an adventure, instead of a career.
In my opinion, the most powerful drive or motivation to succeed is passion. Once you find your passion, aspirations of how to make a difference can be developed. Passion drives the courage and grit that it takes to get it done. When it comes to your idea, no one can build that enterprise as successfully as you can, because they don’t have your passion. Passion is at the core of a prosperous entrepreneur. Passion is what empowers us to make real change.