Where is the Passion?

I remember when I was in high school, my dream was to become a nurse because I believed I was good in science subjects and I would spend the rest of my life without being jobless (financial security), and could work anywhere in the world. That is how we are brought up being hammered in our brains that education is the key to success in life which is very good.

Having traveled the world a bit, I try to learn, inform and educate myself, I normally reflect and criticise myself from time to time. I saw one thing that I did not consider when it came to selecting career when I was
in high school and that is passion. In other parts of the world, most people are encouraged to do what they are passionate about and someone who chooses to be a nurse will tell you that they decided to be a nurse or a doctor because first and foremost they wanted to help people, they want to save lives.

They wanted to be a part of something bigger than themselves, so selfless. They balance their individual interests and those of the society. That is why they flourish in what they do and they are always searching for new ways to improve their services, they are innovative. So they are of course making money but first and foremost help the society. Maybe I’m wrong, maybe what drives them to be more creative is to earn more money but it is clear they are passionate in whatever they do and we can learn from them.

If you see how professional they are in their health centres, you would imagine how many lives would be saved at Coast General Hospital. All the nurses and the doctors are enthusiastic in what they do and they also know that each minute counts and they are dedicated in saving the people’s lives. They see that saving one person’s life is saving the whole community, the surgeries they perform; unbelievable!! They perform very complicated surgeries very successful and people recover fully. In our cases, people die from very simple surgeries; our doctors cannot perform simple surgeries successfully.

In our ER’s (Kenya) the medical team is so used to seeing those cases and because someone’s shift is over you can die on the gurney. We don’t have any passion; we are just there to clock in our day which will ensure the salary at the end of the month. It is just business, like selling potatoes in the market; the aim is to make profit only. We only know what we are taught in college. No motivation to do research on our own, to think outside the box.

Only the traditional medicine men are creative and when you go to see them, the last thing in their mind is wondering if you can afford their services. You will get treatment from a traditional medicine man whether you are financially able or not because they are only interested in curing you, if you pay him when you get well then it is a gift to him. I wish we could have the same passion in our professional careers.

The medical sector is just an example, this happens in all sectors and in every area of everyday living and I think we have to change ourselves.

I did not pursue my nursing dream and did not beat myself about it; I just took whatever opportunity came my way and gave it my all. I believe that passion is given to the majority of people; we just have to exercise it.

If a man is called to be street sweeper, he should sweep streets even as Michelangelo painted, or Beethoven composed music, or Shakespeare wrote poetry. He should sweep streets so well that all the hosts of heaven and earth will pause to say, here lived a great street sweeper who did his job well.(Martin Luther King Jr.)

Only when you are passionate about your work you are able to excel in what you do. Do what you like passionately and money will follow.