"Find something you like to do so much that you'd gladly do it for nothing, and if you learn to do it well, someday people will be happy to pay you for it."

I would like to point out an interesting fact to you which I found in John Maxwell's book "Talent is Never Enough."

Authors Robert J. Kriegel and Louis Patler cite a study of 1,500 people over twenty years that shows how passion makes a significant difference in a persons career:

At the outset of the study, the group was divided into Group A, 83 percent of the sample, who were embarking on a career chosen for the prospects of making money now in order to do what they wanted later, and Group B, the other 17 percent of the sample, who had chosen their career path for the reverse reason, they were going to pursue what they wanted to do now and worry about the money later.

The data showed some startling revelations:

At the end of 20 years, 101 of the 1,500 had become millionaires

Of the millionaires, all but one - 100 out of 101 - were from Group B! The group that had chosen to pursue what they loved.

These days almost everyone lives for money. People work in jobs that they hate just because they pay better than other options which are around at the time. A great example of this is my sister. She works in a job she doesn't really love just because she gets paid to do it. She doesn't look forward to her days or weeks and time is just passing her by. She has great potential but she is owrking outside of her passion.

Money is a big motivator for people. If a job comes with a big paycheck then they are much more likely to jump for it. In a world where money can buy you everything are we selling out?

I would like to propose to you something far more valuable than money and how it can make you more money.

Your Passion

Doing what you love to do week in week out and seeing a positive difference because of it, I believe, is worth far more than money can buy. Don't sell out 40 hours of your week doing something you hate, rather spend those 40 hours doing something you love and as the quote says at the start learn to do it well.

I have a passion. I am passionate about communication and specifically communication of Jesus Christ. I am currently studying at Hillsong International Leadership College in Sydney and therefore cannot work full time. I do not have to experience or platform to be able to enter into full time ministry yet, though I do have that dream one day.

I am choosing to pursue a career based on my passion not on the money. But I can't get a career now because I am studying so what do I do?

I want to encourage you today to begin to be creative with how to sell your passion. I love communicating so at the moment I am writing a book in my spare time and I also communicate by blogging. I am using a creative way to sell my passion. I am still training and not good enough to be paid to speak to crowds or to write award winning books. I am in that stage of development. But just because you might be in that stage of development doesn't mean that your passion can't make you any money of the side.

If you passion is surfing, enter competitions and get sponsors. Make videos of yourself to show to sponsors and to put on youtube. If you love writing but can't get a book published then try blogging while you are writing your next book and make money from advertising and donations.

If you passion is music and your band has quite hit the big time start teaching music to make some money. Record songs and use myspace to get your music out there.

If you love cabinet making but you don't have your own business yet then start making cabinets and selling them on eBay.

These are just a few ideas to get you thinking. The main point I am trying to get across is this. There are creative ways you can sell your passion while you are still developing it. You may not get as much as you ultimately want in the future but hey you are still getting better. If you find creative ways to make money off your passion it can release you more and more time to work on that passion and get better at it.