During a long family car ride, we collectively listened to an excellent interview with the Swiss-German, three Michelin star chef and owner of Eleven Madison Park, Daniel Humm.
He is not the typical role model one might hold up as an example for children. He dropped out of high school at age 14 to cycle competitively. He was living with an older girlfriend by age 15. He fathered a child by age 18.
Yet as his journey unfolded, it paradoxically provided precisely the type of lessons I wanted my kids to hear.
Humm took his place as one of the most successful celebrity chefs in the world following an adoring four star review by Frank Bruni in the NY Times in 2009.
The highlight of the interview was when he was asked about passion. He brought up the more precise German word leidenschaft, which implies not only fervor but dedication.
And then he did something magnificent: he explained how in his Swiss-German way of thinking, passion does not equate with the activity you have the most fun doing.
Passion is about something you are willing to suffer for.
This provided a profound lesson we continued to discuss in the car long after the interview had ended.
A skill is rarely built pursuing the avenue that provides the greatest pleasure.
It accumulates because you put in time where others will not, stay up late when others do not, and develop depth of understanding when others give in to distraction.
Learning that comes at great personal cost reflects true passion.
Thinking this over made me feel a little better about my career as a physician. Turns out I was passionate about medicine all along!
Whatever encore career I give myself over to, it had better be something that I am willing to suffer for.