263: Why Following Your Passion Is Bad Advice | Terri Trespicio

How to Create a Life That Matters to You

“If you’re going to live a life that you actually love, you’re going to disappoint some people. That’s just a fact. So decide who you are going to disappoint: everyone, some people, or you? And I don’t want you to disappoint yourself, because as far as we know, this is it.” —Terri Trespicio

When Terri Trespicio was invited to do a TEDx Talk, she had no idea what subject she would speak on. Her talk now has over eight million views. Years later when she decided she wanted to write a book, she faced the same issue. She was told to include the ideas from her TEDx Talk, but she didn’t have a solid idea of the book’s overall theme or purpose. The first draft of her book looked very different from the book it is today, which Mel Robbins describes as “A. MUST. READ.”

In this episode of “Authors Who Lead,” I talk with Terri about her book, Unfollow Your Passion: How to Create a Life That Matters to You, and how to create a life you enjoy.

Enjoy the Journey

When Terri first started writing her book, she didn’t enjoy the journey. She focused too much on what would sell and what others wanted her to write. It was only after taking a break from her first draft and finding a creative writing community that she found the enjoyment in writing and the topic that would be what the Washington Post called “one of the best feel-good books of 2021.

Instead of writing the traditional way she had learned in her Creative Writing MFA, she wrote what she wanted even though it seemed out of order and unorganized. She wanted it to feel like a “delicious mess.” Later she found an agent who had been a book editor who helped her organize all of her stories and essays into the book it is today.

Take Action

When we wait around to find our “one” passion, Terri says we may miss out on opportunities that may add to our lives. We may say no to jobs or relationships that we feel aren’t in line with our goals. Or we may not take steps toward something we want because we aren’t confident that it’s the “right” decision. But, as Terri tells us, “you can’t be confident in something you haven’t done. You must take action in order to do it.

In this podcast, Terri also shares with us:

  • Confidence is a wonderful side effect of action
  • You have to care more about your book than anyone else
  • There is no one way to write a book
  • We don’t trust our work enough
  • Having passion is not the problem: it’s the fact we think we should have only one passion that is the problem

What was your biggest takeaway from this episode? Are you struggling to find your passion? Share in the comments below!

That’s all for this week. If you have a message inside of you that needs to be written, today is the day to start. Don’t delay—take action.

Episode Resource: 

Connect with Terri here:
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Get a copy of Terri’s book here:
Unfollow Your Passion: How to Create a Life that Matters to You

Access her free mini-course here:
The Passion Trap: 5 Half Truths Keeping You From Living a Full Life

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263: Why Following Your Passion Is Bad Advice | Terri Trespicio263: Why Following Your Passion Is Bad Advice | Terri Trespicio

Azul talks with Terri about her book, Unfollow Your Passion: How to Create a Life That Matters to You, and how to create a life you enjoy.

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