#44 - On sharing your passions with others
My weekend was capped off with a visit to one of Kellogg’s greatest cultural institutions: Mim’s Table.
I had been waiting a long time for this experience. Over a few hours, Mim served an incredible 7 course dinner with dishes ranging from cured eggs, to cod roe pasta with eel, and her signature dessert. Throughout the dinner, which Mim somehow managed to cook in her small apartment, she wowed us by describing the ingredients, experiences and stories behind each dish. It felt like any fine dining experience that I had been to, but more intimate and a lot more fun.
What really struck me throughout the night was the passion that Mim brought to the evening. You could tell that Mim lived and breathed food. It was her real passion.
A big part of why business school is such a wonderful experience is that admissions specifically selects students in order to achieve a diverse class. People come from every country in the world, having had a myriad of life experiences, which they bring to the sleepy suburb of Evanston. And a lot of people are unafraid to share these passions with their classmates. Through my friends, I’ve done things as varied as producing an EDM song, smelt the scene of a flower that went extinct over 100 years ago during a live podcast show, gone to an AfroBeats concert, and channelled my inner basic to SoulCycle; things that I would have otherwise never done. My business school experience would not be the same without me having done these things, and it completely aligns with my life thesis that The biggest problems are only solved by those with the most diverse experiences.
So this got me thinking about how important it is to share your hobbies with the people around you.
Shows the real you
John Ruskin is one of those people you’ve probably never heard about, but who has had more of an impact on the world than you can imagine. From influencing Gandhi’s decision to begin the struggle for Indian Independence, to shaping the way that architects such as Le Corbusier and Frank Lloyd Wright built our modern landscape, and giving inspirations to authors including Oscar Wilde and T.S. Eliot, Ruskin’s reach was far and wide. Closer to my heart, Ruskin helped grow the reputation of my favourite artist, JMW Turner, and, in doing so, sparked the emergence of modern art.
In a famous speech, Traffic , given by Ruskin to a group of Bradford merchants in 1864, Ruskin proclaimed:
“Tell me what you like, and I'll tell you what you are. Go out into the street, and ask the first man or woman you meet, what their 'taste' is, and if they answer candidly, you know them, body and soul.”
This is something I truly believe in.
What you like is who you are. Thus, by sharing what you most like (i.e. your passions), you share the truth about who you are to those around you.
In an age of curated social media (especially amongst us business school students), it’s not easy to be vulnerable and share your true self. But I genuinely believe that it leads to greater understanding and empathy and helps you build relationships at a much deeper level.
Beyond showing the truth of who you are, I also believe that sharing your passion builds your brand. Chances are, there are not many people in your immediate circles who are as obsessed with your passion as you are. This means that your passion can differentiate you from others, and become the thing that you are known by. You could know nothing about Mim but still know that when it comes to food, Mim is in a league of her own.
Helps in the pursuit of excellence
Almost everyone who has a passion wants to become better at it. They want to explore new facets of what that passion has to offer, and to achieve some level of mastery. Sharing your passion with others is the best way to make this happen.
By committing to others that you will share your passion with them, you effectively force yourself to improve up to a level where it you are good enough to share something with your friends. You might do this through repetition, or by learning through trial and error. Either way, the fear of disappointing others is a very powerful motivator. The feedback you receive from others, especially if you share your passion with others in a public way, can also be helpful in becoming the best that you can be (something that I have found in the passion I most widely share with others).
Finally, you are never alone in the pursuit of excellence. By sharing your passion with others, you will be able to get connected to people who can help you in your own hero’s journey towards excellence.
Allows others to have unique experiences they otherwise would not have had
Given that each and every one of us has our own passions already, and otherwise busy lives, we don’t have the time to go out and try new and different things. That’s why sharing your passion is a great way to help others experience things that they would otherwise would not.
A big part of this is simply providing people an easy entry point into whatever you love to do. Often people want to do or try something but just don’t know how to get involved. This is one of the reasons why I take friends surfing and stand-up paddleboarding whenever I can in Sydney and Chicago. They are amazing sports that I love, but most people just don’t know how to get started.
For example, I have wanted to try skiing for years, thinking that it looked interesting and would be something that I would enjoy. But I never knew how to get started. It wasn’t until the the Kellogg ski trip (organised by Kellogg students passionate about skiing) where I spent a few days on the slopes with my ski-obsessed friends (who stuck with me on green and blue slopes that must have bored them out of their mind) that I came to experience, and fall in love with, an amazing sport.
Without these friends guiding me through my first few days of skiing, I don’t think I would have come to enjoy it as much as I do now.
Sparks joy
And the joy that your passion brings, both for you and others you share it with, is what makes it completely worthwhile.
I don’t think anyone is happier than when they are pursuing their passion. So why not share that joy with others!