Be Passionate
Thursday, December 22 2005Dear friend,
it's that time of the year again – so let me wish you Happy Christmas! To celebrate the launch of my new book, The 7 Rules of Success, I'll explain the thinking behind each rule, one rule each week.
First off, Rule No 1 is Be Passionate. Every outstandingly successful person I have interviewed over the past three years has pointed to the role that passion has played in their success.
They cited passion as their driving force and the fuel that drove them to take incredible risks and keep going where others wouldn’t have.
In this chapter you'll read about how a City banker gave up her high-flying career to follow her dream – and it was literally a dream – to open a flower shop, now the hugely successful McQueens; how a housewife and mother went on to save the lives of 1000s of Vietnamese street children, now the Christina Noble Foundation; how an untrained fashion designer became one of Britain's most acclaimed designers, hitting the front pages when Victoria Beckham modelled for her first fashion show and who now dresses the likes of Emma Thompson, Kate Winslet and every other Oscar winner with her own shop, Maria Grachvogel, in London's Sloane Street; and how one man has changed both church and government policy through his human rights campaigning, Peter Tatchell.
My observation is that passion doesn't just make you more likely to succeed in what you do, but it makes life come alive for you. You feel more charged when you have a life with plenty of excitement and enthusiasm in it, new challenges and fresh opportunities to look forward to.
New York is the city of dreams. It's a city built on the notion that you could be anyone, make anything happen. It's full of people looking to make things happen and every time I go there I see that driving force everywhere.
This last trip, I stayed with one of the most passionate people in New York, infamous in Soho as Bevy. Bevy came to New York at 50, divorced and bankrupt, but determined not to give up. A new lover joined her – George, who had just given up being a judge to drive a yellow cab and loved it!
Bevy made money from designing and making her own bags and then set up her own loft apartment salon in Soho, where people now come and stay from all over the world. It's not quite a hotel, not just a salon, it's Bevy's place. Over drinks I found out more about Bevy and her next project. She's in talks with a network to have a sitcom series based on her salon life and all the comings and goings over the years.
None of this would be unusual except that Bevy is nearly 80! She's got more aliveness and dreams in her than I've seen in some 30 year-olds. Think Carol Channing or Goldie Hawn with a few years added. They say you only get people like this in New York but I think this is how we all need to be, wherever we live – if you want an exciting, passionate life. Bevy's message is - don't give up on yourself, ever - be brave, stay excited and always have something wonderful that you're working on. Ain't life grand! Bevy is at sohobevy.com.
The 7 Rules of Success is in the shops from Jan 2nd. We have signed copies ready to go right now – we'll post first class to you immediately, and you can read more and order your copy here.
