“Don’t Follow Your Passion, But Always Bring it With You.”

SEE HERE  I think it was Joseph Campbell who counseled "Follow your bliss" which is a bit different from "Follow your passion."  You do need a passion but it needn't be your life work. 

I know in my life I developed a passion for chess and got quite good at it by means of study and hard work.  I'm still a pretty good chess player but my take-away wasn't so much the chess as the pattern of determination, focus, study, and hard work that allowed me to get good at it.  That led to whatever success I've had in everything else I've tried and my own confidence that with focus and effort I can do whatever I really want to do if it is within my capabilities at all. 

My favorite saying by G.K. Chesterton (another passion of mine) is "Anything worth doing is worth doing badly."  You have to realize that nothing of any value is easy and the first few time you attempt it you'll likely not do all that well.  Nowadays there are lots of folks who suggest to young people that they must not be good at it and so their talents lie elsewhere.  They counsel them to quit before they've really tried.  That's wrong.  It's also pretty stupid.  Nothing worth having comes easily.  If it's easy then anyone can do it.  Find the hard things that you like and invest the time and effort to become expert at them.  You'll not regret it.