By Craig Galati

Published Monday, Aug. 13, 2007 | 1 p.m.

Updated Tuesday, April 28, 2009 | 12:01 p.m.

Even Internet sites enjoy a summer break, apparently. The In Business Las Vegas Web site took a few unscheduled days off last week, and my blog was part of that hiatus, but we are back now and refreshed!

As we discussed last week, all people have an internal purpose—a reason why they are here and do what they do. We may not admit it, but we do know what gives us pleasure and what we like to work on. The big question is: Do we have the courage to follow our hearts? Many people remain at their jobs for a long time, not wanting to risk losing what they have for the unknown. Over time, many of these people become cynical about their work, their co-workers, and their employers. They count the minutes until retirement, hoping it will bring meaning to their lives. I believe, however, if you wait until then, you’ll miss tremendous opportunities available to you now.

So what does this have to do with business? As I wrote last week, businesses have a responsibility to articulate why a company exists and what the underlying value sets of the organization. And I believe, we, as owners have the responsibility to help our employees find their calling—either with our companies or somewhere else.

“I know, I know, Craig,but we can’t find enough people now!” I hear that all the time. But don’t you want the people who work for you to be excited and come to work with passion and purpose? The alternative is to be like many companies who just bump along, making a reasonable living, yet never reaching their potential. For my money, I’d rather fail at trying to align the hearts and souls of people with the organization, than succeed financially in a world devoid of purpose and passion. I guess it’s a matter of perspective; neither is right or wrong, in general, but there is a right and wrong for each of us specifically.

I had a friend who was very unhappy in his job. He made six figures yet told me he couldn’t stand getting up to go to his “dead-end job.” All he had to look forward to was his pension. I asked him what he was passionate about. He told me in a tongue-in-cheek way, “I really like beer!” “Great,” I told him, “at least we have something to work with.”

He could be a beer distributor, brewer, or brew taster; write a beer review, publish a beer magazine, open a brew pub, design beer labels, grow beer ingredients, or open a home-brew store. The possibilities are almost endless.

It really doesn’t matter to anyone else but you what you are passionate about. Find your calling and align your life with it. Follow your heart. The money will find you; you must believe that. My good friend and mentor frames it this way: What will you do with your precious, short life?

Find your purpose and passion. Unleash your potential.

Questions for thought:

* Are you following your heart?

* If not, do you have the courage to change?

Until next week…

Craig