When Your “Passion” Burns You Out—When Should You Pull the Emergency Brake?
When passion burns you out: Reza Mehman discusses a central mindset question. At what point is an apparent passion no longer a passion, and when should you stop? He draws on two real situations among his acquaintances and a Gary V quote that captures the issue.
Episode 143 was originally published on 11 February 2025. This translation preserves the complete conversation text published in the German article. Personal examples and quotations reflect the original episode; the full Gary V excerpt retains the wording quoted there, with editorial subheadings separating its themes.
When passion burns you out: When is it time to stop?
Many people search for their passion. But what happens when an apparent passion becomes a burden? In this episode, Reza Mehman discusses two real situations among his acquaintances, the well-known Gary V quote about passion and the crucial question: Do you really love your business, or just the idea of it? And at what point should you pull the emergency brake?
Summary
One-sentence version: Reza Mehman explains when an apparent passion is no longer a passion, and why that may be the time to pull the emergency brake.
Three-sentence version: Many people confuse wanting the results of an activity with passion for the activity itself. Gary V puts it this way: “You don’t love your business – you love what you think it can do for you.” Reza then uses two real situations to explore when it is time to stop.
Five-sentence version: Reza Mehman discusses passion and burnout. He describes two situations among his acquaintances, including a startup founder who had to give up after ten years. The Gary V quote captures the issue: “You don’t love your business – you love what you think it can do for you.” Reza says: “As soon as something is only draining, every move is painful and nothing is enjoyable any more, you should pull the emergency brake.” He applies the same reflection to relationships and hobbies.
Context: Who, what and why
Speaker: Reza Mehman, host of the Project Mindset Podcast.
Topic: At what point is an apparent passion no longer a passion, and when should you stop?
Why it matters: Many people hold on too long to things that exhaust them. Recognising the right moment to stop is an important mindset skill.
Three central themes of this episode:
- The Gary V quote: Do you love your business or just the idea of it?
- Two real situations among Reza’s acquaintances: when passion becomes a burden.
- Pulling the emergency brake: when to stop, including in relationships and hobbies.
Contents
- Introduction
- Summary
- Context
- Themes and perspective
- Key takeaways
- Frequently asked questions
- Highlight quotes
- The complete conversation
- Keywords
- Names and terms
- Quotable passage
Themes and perspective
1. The Gary V quote: Do you love your business or just the idea?
Gary Vaynerchuk distinguishes loving the work from wanting its rewards. His examples are a Lamborghini and a family trip to Disney with a stay at the Four Seasons. For him, loving only those rewards is what leads to burnout. Reza says: “I think this can also apply to various other areas of life.”
Keywords: Gary V, passion, business, burnout, motivation
2. Two real situations: When passion becomes a burden
Reza describes an acquaintance who founded a startup ten to twelve years earlier. He began with enormous passion but had to give up after years of work. Reza says: “As soon as something is only draining, every move is painful and nothing is enjoyable any more, you should pull the emergency brake.”
Keywords: startup, passion, burnout, stopping, emergency brake
3. The emergency brake—in relationships and hobbies too
Reza also applies the idea to other areas of life, including relationships and hobbies. He explains that he stopped playing basketball and decided to have less contact with someone he found draining. Reza says: “Sometimes knowing when to stop doing something is more important than constantly pushing through pain.”
Keywords: relationships, hobbies, stopping, emergency brake, self-protection
Key takeaways
- Gary V: “You don’t love your business – you love what you think it can do for you.”
- Reza: “As soon as something is only draining and nothing is enjoyable any more, you should pull the emergency brake.”
- This reflection extends beyond business to relationships and hobbies.
- Reza stopped playing basketball and decided to have less contact with a person he found draining.
- “Sometimes knowing when to stop doing something is more important than constantly pushing through pain.”
- Many people confuse wanting the results with passion for the activity itself.
Frequently asked questions
When should you stop pursuing a passion?
Reza Mehman says: “As soon as something is only draining, every move is painful and nothing is enjoyable any more, you should pull the emergency brake.” He applies this to business, relationships and hobbies. In his view, knowing when to stop can be more important than constantly pushing through pain.
What does Gary V mean by “You don’t love your business”?
Gary Vaynerchuk distinguishes loving the work from wanting its rewards. His examples are a Lamborghini and a family trip to Disney with a stay at the Four Seasons. For him, loving only those rewards is what leads to burnout. The distinction is between wanting the results and genuinely enjoying the activity itself.
How do you find your true passion?
Reza Mehman notes that many people cannot explain how to find a passion beyond trying things out. The episode’s perspective is that genuine passion does not feel like work. Gary V says: “Think about the person you love the most – you’ll never quit them.” In that comparison, truly loving your business means persevering even when it becomes difficult.
Highlight quotes
“You don’t love your business – you love what you think it can do for you. And that’s why you burn out from it.”
— Gary Vaynerchuk, quoted by Reza Mehman
“As soon as something is only draining, every move is painful and nothing is enjoyable any more, you should pull the emergency brake.”
— Reza Mehman
“Sometimes knowing when to stop doing something is more important than constantly pushing through pain.”
— Reza Mehman
“Think about the person you love the most – you’ll never quit them.”
— Gary Vaynerchuk
The complete conversation
The Gary V quote: Do you love your business?
[Gary Vaynerchuk, quoted by Reza Mehman:] “Everybody close your eyes, think of the person that you love the most in the world. Okay, open your eyes. That person that you just thought of – they may annoy you once in a while, disappoint you, but you’re never gonna be done with them. There’s not a single day where I don’t hate every one of my businesses. I’m in the business of just eating shit 24-7. All that happens in my life is headache, headache, headache, headache, headache, but I love it. Think about the person you love the most – you’ll never quit them. You guys don’t love your businesses. You love what you think your business can do for you.”
Gary V excerpt continued: the work and its rewards
“You do not love your business. You love what it can do for you.”
The luxury examples in the excerpt
“You love the idea of having a Lamborghini. You love the idea of taking your family to Disney and staying at the Four Seasons.”
The excerpt’s conclusion on burnout
“You don’t love your business. You love what it can do for you. And that’s why you burn out from it.”
Introduction: The subject of today’s episode
Reza Mehman: Hi everyone, and welcome to Project Mindset. My name is Reza. In today’s episode, number 143, I am returning to a classic mindset topic. I would like to discuss this question: At what point do you realise that something was only an apparent passion, and that you should actually stop doing it? I have two situations among my acquaintances that are not very happy stories. Even so, I think it is good to talk about them.
Case one: The startup founder
Reza Mehman: This is an acquaintance I met ten, eleven or twelve years ago, around the same time I founded my startup. We each started a business of our own, full of enthusiasm. We were both really passionate about what we were doing. He told me at the time that what he was doing was his greatest passion and that he was one hundred per cent committed to it.
Pulling the emergency brake
Reza Mehman: As soon as something is only draining, every move is really just painful and nothing is enjoyable any more, then, at the latest, you should think about that Gary V video, which fits this situation perfectly. Perhaps you are more interested in the results the activity promises than in the activity itself.
Reza Mehman: I think this can also apply to various other areas of life. Relationships are a major example. Hobbies can be another. I mentioned that I recently more or less hung up my boots on one of my big hobbies: basketball. For this year, for example, I have decided to have less contact with this one person. We have not had an argument or anything, and we still see each other regularly. But I have made that decision because it has become nothing but draining for me. Sometimes knowing when to stop doing something is more important than constantly pushing through pain.
Keywords
Tags: passion, burnout, emergency brake, Gary V, business, stopping, mindset, Reza Mehman, Project Mindset
Names and terms
Reza Mehman, Gary Vaynerchuk (Gary V), Project Mindset, startup, burnout, passion, emergency brake
Quotable passage
Gary V: “You don’t love your business – you love what you think it can do for you. And that’s why you burn out from it.”
Reza Mehman: “As soon as something is only draining and nothing is enjoyable any more, you should pull the emergency brake.”
“Sometimes knowing when to stop doing something is more important than constantly pushing through pain.”
For more personal perspectives, explore the Reza Mehman Podcast.
