How Relentless Passion Inspires a Craft

In France, the making of the baguette is a sacred profession, requiring certification from the government. Unless bakers have specific paperwork meeting strenuous standards, they're not allowed to bake or sell this type of bread.

In Savoillan, a small town in the southeast, Emmanuel and Chisato Delalande have one of the finest bakeries around, using a wood oven built in 1925. The Delalandes use a special cooking method requiring extremely precise heating, before the deposited bread is placed on the stone sole. It's a process that is essential each time.

This 14-minute video below is well worth the time of your already busy day and shows the Delalande family working their craft. But the video isn’t really about bread or a bakery. This intimate portrait highlights a passion, a relentless pursuit of perfection requiring incredible attention to detail and pride.

After watching, ask yourself: Do you have the same passion for your work? Can you concentrate and multi-task with this type of relentlessness?

Notice, no cell phones are near, and Emmanuel is solely focused on his many jobs, from oven cleaner to janitor, fire maker, dough maker, display manager, business manager and friendly greeter. What’s all the more impressive is the Delalandes will also do this the next day, and the day after that, and the day after that. Their joy comes from the satisfaction of those who buy their incredible treats.

When we have a chance to view others working like this, it allows us to re-asses our own commitment and passion levels. It has been proven that people with passion are more likely to be successful. They generally have a positive mental disposition and feel strong levels of engagement and connection with their day-to-day craft. Developing a passion like the Delalandes leads to happiness and fulfillment. They lead their lives enthusiastically and want to pursue their goals every day.

When we become more passionate, we also become more determined, enthusiastic and eager. We share these traits with those we lead, and the quality of our own product greatly improves.

This also makes other people feel envious that we are doing what we love, and it never seems like work. For as hard as the Delalandes labor, they never complain about their days or their workloads.

The bread from Le Soleil Levain is world-famous. And passion is the most important ingredient.