IDENTIFYING YOUR PASSION
- By Richard Namme
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- 16 Oct, 2018
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Have you identified your passion? I ask this simple question because so many of us go through life with little awareness of what actually drives us. Or, if we do know what that passion might be, we ignore it because we’re afraid others might make fun of us or discourage us.
But what if I told you that understanding what makes you tick is a key to becoming a successful entrepreneur? Would you acknowledge this part of yourself?
You should.
Think you’re too old or it’s too late to find your passion? Colonel Harland Sanders was 65 when he hit his stride with his company, Kentucky Fried Chicken. Today, KFC franchises can be found in over 125 countries and territories across the world.
Are you worried it would take too long for your passion to transform into a successful venture? Then, consider this remarkable reality. Have you heard of Jesus Christ? Yes, the son of God who is worshipped by Christians. What many don’t realize is that only three years passed between when he began his ministry and when he died on the cross. Three years. Jesus turned the religious community upside down in his time and that revolution is still felt centuries later.
While we mere mortals could never claim to be like Christ, the point of mentioning his accomplishment was to show that time shouldn’t be a deterrent if you have a passion.
Many of us have multiple passions and though I hate to admit it, not every passion will lead you to successful entrepreneurship. However, there is one key factor that is common to passions that trigger business success. Specifically,your passion must be one which solves someone else’s pain whereby they are ready to pay you IMMEDIATELY. This, when combined with drive and persistence, will distinguish your stellar business concept from the many other ideas floating out there. It will elevate yours from those that will never prove profitable.
For me I nailed my passion down to three primary areas:
- Business Solutions: Hence I love my work as a Business Analyst/Solutions Architect. I especially love those challenges where I’m forced to craft creative and cost-effective solutions. Even during my most trying experiences as a Business Analyst, I’ve managed to learn many things. I’ve witnessed projects struggle due to poor execution of tactical or strategic goals. I’ve seen instances where management failed to effectively communicate its vision to the rest of the organization—despite my advice and efforts. Still, each challenge presented a wealth of education and skills that I applied in later situations. I knew in my heart that my creator never makes mistakes and that my “steps in life are ordered.” And, I always asked myself, “What am I learning from this process?”
- Real Estate Investing: My second passion is gradually becoming my first. I started investing in property in my twenties. I experienced many triumphs but also endured several mistakes. The latter didn’t scare me off because I realized how much I enjoyed real estate investing. Fast forward to two decades later and I continue to buy property. Nothing compares to the positive reviews from guests. It brightens my entire day. Outside of the service aspect, real estate investing provides reliable residual income that can be leveraged into other investments. While real estate may not be the path for you, keep in mind that over 50% of the people included in Forbes annual billionaires list made their fortunes from real estate.
- Creating Self-Sufficient Communities: There are talented and industrious people across the world whose only crime is that they weren’t born in a country where they could transform lives. With access to information, such individuals can achieve remarkable things. I am compelled to contribute to the sharing and transfer of information between people, regardless of borders. Thanks to modern technology, we have the means to do just that and by sharing knowledge, the underprivileged will achieve economic independence. I see myself as a ‘Social Entrepreneur’ who encourages community growth through enterprise, not handouts. The world’s problems are solvable via the sharing of know-how. The key goal is to share in a mutually beneficial manner.
Looking at my passions, are you able to pinpoint a few of yours?
Never forget that the wealth building process starts with you knowing your passion and believing in your concepts. Then, you must take the next steps:
• plan and evaluate your current situation;
• acquire the necessary knowledge and skills; and
• identify the value you bring to stakeholders who can positively influence your idea.
You have a whole lifetime to do this, so pace yourself. Be sure to make progress each year, however. Remember, God has made you unique and bestowed you with special talents. So never worry about others stealing your ideas to the point that you let them die with you.
You and you alone, are the only one who can execute and deliver your unique gift to the world in the most outstanding way. To achieve this, embrace the challenge and adopt the right mindset and skills. So, if you have a burning desire to do something, be sure to discover what you’re talented at first. If you believe that you are uniquely made by our creator (Jer 1:5), then you start understanding that you have a purpose and your journey in life is to discover what your passion is, nurture and “perfect it” and use your talent for the good of mankind.
Finally, plan to transfer knowledge to others, so you are creating a SYSTEM that adds new value to more than just yourself. This is how successful businesses and countries operate. Economists refer to this as creating a “multiplier effect”. Simply put, the term means each additional unit of work or resources added to a business venture MUST be able to multiply profits in significantly greater units than the initial input. This is only attainable when you build a business system and engage others to be part of it. Then, the system you have created will afford you the opportunity to step away for a while and still produce the same output, because the business is not relying on your solo efforts alone to succeed. Remember, there is strength in numbers. Engage the right people and form a good team to attain this level of productivity.
I must note that the search to understand my purpose led me to a closer relationship with God. A relationship that has been fulfilling and rewarding. With all the challenges sure to come your way, it is important to develop yourself spiritually. Certainly, I cannot tell you who to have faith in, I can only share with you the source of my peace and joy. I am sure everyone’s story is different because we were each made to be unique. I hope at the end of my life, I would have found all my talents, applied them and left the world with a better understanding of what it means to “live life more abundantly”. (John 10:10).
This is my story so far and I hope it inspires you to find your passion and be all that you can be. May you be blessed richly and touch the lives of others in your own journey.
