Find, embrace your passion and the money will follow

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Sriram Bharatam. 

By SRIRAM BHARATAM

“The biggest adventure you can take is to find your passion and live the life of your dreams. It can take a lifetime to find your passion. Yes, it can take a lifetime but it doesn’t have to”

Have you ever asked yourself: “What is my purpose in life? What is my passion? How do I live my dreams? Where and how do I go from here?”

If you have done so and found your answers, you probably are among the few luckiest people. I say so because these are some of the most complicated questions that most of us struggle with. We almost never get to start figuring out the answers or reach a point of almost getting it right, but realising that we haven’t.

When you look around, you will find that both youth and adults alike generally struggle with their professions. There are only a few who do what they love. This is because the others couldn’t or haven’t been able to identify their passion.

If you struggle with something, you will never be happy and satisfied. That’s why successful men and women have said time and again that you should find your passion and work towards it.

Steve Jobs once famously said: “The only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it, keep looking, don’t settle. As with all matters of the heart, you’ll know when you find it.”

Life is too short and if there was ever a moment to follow your passion, and do something that matters to you, the moment is now. To help you with this, here are quick practical tips:

1.Be your own Master — your passion is yours

More often than not, we cramp our lives living someone else’s dreams and passion. Many parents tell their children, “I couldn’t do this (referring to a certain activity) when I was young, so I want to see you do it.” They do not realise how it could impact the young mind.

Truth be told, today we have many channels that can corrupt our minds — growing media, exposure to varied cultures, societal pressure or even our own unmindful judgements. Don’t be trapped into others’ happiness and success. Be your own Master, follow your dreams, follow the path of your passion, you are bound to find success.

2. Listen to your inner voice — if it is not working, you should walk out

Media personality Oprah Winfrey said that one should follow that inner voice calling them.

There are many who hate what they are doing and know that this is not the right job for them. However, they find no motivation to quit. The main reason is that they don’t really know what they want to do. This affects performance and ultimately results in loss of job.

If you aren’t happy doing what you are doing, you should take time to identify your passion — something that makes you happy. When you quit without knowing what you are going to do, you get uncomfortable. You feel the urgency and this can give you immense power because your focus is completely on what you should do. Yes, this may seem like a huge risk but it is a step you should take to find your passion.

3. Be curious

Successful people have always been curious and they testify that it helps them be productive and happy throughout their journey. Some of your interests may be obvious while you may not realise the others.

What if your passion lies in something you have never dared to do? To identify this, you must be curious. You challenge yourself only when you are curious, and when you challenge yourself in the right way, revelations are made in life.

4.Do not let money be the force

It is what makes you happy that’s the most important. Money will follow. Successful people have always said that chasing money is the last thing you should do.

We have seen many rich people who are still not satisfied at the end of the day. Remember, it is satisfaction and happiness that you should aim at. Money and success will follow.

5.Anticipate changes and prepare

The only thing that is constant in life is change. So, if you are thinking that having identified your purpose and passion, you now have to blindly follow it, then you are mistaken. Life changes with every passing moment.

And with this change, may come changes in your purpose and at times your passion.

When it happens, don’t resist it. Accept the fact, make adjustments and move on. When you find your passion and truly work on it, you will never have to “work” and go to bed unhappy.

“Start doing things you love. If you don’t like something, change it. Open your mind, arms and hearts to new things. Life is short. Live your dream and wear your passion.”

Sriram is the founder and chief mentor of Kuza Biashara Ltd, an organisation coaching youth and SME owners in Kenya. Email: sri@kuzabiashara.co.ke: Twitter @Sbharatam.