“Pursuing your passion will lead to your purpose, and living in purpose will enviably bring the profit.” – Cassondra Lenoir.
I am a firm believer in the above quote. So much so, that I’ve singlehandedly based my entire life around it. I live by a simple, but powerful three words – “Passion is Pursuit.” It’s not only my life’s mantra, it’s become my brand’s identity, slogan, and personal way of living.
I first adapted the Passion is Pursuit mentality while in college. I realized at a very young age, if I was passionate about something, then I would be doing myself a disservice if I didn’t go after it with my whole heart. This mindset resulted in a tenacious work ethic that led to my passion properly positioning me as a force to be reckoned with in the Marketplace. However, it would be remiss of me not to mention that I was only able to confidently answer my “call to the Marketplace” AFTER clearly identifying my passion.
In my second book, The Passion is Pursuit 40-Day Devotional, I wrote, “The more I seek God, the more I find me.” Essentially, what I was saying is that we may have many passions, talents, and giftings we’d like to explore throughout this journey we call life. However, if our first pursuit isn’t Christ and the Kingdom of God (Matthew 6:33), many of our efforts can and will be in vain or a waste of time and energy. I wholeheartedly understand that we are multifaceted people, but what we must also come to realize is that we serve a strategic God who has literally planned out every intricate detail of our destiny.
I know passion to be the driving force in one’s life. It’s the thing that keeps you dedicated, motivated, and FOCUSED while striving to achieve greatness. I too created this definition for passion while in college. God won’t call us to do everything all at once. That’s why the definition says that passion is THE driving force…it’s THE thing – which means there should initially only be one focus. From my previous experiences, I’ve come to realize that when I silenced the noise and narrowed my focus down to one specific call or passion – my vision and purpose became clearer.
From Oprah, Bishop T.D. Jakes, and Tyler Perry to Diddy, Jay Z, and Beyoncé – they each discovered and initially only focused on their “foundational passion” within their respective industries. Oprah – television. Bishop T.D. Jakes – ministry. Tyler Perry – theater. Diddy, Jay Z, and Beyoncé – music. After they each discovered, perfected, and then mastered their gifts within these industries, they were then able to tap into their other talents and industry desires.
So, yes! It’s perfectly fine to be multifaceted and “want to do it all” but if you become a jack of all trades and a master of none, then have you really obtained success in the Marketplace?
There are many routes we can take to purpose, the clearest of them being the one led by Christ. Want to identify and effectively impact the specific area in the Marketplace you’re called to dominate? Discover your passion through prioritizing your relationship with God.
