The tumult of election season has passed, and many of us are still processing our emotions and reactions, especially with a rocky start to the New Year. For some, the political landscape feels as though it is shifting under our feet. However, the need continues to keep those feet firmly planted, with our minds and hearts open, in order to strengthen communities from within.
While many of us are focused on simply getting through each day, tiptoeing around minefields and negotiating obstacles, it is vital to remember that your most important, life-defining path through challenge goes beyond simply surviving. It is more than placing one foot in front of another, keeping our heads down, afraid to stumble. Instead, the way forward starts with the impact you can make in positively transforming lives, communities, and your corner of the world. It is about taking the long view, with our eyes on the horizon of change, with every incremental step forward serving a larger purpose.
During my first decade out of college, I worked at various professional jobs and gained valuable work skills and experiences. But I always knew that there was so much more that I could accomplish, beyond a paycheck or resume line. I am an ingenious, independent thinker with a desire to implement solutions that improve communities. Several years ago, I began re-examining my life and work. The process revealed the need to better focus my efforts on activities that truly honored my passion and purpose. This revelation pointed to one conclusion: I am a social entrepreneur. And if you are reading this and nodding, you may be a social entrepreneur as well.
Social entrepreneurs yoke their passions to their purpose. Our passions are simply the things that animate us, stirring our enthusiasm and revving our engines. Our purpose connects that passion to our lives, and livelihoods, giving us the focus and direction to cut through stagnancy and make a difference. The ability to pursue your passion and purpose requires several elements.
- Courage: It takes great courage for a person to pursue their passion and purpose in the face of potential obstacles, especially self-doubt and the expectations of others. And when simply surviving feels like a burden, it can be difficult to muster the bravery, and energy, to think bigger.
- Opportunity: The quest to follow your passion and purpose forces one to make uncomfortable choices that may seem risky or unsettling. I have a friend that rejected a very lucrative job offer to pursue her passion for social media and marketing by launching a small business. Has the road been hard? Yes. But she has made a lasting mark on so many and is building a truly fulfilling career. And because she followed her instinct, she is enjoying success.
- Time: Patience, stamina, and commitment must all be summoned to invest the necessary time that ensures the success of the business or venture. The commitment of time seems to always require that you dedicate time to maintaining current priorities while investing in the business or venture simultaneously.
- Values: How often do we connect with people only to find that they are not the right fit – whether it is a business partner, community partner, client or friend? We rarely pause to wonder why. But without this reflection, we may lack the criteria by which we can gauge our relationships and pursue healthy connections. Criteria are simply a detailed list of attributes or character qualities we desire from relationships, associations and business partnerships. While creating the list may seem simple, the implementation may be a challenge. There are two truths I have come to embrace:
- Match a person’s actions with the criteria as opposed to what they tell you.
- Watch how people model the criteria with others. You don’t have to be their guinea pig.
If you would like to learn more about my journey as a CEO/social entrepreneur, and how I can support you in the qualities listed above, please reach out to schedule a consultation. Our important work continues, and new political landscapes require us to forge new trails – even (and especially) on unsteady ground.