Episode 1 – Recognize Passion.

I like how life lessons never expire. I put this program on paper five years ago. As I go through it now I realize the nuggets in there are still as relevant today as they were then. The first bump I needed to get through when I was making the scariest decision of my life back in 2000 was recognizing my passion. It helps a great deal when we decide to follow our heart but also identify what our heart is following. Otherwise, we might make a tragic error and follow someone else’s dream that’s camouflaged as ours. It takes time to discover your unique assignment.

I got exposed to entrepreneurship by my parents back in primary school. In a sense, it seems like that exposure selected my career for me. I’ve loved being in the SME space and co-creating with Sir God. That’s what I see entrepreneurs as. Brave souls who imagine things, see opportunities, and then breathe life into them. So, we are creators of stuff. I dare say the world as we know it would not exist without entrepreneurs.

I was a natural in business as I grew up. I had enough pocket money to spend as I went through school. If lollipops were the bitcoins of our times then I was a bitcoin millionaire because I could afford to buy several daily. It never occurred to me that biashara was my passion. it was just the thing I did because I enjoyed it too. And money was the result of doing what I loved.

Sometimes we have to physically move away from our comfort zones if we are to see clearly and take stock of what we have. In 2000 I left the country. For the first time, I was forced to look inwards since I was away from my comfort zone. I took stock of my life so far (it wasn’t long. I was just 26) and for the first time, it was clear that I love being in business. My environment growing up may have nurtured that talent but It became clear that I want to be an entrepreneur in Kenya and Africa. I desired to use my gift of entrepreneurship to impact my country positively. That became my main motivation to come back home and live out my passion for enterprise. Plus, I couldn’t find farmer’s choice sausages and Fanta orange soda abroad. That’s a taste made in heaven only for Kenyans he he.

Folks, what are you good at? What is your gift? if you can confidently answer that question then you’ve covered half the distance towards your true north. To do this maybe start by making a list of the things you do effortlessly, the things that attract you, and pique your interest. The packaging of your gift may change as you go through seasons of life but the core of it remains largely the same. we can unpack that further.

The other consideration we need to make as we take stock of what we have is to accept what we find. Often, we will feel different when we attempt to follow our dreams. It is one thing to know you are different. Its another to accept that you are. I find the accepting part harder partly because we live in a world that pushes us to conform. It’s not easy being the odd one out. I chose to try out business when all my mates went for jobs. The pressure was real.

We are told not to rock the boat or why fix it if it’s not broken? Now corona has broken everything and has not only rocked the boat but capsized it. This is a good time to dare greatly guys. Get out those talents from the closet and put them to the test. We are all trying hard to keep our heads above water so hardly anyone will notice you tapping into your greatness. What are you afraid of? What do you stand to lose by trying? what if it works out?

The only way we will refine our passion and get to our one thing is by trying out the many ideas in our heads. In halftime, we call these low-cost probes. It’s like a process of elimination where you experiment with your various interests and see which ones are real and which ones are just hype. This is a good time for most of us who are not busy. The world will soon open up in new, exciting, and huge ways that will require our authentic and self-aware selves to take advantage of the new normal. Maybe we were created for such a time as this. Corona has given us a golden opportunity to recognize our passions by taking stock of what we have and accepting that we are different. May we have the courage to continue with the self-discovery. Then we will be rearing to go.

Folks I hope this first episode (I have to make it sound like a Netflix series so you guys read it hehe) has given you some courage to start the journey towards your true north. Inbox me on lucas@lucasmaranga.com for a chat if you’d like help on recognizing your passion and we can take it from there. Clarity is around the corner.

See you in Episode 2 next week.