I’m currently reading a book where I read that generally, the kind of work that God has called you to do is a) something you need to (love to) do, and b) something the world needs to have done. I love this definition of your purpose because it goes beyond the common definition of purpose which simply says “It’s something you love to do.” Adding that the world needs to have it done relates the fact that our purpose was never, and will never solely be about us. It’s also about how we can serve others.
I used to think that every passion couldn’t fit into a serving role. However, that all depends on how you define “serve”. Someone who loves to sing is providing a service when they’re in a choir or performing on stage. Just as much as if they were to give vocal lessons instead. Finding your way to serve is definitely key when it comes to not only being successful but also impactful and fulfilled. A dose of imagination might be needed to find your way to serve. But if Mark Zuckerberg could take a love for writing code and socialization, marry the two and come up with Facebook. I KNOW there’s a way every passion can be used to serve. Just gotta find it.
Also Related: How to Find Your Side Hustle Passion
I’ve definitely been guilty of having selfish motives when it comes to pursuing a passion thinking that it’s all about, and ONLY about what I love and want to pursue (and finding some monetary gains along the way of course). Reality kind of hit when in both my professional career and my side hustle I was making little to modest earnings. KEY lesson: Never allow money to be your main motivation. Just don’t. It’s not sustainable. First of all, tying your worth to your income belittles not only you but the God who created you. You may not be able to charge $5,000 for a consulting gig. But the impact your $100 services provide can be equal or even more impactful. It’s about being in your lane where God has placed you.
Remeber the movie, Jerry Maguire? Sure enough “Show me the money” and “you had me at hello” are lines we’ll never forget. But beyond that, what Tom Cruise’s character could do for, and did do for Cuba Gooding Jr was something a big-shot agent probably wouldn’t have done. You are not called to serve the same people that everybody else is. If we would truly embrace that we’re NOT for everybody, trying to please Tom, Dick, AND Harry. Then maybe finding our niche and our target audience wouldn’t be as hard.
The problem lies in that we think the bigger our potential audience is, the bigger our potential success and profits will be. “I will serve African-American teen mothers” vs “I will serve ALL women” doesn’t lessen your potential. If anything it increases your impact because you now know who you’re talking to. You can now tailor your message to best serve those who need you the most. It’s ok! Trust me. Serving the African-American community does not make you racist, lol. If you’re serving single mother’s doesn’t make you a man-hater. A lot of times our experiences is what God uses to speak and serve others. A current or former single mother understands the plight of parenting alone in a way someone who never has never could.
What does the world need that you have the ability to speak on simply because you love and are passionate about it? Figure that out first and then how you can monetize it will come after.
Stay Blessed!
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