The Power Of Passion

There are lesser truths and greater truths, just as there is lesser light and greater light. I want to share some greater truths about success. There are three levels of success. The first level is for people who know their purpose. The second level is for people who have a vision and set goals to achieve it. The third level is for people who have passion for their purpose, vision and goals. This is the level of success that leads to greatness.
Dr Martin Luther King Jr knew that his purpose was emancipating his generation. His vision was the attainment of ‘equality of all man in society’. He was so passionate about this he was sent to jail many times for it and even died for it. He experienced the three levels of success. More than 40 years after his death what he gave to not just America but the whole world is still celebrated.
Purpose is about knowing why you must do what you must do. Vision is about knowing what you must do. Passion is about how you must do what you must do. The reason why some people seem to be less successful than others is not because they don’t know their purpose or do not have a vision. Passion is the motivation that sustains your focus on your goals.
The Oil on The Wheel of Purpose
If purpose is the wheel and vision and goals the cogs in that wheel, passion is the oil that lubricates that wheel. A wheel can turn on a car from Cape to Cairo and not break down because of oil. This is what passion does to your purpose and vision. You feel no pain, neither do you tire nor experience burn out. With passion you look more into the future than you look at your watch. Passion makes you a great implementer, executor and finisher. You are convicted to finish and finish well.
The Apostle Paul was a greater finisher because he was passionate. He was seized with “this one thing I do, forgetting what lies behind….I press on toward the mark…” Only one thing mattered to him – the attainment of his purpose, and that is why at the end of his life he said “I have fought the good fight of faith, I have finished my course”. Paul ran the full course because he had the oil of passion. If your wheel of purpose is turning without passion you may soon burn out, or you may not finish the course. Fill up on passion!
Crazy and Possessed
A few months ago when we were repositioning our company Seedbed, we listed four values which describe the work we do. We included “Crazy and Possessed” as two of the four values. Sounds crazy and spooky? That’s the whole point. We believe so much in the work that we do that, we can work without stopping, sometimes we forget to eat, we sleep very late and we don’t have weekends. We feel taking a break interferes with our energy and momentum. We are not preoccupied with the money we make out of it, but with the lives, organisations, communities and nations we can change. We are seized with this work. The reason is because we are operating in our strength zone.
Passion driven by purpose separates you from the crowd. To achieve success you need to come to a point where you are crazy about your goals. It’s the only thing that matters to you. You can give your all to it. The reward is not monetary but the achievement of your special assignment. Greatness is not the accumulation of material wealth; it is measured by the accumulation of what you give to humanity.
No Place That Far
Most of you have been in love before. If your goal is to win that woman or that man, you lay down your life even if it means bringing the moon to him or her. I remember when I met my wife some years ago, I was crazy. As my principle treasure, I remember I would accompany her to their house every day after work using public transport. I remember one day it rained so heavily while I was on my way from there and I was soaked to the bone. It didn’t matter to me at all because my vision was to completely win her heart. There was no place that far for me, where I wouldn’t go just to be with her.
The point is when you are so passionate about your goals you can overcome every obstacle, opposition, challenge. If we were to accuse you of being crazy and possessed by your purpose and vision would the charges stick? Passion leads to deep commitment, deep resolution, deep motivation and deep conviction. Greatness in life is not about finding something to live for, but something to die for.

On A Special Assignment

Your purpose gives you a special assignment. This world must change because you came. In the article Operating in Your Strength Zone we looked at the importance of knowing how you are wired and what you are wired for. Purpose is the reason why you were born in that family, that town, that country and for such a times as this. You carry something special for this generation. The value in you is the gift you were born to deliver to humanity. Purpose provides your life with an assignment and gives you a sense of significance. Your success is hidden in your purpose. How do you manifest that success and execute your special assignment?

Let me share with you an anecdote from my life. I had the privilege of working for telecom entrepreneur Mr Strive Masiyiwa for many years. I learnt a lot from this business maestro. One morning during company devotions he was sharing from the scriptures on purpose and vision. He shared that “the one who knows why (purpose) will always be the leader and the one who knows how will always have a job” He touched my shoulder and said “Young man, who do you think is going to be the General Manager in Guinea? Learn French and prepare yourself” This was when Econet Wireless was still only in Zimbabwe and Botswana. He had already seen what none of us could see, back then – the power of vision.

That day was a defining moment for my life. I decided that morning that I wanted to be the General Manager in Guinea. At the time I was not ready and I knew it. I had no experience just loads of ambition. I set out 3 simple goals. Firstly, I enrolled for an MBA programme to get a grasp of broader business issues. Secondly, I worked on profiling myself through initiatives both inside and outside the company (the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) recognised my expertise when they contracted me to assist telecom operators and regulators in African countries with strategy and the Balanced Scorecard) Lastly I went to Alliance Francaise to learn French. Six years later I was ready for the “Guinea challenge” when I worked for Econet in French speaking Burundi for a short while. I achieved all my career objectives in Econet and transitioned with a deep sense of satisfaction.

What is the point? The lesson from this story is when you know your purpose, have a vision and set goals to maximise your potential you will definitely meet with success. That is my message to you this week.

Purpose Gives Birth To Vision

Your vision is your special assignment. Vision is the picture of purpose. It is the compelling destination of your life. Vision is where you must go with your life or what you must accomplish based on your purpose. Vision is the ability to see beyond one’s natural eyes and start acting on it. I never had thought in my wildest dreams that I would work in Burundi. The inner eyes saw it before my natural eyes could see it. I studied French when I really didn’t need to, but the vision to open up opportunities for myself beyond the English speaking world motivated me. When you know your purpose you do not wait for the future, you create it. I want to challenge you – don’t wait for the future, create it today. You already know why you are in this world. What are you waiting for?

Keeping The Vision and Purpose Alive

Do not just have a dream or vision, wake up and act on your dreams. I could have spent six years fantasizing or even praying about working in Guinea and not do anything about it. I set some practical goals to make sure it didn’t remain just a vision. Action is the manifestation of your vision and purpose. Without goals the vision will perish. Set the right goals and pursue them. Goals are the cogs on the wheel of purpose. They will keep you focused, energised and disciplined. If you don’t know how you are going, you will go nowhere.

Set simple, defined, written and measurable goals. For example if you set a goal for financial independence and security … clearly state that you will be investing USD200 per month. Success only comes from the discipline of goal setting according to your purpose. The world is full of dreamers and less doers. Goals are a serious aspect of your life because they are tied to your purpose – so they represent your life. If goals represent your life, then you must guard them jealously. Be careful what you do, how you do and with who.

This is a year in which you must flourish and experience manifold increase in every way. Stay in your purpose, run with vision and aim for goals.

NB: If you need a template for setting personal goals please write to me on lovemore@seed-bed.com

Operating In Your Strength Zone

The greatest tragedy in life is not death, but life….life that fails to fulfil its purpose and potential – Dr Myles Munroe

I was recently asked by a colleague about my vision in life. I responded and said “My vision is to use my heart, mind and voice to inspire others to discover and achieve their dreams” He was surprised because he thought I would say something ‘lofty’ like having a big business etc. I must admit that when I was growing up, the images I had of success were very materialistic – big job, big car, big house et.c. However in recent years as I began to understand my wiring and my purpose I have repurposed my life to align with what I am in this world for.

As the year begins, my message to you is very simple – “find the one thing that you must do and pursue it with relentless focus”. To achieve greatness in life you need to play that part which only you can play. I know this is a year of different things to different people – “Year of Flourish, Year of 7 Fold Increase, Year of Fruitfulness, etc”. That is all great, but if you are not aligned to your purpose and potential you will not be positioned to fully experience all that.

Your Purpose and Your Strength Zone

One of the best definitions of success I have ever come across is the one by John Maxwell: “Success is knowing your purpose in life, growing to your maximum potential and sowing seeds that benefit others”. Your purpose in life is connected to your giftedness or your wiring. The natural talents, your personality and abilities are all fit for your purpose.

You are shaped for your purpose. Rick Warren talks about your S.H.A.P.E as Spiritual Gifts (the endowments the Creator has deposited in you), Heart (your desires, hopes, interests, dreams and ambitions), Abilities (natural talents), Personality and Experiences (including the negative ones too). Your SHAPE is your strength zone and the sweetspot of your success. We are different shapes and sizes because we all have different roles to play in this world. Are you playing your part?

I believe that you must work on your strengths more than you work on your weaknesses. Tiger Woods is not good with the sand wedge, but excellent with his driver. He spends all his time working on his drive so that the ball stays on the fairway and will never need to go into the sand bunkers. He stays in his strength zone. The key lesson is that spend time in your strength zone. You can only achieve success if you are operating in the area of your giftedness. This year and beyond I exhort you to stay in your strength zone.

Maximising Your Potential

Operating in your purpose means you are operating in your strength zone. Therefore you cannot be mediocre. If it was a choir, we would say you are singing your part. Tied to your purpose is a limitless potential. Potential is unexposed ability… reserved power…. untapped strength….capped capabilities…..unused success…dormant gifts….hidden talents….latent power. You need to fully exploit that potential that is in you ask yourself the following questions:

– What you can do that you haven’t yet done

– Where you can go that you haven’t yet gone

– Who you can be that you haven’t yet imagined

– How far you can reach that you haven’t yet reached

– What you can see that you haven’t yet seen

– What you can accomplish that you haven’t yet accomplished

In other words you are capable of much more than you are presently thinking, imagining, doing or being. In this 2009 you need to go beyond the limits.

Maximising your potential means you need to be fruitful, multiply, replenish and subdue the earth with your activities. Identify the one thing which only you can do, and do it like only you were born to do it. Stay in the flow and in the zone. Your strength zone is like a vein of diamond deposit or gold belt, so fully exploit it.

NB: If you visit our site www.seed-bed.com you will find that we do have a number of tools which can help you identify your purpose and we will help walk this journey with you. You can also respond directly to this email for more details.

Personal Note: I wish you a flourishing 2009. May the Lord bless you and everything that is yours. May His peace be found within your walls and opportunities come to you. You shall seek and find, knock and the door be opened for you. Importantly may you find your strength zone and operate fully in it.