Over the weekend, I
had the opportunity to speak to a gathering of young people at the Youth In
Business Summit organized by Non-violence project in Jinja. Youth from all of
walks of life were in attendance and had one thing in common, they are all
eager to reach their full potential and leave a mark on their generation.
I was asked to share
about; “How to turn your passion into a profession”. It is an exciting topic
for me, one that I have shared and talked about several times in different
forums. Here is what I shared about and believe that it is relevant for people
who have a vision, an idea or passion but still wondering how to pursue your
passion and still make a living.
We all have startup capital: We are all born with amazing potential to
fulfill each of our life purposes. That potential can be in form of natural
talents, innate passion and as we go through life we acquire different skills
which add to our potential. This potential has nothing to do with academic qualifications;
it simply has everything to do with your ability to set out in a career of your
choice and being able to succeed. It is unfortunate that many youth are limited
to their academic qualifications. Education simply enhances what you already
have or have learnt through life. The first step to building a successful
career or enterprise is realizing what you already have and making the most of
it.
We are all engineered for success: We all as human beings have been designed and
wired in a way that is meant to enable us succeed in life. Success is not about
the amount of money you acquire over time, it is about finding your purpose in
life and fulfilling it. Know your path and stick to it, being you will liberate
you to excel. Quit trying to be someone you are not or trying to live another
person’s life. Success is about finding your path in life and being the best at
walking that path. Identify your passion and build your capacity to become an
expert in that field, that will set you apart from the rest and will enable you
earn from that field of expertise.
Destiny is a matter of choice: No one has the power to define your life unless
you give it to them. Your destiny is a matter of choice; if you don’t make that
choice you inevitably empower someone else to make that choice for you. Choices
are verbalized, written or demonstrated. The way you live your life is a
reflection of where you are headed. What you do today will determine where you
will be tomorrow. Don’t let life happen to you, decide what kind of life you
want to live then go out there and make things happen. Live intentionally and
design your life by your confessions and actions. Knowing that you can do
something will not make things happen, turn your intentions into action plans
and activities.
Excellence sets you apart: We all have an innate desire to be successful, to
be recognized and to stand out but not many of us are willing to go through the
process. The key to becoming good at something is to work long enough at that
issue until you master it. Experts are not born, they are made through the
process of continuous practice. For you to excel in your passion to a point of
being able to earn from it, you have to excel in that field and that is going to
require commitment. Experts are paid highly because they go a notch higher in
mastering particular skills than the rest of us.
People buy into brands: It does not matter how good you are at what you
do but if you have a poor brand, people will bypass you to go for your
competitors. Brand involves the company or product name, logo, symbols, package
and colors. I personally believe that the first and most important brand is you.
People buy into personalities and relationships. If people like you, they will
rally behind you and that will happen when you match your brand with your
values and personality. Who you are will soon be reflected in your business so
sharpen yourself even as you aspire to build a strong brand. Choose a brand
that you will be proud of 10, 20, 30 and 50 years from now.
There are more things
that could be taken into consideration as you turn your passion into a
profession. These five principles have laid a foundation for the work we do
with Kyusa where we empower out of school youth to become employable. We have
seen tremendous success stories as youth tap into their passion and potential turning
it into sustainable careers. Whatever your dream is, you have on the inside of
you the initial capital to get started. Go for it.
Noeline Kirabo
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