There’s no lack of people telling you to go find your passion and dream really big. But, why does it seem like when we try, we so often end up falling short and more overwhelmed than when we started? On the Small Business Radio Show this week, Liz Forkin Bohannon, founder of international fashion brand, Sseko Designs and the author of Beginner’s Pluck: Build Your Life of Purpose, Passion and Impact Now wants you to rethink everything you’ve been told about finding your passion and following your dreams.
Interview with Liz Forkin Bohannon
She says you’re never going to “find your passion… because your passion and purpose are something you build — actively — day by day”.
Liz discusses that passion is not a preexisting condition. She says its not that magical thing that you are searching for or waiting to discover. Instead, people who are interesting are also curious and they do not wait until their passion is discovered; they jump into the arena and do whatever the next step that makes sense. Liz reminds us that “the next step is the next iteration, not the final way you can make an impact”.
Embracing your inner beginner is something that every learner needs to constantly be doing. Liz reveals that when we have a certain level of expertise, many people are afraid to try something new and be a beginner again for “fear of losing their position” as an expert. This keeps them from taking risks and learning anything new. But being a beginner is where “evolution and innovation begins”.
Liz believes that business owners need to dream small. “Dreaming big enough leaves us with analysis- paralysis. Instead, make the next step smaller and smaller so you actually don’t have an excuse not to take the next step”. It may be the first step in the right direction and will give you momentum toward the big dream.
Finally, she says that people have to “own their average”. She says what the science shows that if we think we are more special than others, it keeps us in a place of fear of failure. If we realize we are average, it gives us the freedom to work really hard and embrace bigger challenges.
Listen to the entire interview on the Small Business Show.
Check out recent past interviews from the show:
Image: ssekodesigns.com