As a coach dedicated to helping others find their Unique Soul Purpose ^SM I had the pleasure of speaking with an attorney and we were discussing their current business and what they were looking for in their networking efforts. We discussed the idea of focusing their initial dialog on their preferred aspect of their business and an interesting thing happened. When I asked what really set them on fire – what passion fanned their flame – they answered, “It’s not Law.”

Understand the obvious outward results were that this person is successful by all standards as an attorney. They have a wonderful, engaging personality and I would trust them to handle any case. They practically froze when I asked that question. As the conversation went on, we discussed the idea that many people hold the belief that one cannot be financially successful following their passion.

However, following your Unique Soul Purpose ^SM or that which makes you really stand out is the only way to be completely successful. When you are in alignment with your USP, everything comes together and you will find yourself living a vibrant life as well as making a significant contribution to the world.

Your USP or Unique Soul Purpose ^SM is your gift to you and everyone with whom you come in contact!

Your contribution may be one of being an outstanding parent, teacher, or City Council Member creating a better world within your community. It does not have to have the obvious effect of reaching millions of people.

Consider the story of George Bailey and Bedford Falls in  It’s a Wonderful Life. One man’s caring and compassion made a difference to everyone that lived in the community.

To make money we all know there is some transfer of energy. It will be in the form of either goods or services. While we often have both to offer, the concept that I have struggled with in the past is that it is about the selling. Through various marketing classes, I have been taught that I need to be able to close the “sale.” Furthermore, I need to be able to move in that arena in order to create abundant wealth. If nothing else, I am selling myself, my concept.

After a considerable amount of soul searching, I discovered a different way of thinking about it. It includes the following checklist:

• Am I following my Unique Soul Purpose ^SM ? If so, I know it will provide the support for following my passion.
• Is what I bring to the banqueting table honorable, viable, and beneficial to humanity on any level?
• Does the product or service that I want to share fit in with my own USP and is it part of my PATH (Positive Choices, Action, Thankfulness, and Honor)?

If it meets those criteria then I am morally bound to pursue that passion, that USP, and I am bound by that same honor code to be sure that everyone understands what I have to offer, giving them every possibility to “get it.”

That means it is NOT about selling (as in USP Unique Selling Proposition).

It IS about giving of myself.

It’s about using every resource I have to speak the language of my clients – using skills that I may or may not have yet developed. It is about being sure that I have exhausted every avenue in order to educate them about the benefits and opportunities available for them to move forward in their chosen endeavors.

Angela Duckworth, Founder and CEO of Character Lab and the author of the New York Times #1 bestselling book Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance, found that grit—“a combination of passion and perseverance for a singularly important goal—is the hallmark of high achievers in every domain.” See more about her on her website or watch the video of her TedTalk below.

Another article in CNN quotes Explorer Robert Ballard, who spent most of his adult life exploring the ocean floor and combing the deep-sea for lost shipwrecks (notably he was the discoverer of the Shipwreck Titanic), as saying, “Follow your passion. Chase your passion whatever it is. If you don’t do what you love you’ll never get where you want to be.”

Following your passion and believing in your dreams, has been a successful model for a multitude of individuals. Take a moment to consider the impact the following contemporary individuals may have had on your life: Walt Disney, Abraham Lincoln, Benjamin Franklin, Oprah Winfrey, Martin Luther King, Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg (Facebook), Larry Page and Sergey Brin (Google), just to name a few.

When we connect with our Unique Soul Purpose ^SM and fan the flame on our passion, seeing it clearly, doors open. Opportunities are created out of, what seems to be, thin air.

If you find that your activities neither are in-line with nor support, your passion, take some time today to see if you are connected with your Unique Soul Purpose ^SM. Ask yourself what your world would look like if you were living a life filled with boundless energy and passion. What would it look like if you were as successful as you know you can be? Give yourself the gift over the next few days and imagine how you might achieve that passionate life. Know that it all starts with being who you really are from the inside out.

To learn more contact me today for your copy of Discovering Your Unique Soul Purpose ^SM.