Want to Start Investing in Your Dreams? Read This!

Do you feel stuck? Maybe, without guidance? Well, I can assure you that you are not alone. As we become older and our hunger for more increases, we oftentimes think of our passions and how we can execute them to make a better life for ourselves.

As a 20-something-year old, I've felt the pressure of having to discover my passion(s) and make a career out of them. But, in the same breath, I can admit how difficult it was to narrow down my focus and choose a passion that would reward some financial gain... fast. Now, don't get me wrong, there are passions that live on the inside of me that I'd do for free. But, to survive, we need money and not just the change in your pocket. So, how can you find your passion and make money from it simultaneously? I'm glad you asked.

First things first. You need to have an honest conversation with yourself of what gets you going. What, if you had to do for the rest of your life, would satisfy and fulfill you to the very depths of your soul? Does this thing excite you enough to do it everyday? If the answer to the last question is no, you'll have to go back to the drawing board. Some people yell and scream about how frequent they have to do this, but I promise you, as we evolve, so does our passions.

In fact, I've had many drawing boards. I would sit with them and then leave them alone (out of frustration) only to go back to them again. I got tired of feeling like I wasn't progressing in any way so I would take retreats to hone in on my craft. I soon realized that I wasn't evolving because of how much I procrastinated on starting the projects I spent a lot of my time thinking about. Focus was another hindrance that derailed me in the execution process. Maybe this is you, too. But, no need to throw in the towel. We're just getting started.

But before we get off track, let's regroup. After you have a conversation with yourself to figure out what you're passionate about, your next action step is to begin looking for opportunities that directly align with it. For instance, I am passionate about hosting and when I came to this conclusion, I sought out ways to put it into practice. I started by recording myself speak and then eventually I took a few hosting classes. Now, I intern for a network that allows me to put my practice into full spin. While this internship isn't funding my bills, the consistency I put towards my craft eventually will. How do I know? Well I'm starting to see progress. This is an indicator that you're moving in the right direction.

That's next up. While you're putting your passions to practice, you must remain consistent. This is, in my opinion, the number one way to gauge your success. If you aren't seeing any results in your execution process, you must evaluate how consistent you are and be willing to do more. If more can be done, you have to discipline yourself to go above and beyond. This saying has circulated the internet for a while, but allow me to repeat it: You have the same amount of hours in a day as Beyoncé. Time is of the essence and at the end of this life, what do you want to leave people with?

This brings me to my next point. Who does your passion support? Finding your audience is a great way to excel further. If you're passionate about makeup and you start a YouTube channel, who are you targeting? The beauty community? That might be too broad for your focus. Narrow it down at first and you can expand as you grow. You might be asking yourself what does supporting anyone have to do with my passions? Well, a lot. If it supports someone, you now have another driving force. You aren't just doing this for you and if you are, you won't receive desirable results.

Once I started thinking of who my passion(s) supported (i.e. young black girls and black boys who desire to be on television), it encouraged me to do more than what I was initially doing. I started to step outside of my comfort zone and do the very things that scared me. This included being on panels with people I had never met before; learning other hosting styles outside of my own; and taking on roles that I hadn't before in order to exercise a particular hosting skill. It also encouraged me to remain consistent in my endeavors and not give up regardless of how hard it was (and believe me, it was hard).

You were created with a fire on the inside of you. The only one responsible for the flame is you. You have to unleash what you have and find the confidence to do what you know is in your heart to do. Frustration will come, but so will other emotions like happiness and a sense of fulfillment. You will begin to reap the rewards of your blood, sweat and tears if you begin to put these practices to work. You owe it to your passions to exercise your gifts.

What passion do you have that you’re afraid of unleashing? What about it has you afraid? Go to that drawing board and put your passion in big, bolded letters. Look at it everyday and remind yourself of these three words: Yes, I can.