When I thought about the concept of starting a conversation about passion here on my blog, I knew that one of the people I would most want to hear from would be Molly Cantrell-Kraig. Lo and behold, she is kicking off the series! I have known Molly for about five years now (although unfortunately we have not met in person….yet…) and she embodies passion so far as I am concerned. Her work for Women with Drive Foundation has always inspired me.
I asked Molly six questions, which are the questions all #PassionPlayers recipients will receive. I loved her answers – I think you will too.
1. How do you define “passion”?
Passion is a smoldering, sustaining energy. It’s a fuel that may ebb, but it never goes away.
2. What is your passion?
Helping people become themselves. There’s something humbling and miraculous about partnering with another to co-create his or her future. We are mirrors of each other, and when we can connect with those along the way to help us recognize and develop our higher selves, that’s a sacred transaction.
I can’t think of anything more invigorating.
3. How did you know that this was a passion and not just a passing interest?
It wouldn’t go away. Opportunities to help people become themselves kept on popping up in my life, like some cosmic Whack-A-Mole. The tools and partners I needed to move forward would show up when needed. Furthermore, when things were looking their bleakest and I would think of giving up, some glimmer of hope would always present itself.
Think of it as being in a dark room and thinking that you’re going to be trapped inside forever, and then seeing a sliver of light from a door, slightly ajar. The slant of illumination beckoning from beyond the doorway always served as a thread to my next iteration.4. How do you make sure you follow your passion and nurture it?
I learned how to be quiet, shut out the chorus of Others and attuned myself to my higher voice. Learning this was an excruciating process, because the valley of the shadow of death is a lonely place. A great poem about this stripping away is Theodore Roethke’s “In a Dark Time.”
I also have a group of friends to whom I refer as My Inner Sanctum Crazy Margaret Mead People. These folks are the angels in my life who remind me that I’m not crazy and this will all work out. These are they who remind me of what I’ve already accomplished and encourage me to keep going. They see my blind spots and give me opportunities to grow.
In terms of following your passion, I love Steve Jobs’s quote about learning how to say “no.” Building your passion can be a selfish act, and you must be ruthless about saying no to things that drain and distract you from your ultimate goal.
5. What is your advice to other people who are trying to find or follow their passion?
Shift your brain to its Possibility Setting. Most of us are born with this setting as our default, but as we progress through school and careers, the switch gets flipped to “Fear and Risk.” Ask yourself a few questions:
• What is something I do without thinking that others marvel at my ability to do/accomplish?
• What are activities that I do where I lose track of time or forget to eat?
• When I serve on boards or volunteer, which task is usually mine?
• Ask aloud, “Please show me what’s possible.”
• Speak aloud, “I am willing to recognize opportunity.”
• ALWAYS thank people for helping you, no matter how insignificant their assistance may seem. Gratitude is fuel. Passion thrives on it.
6. Anything else you want to say?
I’m working with an expert on impact investing to develop the next stage of WWDF. During one of our meetings, he said, “You do realize what you’re doing for women through WWDF you could be doing for individuals as part of a coaching business?”
His observation startled me into laughter. “Of course! … Of course I could!” was my answer. So our passions don’t change necessarily. They manifest and morph into different forms. Since he and I chatted, I’ve begun to help people become themselves by working with them to navigate transitions, be they personal or business. For those who would like to know more about working directly with me, ping me at infoplease.lodestar@gmail.com.