Free Your Mojo - Find Your Passion and Purpose

by Russ Kamis

The highest need in life, according to the Hierarchy of Needs by famed psychologist Maslow, is to achieve self actualization – to be all you can be, to develop into the best you possible. This is the ultimate accomplishment, the pinnacle of personal success. The good news is that you get to define what it means to be the best – and the options are unlimited. When you are self actualized your confidence is strong, your energy high and you exude joy and peace. Simply put, you’ve found your “mojo.”

I always wanted to be an actor, to be famous, to live in Hollywood. I always liked being in the spotlight. I also wanted to have relevance, do something with meaning and of import, to leave my mark on the world as it were. My dream was some combination of Paul Revere, Ben Franklin, Thomas Edison and Johnny Appleseed. As CEO of a $100 million global company with over 500 employees, I satisfied that need for many years. But interests change; people grow and evolve.

A wise Sioux Proverb states “If you don’t know where you are going, any path will take you there.” A vast majority of people spend their days working very hard and get up and do it over again and again and again. Like a hamster on its wheel, they simply do. Their lives are filled with busyness, activities, and distractions. As a result, many adults live the same year some 50 or more times.

A much smaller minority live 50 or more unique years, each building upon the other. Their foundation is a continuous process of learning, self-improvement and goal setting. They set out to be all they can be and make life all they want it to be – they are true successes. As such, they achieve many outstanding accomplishments and attain many substantial goals. We all know these people – they’ve got “it” – they’ve got mojo.

Which group are you in? To find your mojo, you must pursue your wish. Your life will come alive and everything will have more meaning the moment you start to go after your dream.

So, what is your wish? A few people know what they want out of life without hesitation, they have always known it, it is in the fiber of their being. Every day in every way they have been doing something about it. The rest of us have to find it.

As children, we often know what we want. While our dreams can sometimes change with age, the real issue is that our ability to appreciate them fades. As we “mature,” we stop taking our dreams seriously because we have judged them too frivolous, unworthy or difficult – often influenced by society, our family and friends. So, what did you want to be?

To re-remember your wish answer the following and look for common themes:

• Focus on your wish. What do you want to be, accomplish, or do? Start with your childhood and repeat the exercise at adolescence, when you graduated college and today.
• Find your zone. What is it that makes time pass rapidly without awareness? What motivates, energizes or fascinates you? What brings you joy, pleasure or satisfaction?
• Look to others. What is it that impresses you most about others? What stands out as amazing and desirable? These are often wonderful clues to your own hidden genius. For what we appreciate most about others are actually natural talents in ourselves that we don't recognize, honor or fully take advantage of.
• Listen to compliments. What do trusted others see in you and tell you about yourself? These are often true – especially those you don't agree with. Be open to input in areas of strength to which you are "blind" and develop your awareness there.
• Ask yourself. “If I could do anything with my life and could not fail, what would it be?” “What have I always wanted but never got?” “If I found a magic lantern, rubbed it, and awakened a genie who could grant me as many wishes as I wanted, what would I ask for? (Note: be careful of choices that don’t help your growth or provide service for others/society. Play out more trivial pursuits that often bore or tire over time by asking – “and then what?”)

Finding your mojo is the critical step to living your passion. Today, I spend most of my time improving people’s lives. No, I’m not an actor nor am I a famous person of import.

Yet, I’m clearly living the spirit of my dream. I spend my time speaking, studying and writing. I teach, run seminars and facilitate retreats. I challenge people to think differently so they can live better. I help them accomplish their goals and get the most out of their lives. And in doing so, I am true to my interest (performing), doing what I love (having relevance) and leveraging my passion (creative thinking and problem solving).

As one of my close friends said after I took the risk and made bold sweeping changes to follow my wish, “Wow, you’ve really changed; you’ve got your mojo back!”

Don’t wait. Make a wish and free your Mojo.

Go ahead, grow to live.

Russ Kamis is the Founder and Principal of the Kamis Group, LLC. Russ specializes in helping Presidents, CEOs and their leadership teams create a winning atmosphere ideal for success. To learn more about Russ visit www.thekamisgroup.com or contact him at russ@thekamisgroup.com.

© 2010 by Russ Kamis. All Rights Reserved. Reproduction allowed only with permission

Editor’s Note: This is the third in a series of articles written by Russ Kamis that we are offering to our readers. Future articles will deal with achieving success both professionally and personally. This is a shift from our usual newsletter content and we are interested in your feedback.