After being surrounded by people who make a difference in the world, I recognized a common thread – they follow their passion. I was in New Orleans for Jazz Fest, meeting amazing musicians and community activists. I was humbled.
We were in NOLA to meet Youssou N’dour, Senegal’s greatest musician. He played at the Jazz Fest and was honored in a concert by another amazing musician and activist. Weedy Braimah. Both have spent decades perfecting their music, creating new genres, winning Grammys and giving back to their community. Even the venues they played in exemplify a unifying vision of passionate ideas. Jazz Fest seeks to preserve the heritage and culture of jazz and The Music Box Village, where both were honored, provides a creative space for the exploration of innovations in construction and music*.
Here are a few elements central to how following your passion can make a difference.
BE DISCIPLINED IN FOLLOWING YOUR GIFTS
You can’t make things happen without being disciplined in developing your gifts. It doesn’t matter your field. It takes education, continual study and practice to be great. Too many shortcuts with technology can betray the integrity of any field. Do the work, develop yourself from the inside out as they did.
LET YOUR PASSION GUIDE CREATIVITY AND INNOVATION
When you dive deep, following your heart and passion, your intuition guides your creativity and innovation. I’ve done it many times, creating exciting innovations in the clinical field. I’ve watched Lee do it with his music and I saw it in New Orleans. We are uniquely wired to expand any field.
IT’S NOT ABOUT FAME – IT’S ABOUT GIVING
Check your motivation – if you’re after glory, you’re not on the right track. This is about making a difference, pushing the boundaries, being your best, creating something new, letting service to the greater good inspire you. While some achieve fame and fortune on this path, most do not. That’s Ok. You can still leave a legacy that changes and creates a course for others to follow.
Think about it. I left inspired to be bolder and more intentional in my actions. If you’d like support to do this too, reach out
For more information on these remarkable people and venues:
- Youssou N’dour – https://realworldrecords.com/artists/youssou-ndour/
- Weedy Brausah – https://afropop.org/articles/weedie-braimah-djembefola-educator-visionary
- New Orleans Culture and Jazz Fest – https://www.nojazzfest.com/
- The Music Box Village – https://musicboxvillage.com/
