Otto Kapuka on Passion

Passion drives ambition. Passion was what drove Steve’s Job’s vision of a phone with one button in the front, Jeff Bezos of Amazon’s dream of a store that sold everything. Passion is the force that has driven many successful careers to great heights. In fact it’s hard to find an example of success, in the small business owner and entrepreneur arena especially, where passion was not the driving force in that success.

Passion leads to success because it fuels confidence, creates excitement and is contagious, meaning a passionate person is more likely to inspire their team than indifferent person.

99FM’s MYD Smart spoke to a Namibian man who exudes passion, a man who has spent most of his life in the service of others, Otto Kapuka to talk about the power and the freedom in passion. Otto is the founder of Arts Master Consultancy (AMC), a consultancy which unlocks human potential through development.

“A lot of people are not content; fulfilled or happy about their life and work. This has an impact their physical, mental and emotional well-being. It also affects their relationships, and eventually will impact their self-confidence.“ says Otto who suggests asking ourselves the question, “If money was not an issue, but you still had to work for a living, what would you do?”

“When we find out what we are passionate about, we find our freedom. Your passion speaks to your natural strength, abilities and doesn’t need great motivation to get you to do the things you love to do, because the motivation comes from within.” Says Otto.

Steve Jobs said that, “You have to be burning with an idea, or a problem, or a wrong that you want to right. If you’re not passionate enough from the start, you’ll never stick it out.”

Otto Kapuka notes that, “Lack of exposure is contributing factor to people not finding their passion. A lot of people are left to do the jobs they don’t like, stuck in places that frustrate them and as long as the salary is coming in end of the month, all is well. Also, a lot of people keep changing jobs in the hope of finding life fulfilment and not just financial satisfaction.” says Otto.

Life Hack notes that, “Money is a very powerful thing, it builds empires and breaks down kingdoms, it allows for dreams to come true and it takes others away, it makes some people happy and others completely miserable. Today the pursuit of money is almost directly linked to the pursuit of happiness, many will argue that money = happiness. However, this is inherently problematic as this mindset leads many people to stray down a path that doesn’t best suit them.”

With many people struggling to find their passion or with feeling as though life and all it’s stresses rob us of our passion, what can one do?

Otto’s advice for anyone struggling to find their passion :

“If one is unsure, spend time discovering yourself. This gives you a good platform to find out what you are passionate about.”

Things to look out for include:

• The things that annoy you in society. According to Otto, “There are a lot of painful things happening in our society, yet different people are affected by different things. Whatever pains you could be your passion.
• What if money wasn’t involved. According to Otto, the thing you would do if money was not an object is very often your passion.
• Your natural talents. Otto notes that the things that come naturally, the excite you and inspire you are a great indicator of what you love to do.
• Give a Little. Volunteering as a way of finding out what you love. According to Otto, “The more we engage ourselves the more we figure out what we truly love to do.”
• Remembrance. What would you like to be remembered for. What would you like to be known for and as after you are not here.
• Attention. “Pay attention to what you enjoy and spend time falling in love with the things you enjoy doing.” Says Otto

If you’re feeling a little stuck or unfulfilled in your career, maybe its time to look to the things that get you passionate about life. This doesn’t have to mean a career change. It could be that your hobby is your passion, and this too can have a benefit back at your desk. The key is knowing yourself and what gets you excited in life and knowing that being excited about life is a great motivator in all aspects of life.

Anthony Robbins said that, “There is no greatness without a passion to be great, whether it’s the aspiration of an athlete or an artist, a scientist, a parent, or a businessperson.”

Read Lifehack’s article on why passion is more important than money by clicking here
Find Otto Kapuka and Art’s Master Consultancy (AMC) through their Facebook page by clicking here