Makasha Dorsey is the owner of Dorsey Group, a firm devoted to helping people and brands meet their communications goals. When Makasha is not developing strategies for her clients, she pursues her passion: writing books, articles, and essays to inspire others to be better. You can learn more about Makasha at her website, http://makashadorsey.com.

Q & A with Makasha

Where does your ultimate passion dwell?
My ultimate passion dwells in the idea that God created each of us as whole, fearfully and wonderfully-made beings in his image. Unfortunately, how we’re treated in this life breaks the truth of individual completeness and influences the perception that we need people (unhealthy relationships), places (homes we can’t afford/jobs we hate), and things (the stuff we buy to feel good about ourselves) to make us whole.

Back to that passion… Since we are the essences of Him, we can use bible study, prayer, and meditation to tap into the power he gave us.

How have you taken that passion and breathed life into it?
That passion has given me peace and joy. Because I am a Christian woman, I realize that religion has created an environment that strips away our individual wholeness leaving us to believe that without a husband we’re incomplete.

Although I am an advocate of marriage, I believe that a woman can be good, before and after she becomes what tradition and religion identifies as a wife. From a biblical perspective, a woman is already a wife when a man finds her (Proverbs 18:22). So being unmarried doesn’t make you incomplete, it places you in the position to be—God created us as beings—who you are—a whole woman, living your purpose in a peaceful, joy-filled life. And, that should not change after marriage.

So, as a business owner, I pursue my business and professional goals with vigor, knowing that God created me to be a good steward and will bless the work of my hands. As a writer, my ultimate passion, I use my words to entertain, encourage, and equip women to build, grow, and live better lives.

Has fear ever tried to stop you from pursuing your passion? If yes, how do you conquer the fear? If no, what do you do to keep fear at bay?
Every day. Fear follows each of us like a shadow, always lurking and waiting for an opportunity to lengthen and expand. Fear has at least 2 things in common with shadows:

• Shadows need light to grow. Fear needs your attention (your light) to grow.
• Shadows have no power. Remember it needs light to expand. Fear has no power. It can only grow if you give it your attention (light).

To conquer fear, I put my beliefs into practice. I rely on always knowing that I am fearfully and wonderfully made and completely capable of succeeding at anything tied to my purpose in life. My passion fuels my purpose. If I’m not passionate about it, it’s not related to my purpose, so I work to eliminate, or delegate tasks not directly associated with fulfilling my purpose.

When that doesn’t work and fear steady creeps in, I meditate on II Timothy 1:7, “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.”

God didn’t give me fear so I don’t have to accept it. Fear is NOT a gift. God gave me power; I can move and accomplish what I’ve set out to do. God gave me love; because he loves me, he ensures that every need will be met. God gave me a sound mind; I can live in a peaceful state of mind even when there is chaos all around me.

I love the “Litany Against Fear” from Frank Herbert’s Dune.

LITANY AGAINST FEAR.

I must not fear.
Fear is the mind-killer.
Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration.
I will face my fear.
I will permit it to pass over me and through me.
And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path.
Where the fear has gone there will be nothing.
Only I will remain.

A few churchy people told me that I should not keep this on my battle against fear list because it uses the phrase I will turn the inner eye. The inner eye is simply a metaphor for looking inward to see where the fear comes from and where it’s going. Anytime we look inward and tell ourselves the truth about our fear, it helps us to defeat it.

How do you share your passion with others? Does sharing bring others to tap into their own passion?
“Let me count the ways.” — How Do I Love Thee? (Sonnet 43), Elizabeth Barrett Browning

I start with love. When you love people, it’s easy to share your passion. My pursuit of wholeness has given me a joy and a peace that resonates with others. It draws people in because they are attracted to it.

When I’m not interacting with others in-person through speaking engagements, ministry work, and business, I write and share my work on my blog. Sometimes, I even publish books.

What is one quote that epitomizes you and your passion?
“She was warned. She was given an explanation. Nevertheless, she persisted.” – Senator Mitch McConnell on Senator Elizabeth Warren

What is one song that epitomizes you and your passion?
“As the Deer” by Maranatha Music

What is one word that epitomizes you and your passion?
Relentless

What is one great piece of advice you would offer to someone looking to find her passion and use it?
One great piece of advice? Whew, that’s tough.

I guess it would have to be to eliminate distractions so that she can see her purpose. Once that’s done it becomes easier to identify what moves her. Her passion, what moves her, will fuel her purpose—passion and purpose is nothing without the other.

Creative Passionistas is a column that features women who live their passion by any means necessary. In every interview, you’ll learn about the passions and learned lessons of a dynamic woman—and perhaps you’ll even glean some good information from her to make your own passionate journey that much more successful!

Creative Passionistas’ editor is Shonell Bacon, a writing evangelist and owner of ChickLitGurrl, a company that publishes her books and offers editing and manuscript evaluation services In a span of 18 years, Shonell has worked with indie authors and small presses to edit thousands of projects. For over 17 years, Shonell taught courses in English, mass communication, and fiction at the university level, and now she combines those experiences into ChickLitGurrl to help writers become better writers with each project they write.

When not reveling in words, Shonell is crafting, collecting pens and journals, drinking sexy java and demure teas, spending time with her family, and singing her life like a musical.

Learn more about Shonell at the following outlets:

Website: http://chicklitgurrl.com || Facebook: http://facebook.com/shonbacon
Twitter: @chicklitgurrl || Instagram: @chicklitgurrl