about us
In 2010, I started Cindy Dennis Ministries, a local 501c(3) in Alexandria, Virginia out of my living room and now we go LIVE weekly on Facebook and reach over 1,700 people with encouraging messages, social media posts and quarterly events.
In 2019, I launched On Purpose With Passion out of a desire to reach more people by creating materials, resources and events to target the working professional.
ON PURPOSE
Connecting passion with purpose
Helping women to discover and activate their God given purpose.
Listen to your gifts.
Listen to your passion.
Listen to your purpose.
Listen to Me, O Jacob, Israel whom I’ve specially named, specially chosen, and not without purpose. —Isaiah 48:12 VOICE
Why We Compromise Our Potential
Make God the utmost delight and pleasure of your life, and He will provide for you what you desire the most. —Psalm 37:4 TPT
Purpose: authenticity—discover who God made you to be and staying true to God’s plan for your life.
Over the years I have met countless women who have pursued a career following current work trends. Many have enjoyed opportunities that have taken them up the corporate ladder. This works if the career choices tap into your passion, strengths, gifts, talents, and abilities. If it doesn’t, overtime the career will lose a sense of purpose, will eventually affect your personal well-being and leave you unfulfilled and discontent.
The truth is, it’s easy to get caught up in the momentum of the “career” trend and become content for what we believe are worthwhile compromises to our true interests, passion, and purpose. Without realizing it, we settle for what we believe is adequate and become content in our current circumstances.
Given the amount of time we spend at work, it would be worth exerting the effort to take time to listen to our heart and allow God to reveal the plans and purposes He has designed for us to fulfill at each season of our lives.
• God has plans that give you a future and a hope (see Jeremiah 29:11).
• God has a purpose for each season of your life (see Psalm 139:16 and Ecclesiastes 3:1).
• God wants to guide you along the best pathway for your life (see Psalm 32:8).
• God wants to carry out His purpose for you that is far beyond what you might think or ask (see Ephesians 3:20).
• God promises to bless you infinitely beyond your highest desires, hopes or dreams (see Ephesians 3:20).
• God will open doors of opportunities no man can shut (see Revelation 3:8).
• God knows your potential, and desires to reveal your untapped passion, abilities and talents (see 1 Corinthians 2:10).
• God will restore all that you have lost along life’s way through poor choices or circumstances beyond your control (see Deuteronomy 30:3).
• God delights in revealing the plans He has for us and He will also help us accomplish all that He wants for your life (see Proverbs 16:3).
God has placed you on this earth for a unique purpose, and He desires to help you reach your full potential.
Are you excited about your career choices? Why or why not?
Do you feel pressured into following what society thinks you should be doing with your career? Why or why not?
Is your career drifting along without any sense of purpose or direction? Why or why not?
Let us consider these truths:
Discovering Our Passion
For I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it? I will make a pathway through the wilderness. I will create rivers in the dry wasteland. —Isaiah 43:19 NLT
Passion: Enthusiasm—It keeps us going even in times when you want to give up and take us across the finish line of our race in life.
Many women are not happy with their current career and know that they want to do something different but stay with their career choice nonetheless because they have not figured out what they would really want to do.
Discovering your ideal career and tapping into your unique passion happens when you invest your time and energy to pursue after it. Even though you don’t have a clear vision, desiring to have clarity helps to set you on a path of discovering your passion and purpose.
A good way to tune into your passion is to ask yourself what would you be interested in doing if money was not an issue?
If you are looking to spend your life doing something you love, the best way to start is to not put financial reasons as your top priority. Put your passion and purpose at the top of the list. When your career fits who you are, you will both enjoy the challenge and experience a fulfillment of purpose. In time, your career opportunities will open to other ventures and advancement will happen in due course.
Thinking Outside the Box
Write the vision; make it plain…For still the vision awaits its appointed time; it hastens to the end—it will not lie. If it seems slow, wait for it; it will surely come; it will not delay. —Habakkuk 2:2-3 ESV
Vision: Things that we see with our mind’s eye and our heart; what we want others to see in us and see from us—our vision.
All of us, no matter how old we are or what kind of work we are doing, can learn to not feel pressured into doing what we think is best for our lives. We can learn to bring the passion and purpose placed in our hearts by God into our career.
God chose us before the world began for a specific purpose (see Ephesians 1:4). He wants to give you not just the bare necessities, but what you desire the most (see Psalm 37:4). Let us not spend one more day postponing the important dreams He has for us.
A successful career is more than a job title and holding a leading position in the company. Success should be a way of being, and a way of doing work that taps into your strengths and passion.
What does that look like for you? What are you passionate about? What is your mission—what would you love to do if there no financial necessity? What are your strengths? Your best qualities? Your dreams?
Let’s get started…Let’s begin to dream…Let’s discover new possibilities.
Next Steps
A man’s mind plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps and makes them sure. —Proverbs 16:3 AMPC
One Step at a Time
I will take it one step at a time.
I will be the best me I can be.
I will do what I can, where I am, with what I’ve got.
I will connect my passion with my purpose!
Overcoming Barriers
When it seems as though you are facing nothing but difficulties, see it as an invaluable opportunity to experience the greatest joy that you can! —James 1:2
Becoming successful and connecting your passion with your purpose doesn’t just happen. It is a process that requires hard work, personal growth, and determination. It also requires the ability to cope with failure and doubts. If we can count on anything, fulfilling our purpose will require us to shake off worry, fear, insecurity, and uncertainly as we overcome each barrier life brings.
We all face obstacles in our career path. It doesn’t matter what career you work in, everyone faces similar barriers. These barriers have a way of distracting you from reaching success in the next season of your life. In order to overcome these barriers, you need to find a way to go over, around, under, or through them. The good news is most barriers can be overcome, though it will take initiative, determination, and tenacity to do so.
Possible barriers could include:
Inexperience—You can make up for lack of experience a few ways to include joining professional organizations within your field to network with others who might be able to refer you to a new job or mentor you in your career path.
Gap in Work Experience—Most potential employers won’t judge a minor break in work history when you explain why you took a break.
Lack of Confidence—Not believing in yourself and in your abilities is a common barrier to career progression. Having a can-do attitude can help open new opportunities and advancements in your career.
Burnout—If you don’t take care of yourself, you will eventually burnout. To be truly successful, you need to learn how to live a balanced life for example by getting adequate sleep and exercising regularly.
Negativity—Discouragement will affect your passion and deflect from fulfilling your purpose. You will no longer dedicate the time and energy to stay the course and your momentum will diminish. It is important to keep a guard on your emotions and remain positive and hopeful.
Poor Communication Skills—According to the U.S. Department of Labor, employers consistently rank communication skills as a top skill in prospective employees. Effective communication skills also increase your chance of promotion and retention.
Quitting Attitude—In order to overcome obstacles, you will need to be persistent to keep trying instead of giving up.
What have been barriers to your success? What is your action plan to overcome them?
Matters of the Heart
Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life. —Proverbs 4:20 NLT
The condition of the heart will always dictate the condition of your life. When the chips are down in your life, it is what you have in your heart that emerges. It even affects the words that come out of your mouth (see Luke 6:45).
Some barriers are external circumstances and other barriers that are just as real are matters of the heart. In order to successfully overcome barriers in our life, we need to examine our hearts.
Since our hearts determine the course of our life (see Proverbs 4:23), it is important to keep it free for all internal barriers. We need to be sure that our hearts are cleansed from any barriers that have made their way there such as hurts, disappointments, fears, anger, brokenness, and unforgiveness.
Breakthrough
You need to stick it out, staying with God’s plan so you’ll be there for the promised completion. —Hebrews 10:36 TPT
Anything worth accomplishing in life will take determination to not quit. Often success is just around the corner if we can stick with it through the uncertain times. Before throwing in the towel consider preparing to overcome them instead.
Let us consider these truths:
• God grants wisdom for those who ask (see James 1:5).
• God infuses us with explosive power to conquer every difficulty (see Philippians 4:13).
• God will lead you in every decision you make and crown your efforts with success (see Proverbs 3:5,6)
• God doesn’t want us to be shy with His gifts, but bold and self-disciplined (see 2 Timothy 1:7).
• God will not in any way fail you or let you down (see Hebrews 13:5).
Praying is the most effective way to invite God to work miracles in your life and bring about the desired results. He promises to provide you with the wisdom and revelation you need in order to be an overcomer and experience the breakthrough you need.
Consider praying this prayer:
God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference. Living one day at a time; accepting hardships as the pathway to peace; taking, as He did, this sinful world as it is, not as I would have it; trusting that He will make all things right if I surrender to His Will; that I may be reasonably happy in this life and supremely happy with Him forever in the next. Amen.
Fresh Perspectives
Put your heart and soul into every activity you do, as though you are doing it for the Lord himself and not merely for others. —Colossians 3:23 TPT
Now that you have begun to see the value of your strengths, abilities, and passion, it is time now to look at your career with a fresh perspective. Whether you decide to step into something new or revamp your current career, you want to incorporate your passion on purpose with your career focus.
With as much time we spend working, failure to pursue a more meaningful career can make each day feel miserable. You don’t have to “know” what that ideal career might be for you right now, you just need to be faithful to use your abilities and strengths where God directs you and He will be the one to bring increase, open doors of possibilities, and expand your territory of influence one step at a time.
As we put Christ in the center of our lives, we discover the value of living a well-balanced life. Having a career is just one aspect of your life. There is value in making sure you have balance with other areas of your life as well. The challenge is to balance what we must do with what we enjoy and choose to do. This is not always easy.
We are reminded that when we put Christ first place in our lives, all things are added unto us. He promises to take care of our todays and our tomorrows (see Matthew 6:33-34). Maybe living a well-balance life will need to include a lot of different factors such as friends, church, recreation, family, relaxing, finances to name a few.
Keeping Christ first place in our lives can be challenging. Even if He is first place, we can easily be out of balance when career goals or pursuits take center stage.
We are reminded to be well balanced and vigilant (see 1 Peter 5:8) because being out of balance opens doors for the enemy. When we keep Christ in the center of your life and allow Him to lead you on what are the priorities, you will be able to establish boundaries and balance.
Depending on what stage you are at in life, your focus and energies will be different. Leading a well-balanced life also requires having a fresh perspective and to be able to navigate through the seasons of life. As the saying goes, “do not bit off more than you can chew.”
Activate Your Unique Purpose
Let your eyes look right on [with fix purpose], and let your gaze be straight before you. Consider well the path of your feet and let all your ways be established and ordered aright. —Proverbs 4:25-26 AMPC
I challenge you not to waste a day. Live each day fully and do it on purpose. Activate your unique purpose by deciding to enjoy and fully live each day. Make your days count. Don’t drift, stay the course.
Take deliberate action steps starting today to create the life you are meant to live.
Be a Part of a “Tribe”
Discover creative ways to encourage others and to motivate them …This is not the time to pull away and neglect meeting together, as some have formed the habit of doing. In fact, we should come together even more frequently, eager to encourage and urge each other…--Hebrews 10:24-25
You will discover that fulfilling your purpose and connecting it with your passion is a lifelong process and pursuit. As the workforce transforms, more and more of us will pursue multiple careers during our lifetime.
Being a part of a “tribe”, a community of women who share the same passion, desires and purpose helps to create opportunities for unexpected connections and conversations that allow space for self-reflection and discovery. Make time to invest in other women. Building purpose in work is a creative and relational process.
Be apart of the On Purpose alumni networks. Get connected through www.onpurposewithpassion.com, @onpurosewithpassion and On Purpose Facebook Page.
The purpose of life is not to be happy. It is to be useful, to be honorable, to be compassionate, to have it make some difference that you have lived and lived well. —Ralph Waldo Emerson
