You have a mission and you have a purpose that are yours and yours alone. So many people are waiting for the proper conditions: "when I'm out of school," "When I start my business," "When I'm married with three kids," "When the end of the world comes." But do you want to know the truth? We never know how long we have. Today is your day to get started discovering your passion and your mission goal.

It's absolutely necessary that you consider where your passions and expertise come together. There, my friends, is your prosperity. For example, let's say you love fashion, writing, holistic medicine, and gardening. You've got a degree in nursing and have taken some courses in holistic modalities. Why just be a nurse? Why not be a nurse in an integrative clinic that offers herbal medicine and nutrition to patients? Why not be a fashion writer or an image consultant? Why not write a blog on gardening and herbal remedies?

The point is that so often we put on narrow blinders and only see our career in the most conventional, traditional categories. It's time to break out! There is no reason why you should have to cut off parts of yourself and focus on only one thing. Integrate, don't separate!

Stop thinking in "this OR that" mode and instead think "this AND that.When you join them together, your passions and expertise will create a business or career that satisfies you and is as one of a kind as the prints on the end of your fingers. (Why do you think the FBI uses 'em to find you when you've robbed a bank and tried to skip town?)

Wise up, darling. You've got skills, talents, life experience, passions, and even obsessions that make you YOU, and it's time to cash in on them. Get off that boring, stifling career track and make a U-turn into what you REALLY want to do and what makes you happy! A dream life is within reach if you will just find your passion and connect it with your expertise.

A couple of years ago, I had a severe allergic reaction that nearly killed me. I started coughing. My throat swelled up. I couldn't breathe. I felt like I was going to die and I could very well have. I got the medical attention I needed and my second chance to make myself happy and pursue what I am really meant to do at an even more powerful level.

I know from firsthand experience that you never know how much time you have. You don't need to have a life-threatening experience to shake up your life. Just take it from me. (And hey, if you'll listen up, you won't need to have a too-close-to-the-grim-reaper experience to get it.)

I want you to ponder this. What mission goal is dormant within you? What principles and values are guiding your life? Who do you feel called to help? How can you step into your power and start doing that?

Finally, who's in charge? Sweetie, let me clue you in on something. The answer is a three-letter word that starts with "y" and ends with "u". Stay tuned for my next article in which you'll find out about an incredible framework you can use to create a mission goal that roars! In the meantime, ponder all the questions above. It's your life. Make it count.