Photo by Ian Schneider on Unsplash
Passion or purpose
Have you noticed the idea of finding your passion is now about finding your purpose? Purpose lets you put less pressure on yourself particularly if you don’t know what your passion is. Hmmm, I don’t know about that. It might just be semantics.
Whichever P word you use, I think we all especially as we approach or pass our half life reflect on our why we’re here. We think about where we’ve been, where we are now, and where we want to go in our second and third acts. We think about our purpose. Side note: 50 is the new midlife because we’re all going to live to at least 100 given the advances in medicine, brain health, healthcare, exercise, etc. Just my thought!
I think it’s about how we want to contribute to the world. And that could run the gamut from being a kind and compassionate human being to other human beings all the way to finding a cure for cancer.
For me, I want to leave this world having made it a little bit better and brighter than before no matter what my contribution is. I would like to make a difference in someone’s life or maybe many people’s lives.
Your something special
I believe you were put on this earth to do something special, something no one else can do. And, how do I know this? Because you were born. You are here.

Photo by Fallon Michael on Unsplash
Each of us has to find the courage to figure out what that something special is. We have to be curious, take some risks, and not be afraid to fail. Failure is how we learn. How we know if we’re on the right path. Think about it. If all our paths were successes, then our life would be so cut and dry, so straight and narrow, and quite frankly boring. We would have nothing to compare our successes to.
If we always play it safe, then we are choosing to stay where we are. Yes, we may feel safe, perhaps stable and secure. But, we don’t grow. We don’t evolve. We’re always the same person. I think it’s like living in the grey zone and never experiencing the exhilaration of a rainbow. It’s never stretching ourselves to see what we are truly capable of.
At the end of the day, we all want to be seen, heard, and understood. We want to feel a connection. That requires putting yourself out there, being vulnerable, and finding out what your special power is.
My special power
I believe my special power, my purpose, is to create a safe and comfortable community for you. To help you look and feel good about yourself no matter your age, shape, size, or profession. To help you look and feel comfortable in your own skin so you can be the best you can be. And, what’s the best way I know how to do this? Create clothing that fits and moves with your body in all its midlife glory; is comfortable and breathable next to your skin; is simple classic designs that easily mix and match with your wardrobe; and most importantly, makes you look and feel good.
I invite you to my very first COKANNA Virtual Fashion Show on Sunday, July 5th at 4:30 pm. To register for this free show on Zoom, go to:
In the meantime, you can pre-order my new Carolyn reversible sundress before the end of June and get 10% off with the code “summertime”.
Until next time,
~ Colleen
Colleen Kanna is a recovering Chartered Accountant and Breast Cancer Champion turned Fashion Designer.
She is the creator of COKANNA Canadian made bamboo clothing for women that’s all about comfort and style.
Colleen supports Rethink Breast Cancer’s metastatic breast cancer support, education, and advocacy work.