Lissa Rankin is an OB/GYN physician, an author, a nationally-represented professional artist, as well as the founder of Owning Pink, a website and series of workshops committed to building authentic community and empowering others to get their mojo back. She is currently redefining health at the Owning Pink Center, her practice in Mill Valley, California. She is the author What’s Up Down There: Questions You’d Only Ask Your Gynecologist If She Was Your Best Friend (St. Martin’s Press). She currently lives in Northern California with her husband and fellow artist, Matt Klein, and their daughter, Siena.

Catch her live on Wednesday, October 20th on when we interview her on our Passions and Possibilities® Radio Show.

Lissa’s Passioneer Questionnaire:

SZO:  What’s your definition of “passion”?

The word we use for that in the Owning Pink community is “mojo” or MOre JOy. It’s that joie de vivre, the feeling of complete aliveness coursing through your veins, rocking out in all areas of your life – physical health, relationships, spirituality, creativity, sexuality, etc. It’s all about owning who you are and being all you, all the time. That kind of vitality is infectious and inspiring.

SZO:  What have been the key factors in your success and what one word best describes it?

That word would be Pleap (that’s a “Pink leap of faith” in our community). For the past four years, my life has been about taking one giant leap of faith after another. I’ve listened to signs from the Universe and done what has been in my heart, even if it made no sense at the time. The series of Pleaps began when I quit my job as a full time OB/GYN in a busy managed care practice where I was expected to see 40 patients a day. Subsequent Pleaps have included moving my family hundreds of miles (twice), starting OwningPink.com, opening my own wellness center, writing two books, and countless other things that seemed insane at the time, but ended up being exactly what I needed.

SZO:  What has been your biggest challenge(s) in leaping into your passions, and how you have addressed them?

The signs from the Universe have not always pointed me in directions I necessarily wanted to go. The decisions I’ve needed to make have been far from convenient, and definitely not easy. For example, I was working in an integrative medical center last year, when I began receiving signs that it was time to leave and start my own wellness center (the Owning Pink Center). I reeeeally didn’t want to accept this, as it would take me way out of my comfort zone and pose challenges I didn’t know if I was ready to undertake. Whenever I’ve felt a calling like that, it’s always come with a whole host of objections from the part of me that just wants things to be easy and straightforward. But I’ve never once regretted answering the call.

SZO:  Who or what inspired you to leap into your passion?

After what I call my “perfect storm,” where I gave birth to my daughter, my dog died, my brother ended up in liver failure (he’s okay now), and my beloved father died – all within two weeks – I decided that I couldn’t continue living life in a way that didn’t feel authentic. I decided then and there that it was time to be all me, all the time, and let the chips fall where they may. As I said, the first step was quitting my job, and a miraculous series of events unfolded (and keep unfolding) from there.

SZO:  Do you have a quote that you would like to share that speaks of you and your passion?

“To be what you must, you must give up what you are.” That’s from a song by Yusaf Islam (formerly Cat Stevens). We can’t get too attached to things as they are. Life is ever-changing. As I learned from my perfect storm, your world can get turned upside down in the space of a few weeks. If we hold too tightly to what we think we’re supposed to be, life will do a number on us. I’ve found that letting go of fixed ideas about anything helps me to move forward with an open heart. I’ve surrendered to the Universe’s master plan, and know that that is full of surprises. I need to be open to whatever life is asking of me, which requires a lot of flexibility and willingness to change.

SZO:  What do you hope people would say about you when you’re gone?

I don’t want them to remember me as any one thing – doctor, artist, writer, mom, daughter, wife – I want them to remember me as a whole, authentic, real, loving human being who inspired others to be whole, to embrace their vitality and to never fear taking leaps of faith. If even one person can say that I was the midwife helping her give birth to herself, I’ll have left the legacy I desire.

SZO:  What three brief tips can you give to somebody making the leap into their passion?

• Go with the flow. You can’t know everything the Universe has planned for you. Sticking too rigidly to one plan often results in struggle and suffering.
• Set intentions but surrender attachment to any specific outcome. The Universe might have something even better in store for you.
• Once you are clear on your purpose in this life, ask the Universe for what you need to support you, and be open to what comes. You’ll be amazed at how often your prayers are answered.

Thanks Lissa and Happy Passioneering everyone!