The Professor of On-Purpose
As President Obama prepares to address the nation tonight, let me ask you one simple question, "What is the state of your American Dream?" Use your webcam to post your response to YouTube or Facebook and then add your link below so others can see what you have to say.
The only rules:
1. Keep it non-political. Hey, let's hear your story.
2. Be civil.
3. At the start of the video, please give your name and location.
Here's my webcam video.
A "Balanced" Life
A balanced life is what I sought,
Only to have a life that was not.
My battle for balance was constantly fought,
Yet, time and again I found myself caught.
I planned, I managed, I strove to obtain.
With burnout, frustration, and a worn out brain.
Time I did “manage” with feelings distraught,
Where the harder I tried, the less I got.
A balanced life captured my thought.
Advice and coaching I often sought.
So coaches and counselors I did retain
To inspire, encourage, and help me retrain.
I listened and learned and did as I ought,
Yet my sense of my self continued to rot.
Day after day I did not obtain,
A life in balance – I could not sustain.
Daily my Father saw my deep pain,
Finally, he asked of my earnest campaign.
I told of the experts and advice I had bought.
He listened long. Then, I asked what he thought.
“A balanced life you will not obtain.
It’s an illusion sure to drive you insane.”
About the balanced life I so anxiously sought.
In essence he said, “All is for naught.”
Could my experts’ advice be words all in vain!
Dad’s contrary words were too simple and plain.
Defensive and righteous, I took a pot shot,
“If not balance, what else have you got?”
He answered, “A balanced life is what you’ve sought.
Instead, try this one simple thought:
Live your life integrated. It will go as it ought.”
A different perspective my Father had brought.
Intrigued and delighted his words fell as rain,
To my parched soul truly going insane.
How do I integrate? How do I maintain?
Were questions resounding deep in my brain.
“In the beginning, when you were begotten
A purpose was given, you’ve long since forgotten.
Search your heart and all its terrain.
Your purpose lies dormant, yet steadfast and fain.
“Ignoring your purpose causes work with strain.
Why worry about balance if it isn’t germane!
Align to your purpose, live as you ought.
Listen, my love, to the words that I’ve taught.”
His words were startling, and hard to contain
For Balance, my idol, he had just slain.
No more was my stomach tied tight in a knot.
For a balanced life I no longer sought.
In the heart of my heart I had learned a lot
Of ordering life on Dad’s integrating thought.
Gone were failings and feelings distraught
Where the harder I tried, the less I got.
I’m sparked by my purpose so simple and plain.
Integration, not balance, now keeps me so sane.
The gift of hope in my heart does remain.
For being on-purpose I can surely sustain.
© 2011, Kevin W. McCarthy
In 1998 when I wrote The On-Purpose Business, I shared the concepts of employee engagement on two dimensions: "Technical" and "Tingle." Traditionally, most employers hired on the Technical merits of a candidate – how well they fit the job description. With Tingle, the idea was to identify how well aligned the candidate / employee and the company were with purpose, vision, mission, and values. In short, pay high attention to the culturally fit and cause connection. The On-Purpose (TOP) Performers are those who bring both Technical and Tingle.
Truly, I had heads of some very large organizations tell me back in the 1990s that I was wasting their time. In one case I was hired and fired as a consultant to a hospital service organization to address massive turnover in a low skills job. By simply rewriting the position posting and advertising to reflect and attract high tingle interest and seeing the job for what it could be, I calculated that my concept was worth over $250 million/year in cost savings system-wide. Plus, it would have improved patient safety, care, and experience while easing operational tension. A ridiculous "waste of time," huh?
Fast forward now to the SXSW 2011 Conference in this Fast Company Magazine panel interview moderated by Anya Kamenetz and featuring Alexis Ohanian (Reddit), Chris Hoyt (@TheRecruiterGuy), and Scott Belsky (Behance). Invest a minute and nineteen seconds to see what is discussed as the future of employee engagement.
As forward thinking as The On-Purpose Business was in 1998, only about 10% of the concepts in this book are approaching the mainstream. Most of this is because so few people really understand the power in purpose, let alone how to harness it for the good of self and society.
You are ahead of the curve… on-purpose!
Being on-purpose sounds like a great concept… and it is. There's a harsh reality to it in that it stirs up stuffed emotions and realities more easily tossed aside than faced head-on. Delayed emotions inevitably rise to the surface.
I'm a fan of Nic Askew's Soul Biographies series. This particular film features Brandon Bays and vividly illustrates the cost of living in emotional denial. Men may slough this off as "just another emotional female." Don't! I'm convinced that heart attacks – a major killer of men – are no different than Brandon's tumor. Manifestations of ill-feelings can result in illness.
While Brandon Bays is a New Age spiritualist, I have to admit a bit of a smile as I listened to her deepest truth to be right out of the ancient scripture from the Gospel of John (8:32).
Share your thoughts. Also visit Nic's website and donate to his film making efforts.
This morning, I kicked off my shoes and listened to Disney Entrepreneur Center.
Carrie plays in the noble space of helping professionals, business owners, those in career transition, and other self-employed persons work more successfully from home. She trailblazed her way and is marking the path for others to follow in her footprints.
If you’ve followed me for any length of time, you know that I’m a fan of the creativity, productivity, profitability, and contribution that starting and owning a small business offers. Business can be a pure vocational expression of your purpose, and, therefore, an opportunity to be on-purpose. Because of a similar heart to Carrie, my On-PurposeME program is designed for the SOHO (small office, home office) start-up or running business owner. You just can’t know enough.
Carrie is a great model for creating on-purpose work at home business. Sitting in the front seat and I could see it in her eyes. She’s having the time of her life doing good while doing well with maintaining defined personal boundaries and a strong commitment to her marriage, family, and clients.
For years, I’ve been teaching that life balance is a myth. Carrie shared those nearly identical words with those in attendence. Coincidentally, my On-Purpose Minute on Tuesday was entitled: Do You Want More Balance In Your Life? (Be sure to look for the link to my poem: A Balanced Life.)
Here’s my recommendation to you, visit Carrie’s website (click the banner below). Subscribe to her email and video messages. You’ll find that she brings a fresh encouragement and spirit similar to me when it comes to being true to yourself and taking the leap into business ownership.
Watching Carrie in action was educational and engaging. If you are a fan of On-Purpose and fit the target audience of wanting to be a work from home business owner, then jump bare feet first over to Carrie’s website and get a little cyber sand between your toes.
Brand Backstory:
Carrie shared that in 2003 her husband, aka Mr. Barefoot, tagged her as the “Barefoot Executive” while she made the career transition from high school teacher to stay at home business executive / owner. She was running around the home conducting business in her barefeet and he lovingly made the observation. Carrie made note of his term of endearment. Three years ago, she birthed her business of helping others make the great escape from the corporate world.
I had to chuckle when she said, “I’m from Texas. We understand branding. It is the way we keep track of our cattle and keep people from stealing them.” It was a great reminder that business branding is rooted in some pretty practical stuff! With Carrie’s help perhaps you, too, can leave your footprints in the sand… on-purpose, of course.
PS – yes, Carrie Wilkerson spoke to us in her jeans and barefeet!
PSS – Special thanks to my friends Wendy Kurtz and Roy Reed for organizing and inviting me to the event at the Disney Entrepreneur Center.
Wendy Kurtz is President of Elizabeth Charles a niche PR firm that helps authors, speakers and executives get their message and medium into the media and into people’s lives.
Roy Reed is a Partner in Consensus Communications, a strategic public relations firm whose currency of choice is trust.
Sounds like you're ready for The On-Purpose Leader Experience! Preview it by CLICKING HERE!
Thank you to the Central Florida Christian Chamber of Commerce for sponsoring this event. This On-Purpose Leader Experience will be led from a Christian worldview.
Making New Year's Resolutions is just a bit more popular than breaking them. How do you make your resolutions stick this year? The answer isn't in a list, per se, but in the resolve and commitment you make. This is actually very easy to measure.
The On-Purpose Leader Experience is the ultimate opportunity to succeed in your goals. Here you'll create written plans, develop support structure, and have a community of support on a members only website. I look forward to interacting with you by phone and by web forums.
On January 5, The On-Purpose Leader Experience launches 2011 with an introductory, no charge preview. You need to be registered to gain access to the private webcast and website.
REGISTER AT THIS LINK FOR THE ON-PURPOSE LEADER EXPERIENCE.
Billy Graham speaks on the relationship of faith and science. Pure faith meets technology! Who wins? You decide! But you have to watch to learn.
