Kevin W. McCarthy

The Professor of On-Purpose

Purpose

Happy Valentine’s Day

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Being On-Purpose is all about coming from the heart.   Take one look at The On-Purpose® Pal.   TOP Pal w copyright
You can’t miss his big heart.

This Valentine’s Day… who do you hold close to your heart?  Who would you like to see be on-purpose?  Wondering what to give someone?   Give the priceless gift of being on-purpose.

To introduce your family and friends to The On-Purpose Person, here is a link to a free preview.  This will take you directly to our shopping cart where you can download the file. There is no charge for the book preview.  You are free to forward the URL or the pdf file to those whom you love.

Enjoy!

Be On-Purpose!

Kevin

On-Purpose Profiles: Soul Biographies

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Here is a remarkable series of short soul biographies on people's lives by filmmaker Nic Askew.  As you watch these there's a sense of learning about oneself through the eyes of others.  The intimacy of seeing into the heart, mind, and life of another is extraordinarily enriching to our own understanding of self.

The direct link here is called, "Second Glance" and is about David Roche

On-Purpose® is a movement of being authentic to the design upon your life, accepting the gift, and making the most of it for yourself and in service to others.  Through these films, perhaps, you'll grow to understand and accept you for whom you really are.   Knowing your purpose puts words on it… it is a start.   The true joy is living into who you are… being on-purpose! 

Dim the lights.  Enjoy the shows…


'the second glance' from Nic Askew on Vimeo.

True Generosity

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Giving out of joy and thanksgiving for our blessings and abundance are the building
blocks for true generosity.

In The On-Purpose Person, the Professor tells the man, "Knowing yourself
better means you're more aware of your special gifts and talents that especially
qualify you to serve. No one else in the world is exactly like you. Someone or some
cause needs you. Think of them as your 'customers' or 'audience' awaiting your performance.

"From this appreciation of yourself, you will naturally share from your strength. Your
prior mind-set may have been one of scarcity rather than abundance. Trust your instinct to give with joy."

During this holiday season, even though our country is in a time of economic turmoil,
remember that On-Purpose® is to serve by giving from our strength in spite of the conditions about us. You may not be able to change the world, but you can make a difference in the world about you. One simple act of kindness offered in thanksgiving is all it takes. And then repeat as the Spirit leads you.

Purpose or Purposes

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You have only one purpose in life.   Once you know that purpose, you are to align your life and make choices consistent with it so you are on your purpose, rather than off your purpose.  That’s the essential message of being on-purpose.

In business, and especially in the church community, many people write about their “purposes.”  Note the use of the plural form, a recent pop culture invention mostly due to Pastor Rick Warren’s book The Purpose Driven Life in which he tells people they have five purposes of Worship, Fellowship, Discipleship, Ministry, and Evangelism.  These are missions of the church, not purposes.  For all the good Pastor Warren’s book is doing, it is ultimately confusing people at the core of their being, but it is getting them engaged in life more profoundly.

You do not have many purposes in life.   You may have multiple visions and missions, but only one purpose.  You may have many reasons for doing something, but only one will to do it. (Read more about the subtle differences between purpose, vision, mission, and values by clicking on this sentence.)

Need further proof of the singular nature of purpose?   The Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary doesn’t provide a plural for purpose.  Purpose is inherently singular.

For example, here is an excerpt from a devotional I read today, “God
will provide the necessary circumstances to accomplish His purposes in
your life.” This is incorrect because of the plural use of the word.  God has one purpose for your life, and, yes, he will arrange the circumstances.  To push the point just a bit further, let’s replace purposes with the word will.  This is a more accurate description of the usage.  God has one will, not a plurality of wills.

Reason and purpose are frequently interchanged.  Life purpose is a person’s one reason for being or raison d’etre.  Purpose in lieu of reason is an appropriate, but a less effective word choice.  Purpose is deeply about one’s intention or will.   I appreciate that one can have many reasons for doing something, but there is one intention.  To be otherwise is to be double-minded or confused.  That is the very challenge purpose clarifies for you.  You can’t have purposes or be on-purposes. The logic and semantics don’t support the concept of purpose – plural.

Avoid getting caught up in this sloppiness of use.  Strike the non-word purposes from your vocabulary. Purpose is a truly special and remarkably powerful word as applied to one’s life purpose.  Seek the singleness of strength of being of one mind, body, and spirit and you will be on-purpose.

Your comments are always invited.

Be On-Purpose!

Kevin

The Folly of Self-Diagnosis

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As I dropped my car at the garage, I told the mechanic, "I think my muffler is broken."  Later that day when I picked up my car, the mechanic informed me there was nothing wrong with the muffler.  After paying his bill and starting my car… the darn noise that began the auto repair visit remained.  I asked the mechanic about it.  He said, "You asked me to check the muffler." 

Just shoot me!  I left the car for another day and made additional transportation arrangements.

Yesterday, my wife told the refrigerator repair man, "I think the gasket needs to be replaced because the refrigerator door doesn't stay shut."  He was better than my car mechanic.  After a quick visual, he informed, "It is worn but is working.  Your hinge isn't set right."  $125 later we had a hinge adjustment.  Only problem is the refrigerator isn't cooling. We thought it was the door being ajar.

The folly of self-diagnosis is real.  Unless you are an expert on something, don't do the diagnosis.  Speak in terms of the problem, not the solution.  

A friend of mine, Chris, is a brain and spinal cord surgeon.  If I'm
having a headache, do I tell Chris, "I think my cerebral cortex is
swelling.  You need to check for a tumor."  Absurd! But we all do this kind of self diagnosis regularly.  My goal is to get out of the habit.

Consider your area of expertise.  When you're working with customers or
clients who don't know what you know, do you find it odd when they
start telling you how to do the job they hired you to do?  Why did they come to you in the first place?

Here at On-Purpose Partners, we help individuals and organizations write their core strategic statements of purpose, vision, mission, and values so they have a fighting chance to be on-purpose.  Some people want to debate our terminology and approach.  I always invite clients to read my books before they engage us to ensure they understand where we're coming from before they invest their hard earned money working with us. 

Often, it doesn't matter.  They argue.  We're delighted to clarify and explain the difference between purpose, vision, mission, and values, but why debate it with us after you've hired us.  We're pros at this.  Let us do the diagnosis.  Tell us your problems.  Let us practice our craft.

Candidly, pride is why we're all guilty of self-diagnosis.  I don't want to look stupid in front of my mechanic because I'm a guy.  I'm supposed to understand cars and engines and mechanical things.  Right?  Wrong.  I'm clueless.  Faking it to impress the grease monkey tells him I'm both stupid and a phony.

These days, I tell my mechanic, "My car is making a weird and loud noise.  I haven't got a clue what it is."  Instead of faking my way to repeated repair visits, today I confess my ignorance, find the most honest mechanic I can, and throw myself at his mercy with an open line of credit.  My favorite question, "If it were your wife and kids driving in the car, would you do the repair?"  My automotive bills are high, our cars run fine, I have fewer visits, and I have no pretense.

About twenty years ago we had a father and son living next door who worked on their own cars.  I observed to Judith one day, "Every weekend they're working on their cars to get them working.  I don't even crack the hood of my car and it runs fine."  What's the moral there?  Those who do… who don't know they don't know.. do more of what they don't know. 

Let's call it personal outsourcing.  Judith is calling the refrigerator repair guy back today to say, "My refrigerator isn't as cold as I think it should be." It will probably be another $125 or more.  The compressor is probably shot!  Oops!  Did I just do a self-diagnosis?

Do you have a story where self-diagnosis got you in trouble?  Share it in the comments so we can all learn and laugh.

Thomas Alva Edison by Frank Attwood

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Frank Attwood is an On-Purpose Person in creation.  It hasn’t always been easy for Frank, but he’s in his element professionally and personally.  He performs a variety of amazing one man shows based on the remarkable life of Thomas Edison, my boyhood hero.

I remember the day Frank called me to brainstorm some life and business
decisions he was facing.

Photo:  Here is Frank Attwood in his portrayal of Thomas Edison.  You just have to catch his show sometime.

[Read more…] about Thomas Alva Edison by Frank Attwood

Your Work View

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Today is Labor Day in the USA.  Ironically, it is a day when many of us have the day off from work and the kids are out of school.  According to Wikipedia, Labor Day began as "a street parade to exhibit to the public ‘the strength and esprit de
corps of the trade and labor organizations,’ followed by a festival for
the workers and their families."

Let’s take the occasion, however, to look at the very nature of our labor and its meaning.  The concept of work is vitally misunderstood in many corners of the economy and culture.

For those of us who view work as an expression of one’s calling and difference making, work conjures positive feelings and robust expression of who we are.  For many others the concept of work elicits harsh bondage and dependence on the whim of their boss.  Still, there are some who would wash away all work and settle for a life of recreation and parties.  So what view of work works?

[Read more…] about Your Work View

Purpose Redeems the Past, Part 2

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Thelma was working with a woman named Shirley about a purpose and plan for her life using On-Purpose® tools and methods.  In the course of the coaching, Thelma asked her client to write down her career aspirations.  Shirley refused to allow herself that luxury because her dreams were gone based on some choices she had made in years passed.  This inner city single mom of two children under ten years of age worked two jobs to just barely make ends meet.  She worked a clerical job during the day, went home to fix dinner for her kids in the evening, and then went to work as an orderly at a mental hospital at night.  This exhausting routine was her life.  There was no emotional margin for dreaming.

Thelma is a strong woman who as a single mom herself raised a son and a daughter.  She refused to take no for an answer from Shirley.  Finally Shirley relented under Thelma’s unwavering insistence.  Turns out that this woman was musically gifted.  She could read music, play any instrument, and dreamed of creating an inner city symphony orchestra for at-risk kids.  She would teach them to play instruments and what it meant to be a part of a musical ensemble.  This would be a way to a better life for those kids.

[Read more…] about Purpose Redeems the Past, Part 2