Kevin W. McCarthy

The Professor of On-Purpose

Purpose

1 Year Ago Today – Still Taking Shape For Life

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Wow!  What a difference a year makes!  One year ago today I began Day One of the Take Shape For Life program.  At the time I weighed 230 pounds – down from 239 on Jan. 1. 

I lost my first 9 pounds by exercising it off – "the first gear way" is the way I refer to that now.  "High gear" is the TSFL way.  That is to get into a fat burning stage where the fat burns away and the lean muscle mass remains.  

My health coach, Lori Andersen, helped me set a goal to lose 30 pounds.  For me to weigh 200 pounds was frankly unimaginable – I thought it would require an amputation of a leg.  More accurately, I set my 200 pound goal weight goal because I thought less wasn't realistic.  Truth be told, Lori encouraged me to consider 190 pounds as my stretch goal weight.

Was I a skeptic? You bet!  I have a sweet tooth that doesn't stop wanting chocolate, Hot Tamales, caramels, and ice cream.  Couple this with a pizza habit and you've got the makings of an early demise for the pioneer of being On-Purpose! 

I chronicled my return to health on these blog pages, so I encourage you to read the Health & Fitness Category starting on April 4, 2008.  The real question in your mind is, "So, Kevin, what do you weigh today?  Have you kept the weight off?"

This morning I weighed 191!  The weight I lost, I've kept off.  More importantly, I'm living the BESLIM approach and developing the Habits of Health (see special offer below). 

To top it all off, my wife, Judith, caught the vision of TSFL when I spoke at the National Convention in July 2008.  She joined the ranks of TSFL as a health coach and is experiencing the joy of helping clients share my experience.  She is back to her college weight.  Now a few of her clients are becoming health coaches.  Dr. A's vision is to "Get America Healthy."  Judith is a part of that movement.  If you're looking for a health coach or to learn more here's a link to Judith's web site: www.certifiedhealthadvisor.com. 

Take Shape For Life has changed my life… my family's health and life.  This is the power of having a well-designed system that works and simply engaging the genius of others to my benefit.  Thank you TSFL, Medifast, and Dr. A and Lori.  Special thanks go to my dear friend, Janet Cronstedt, who introduced me to Dr. A.

Be On-Purpose!

Kevin

DrA TOPP Bundle On-Purpose Health Bundle: Through April 15, we're offering a special package that includes Dr. A's Habits of Health, an amazing book, and The On-Purpose Person ebook.  Normally, both would be $54.95.  Through April 15, we're selling both for $35.95 – a savings of $19!  Click the book image to go to our shopping cart.

I wanted to have a purpose.

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I wanted to have a purpose.   This was the front page headline of the March 18, 2009 Orlando Sentinel.  The article by Kate Santich, a staff writer, portrays how people out of work are making the positive decision to volunteer more and are finding surprising rewards.

Dr. Ivan Misner, the founder of BNI (Business Network International) says, "Givers Gain."  Having invested a couple of hours with me on the telephone on two separate occasions, I can tell you this man lives his motto.

To the people featured in Ms. Santich's front page article – Larry Szrom, Janet Morris, Claudia Mayes, and Yesennia Cruz, I must give a tip of the hat for taking their job loss and turning it into someone else's gain.  Yes, givers gain.  What they are sowing is returning to them in fresh ways.

So thanks Kate Santich for some great reporting, sharing these personal stories, and seeing good in the midst of loss.  Thanks to those featured in the article for providing hope, inspiration, and direction for those frozen due to a job loss and financial stress.  Those featured express a virtue of being an on-purpose person – service.

Be On-Purpose!

Kevin

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.

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