Pause for Purpose

Commitment to rejecting hesitation? Check.

Commitment to your secret ingredient, your undeniable presence and awesomeness, your Boomcraft? Check.

OK. Uh…what now?

Now, we pause for purpose. Not “lightning out of the blue” purpose, but “focus for my lifetime” purpose. I know, it sound daunting, but it’s really not. There isn’t a formula, per se, for finding your truth, but there are people making inroads into the nature of purpose and how we share that with the world. They are out there, studying it, doing their best to share what they learn. Sure, some are selling. They sell promises and processes and models and things like that. Don’t begrudge them their living, of course, but be wary of what you’re being sold. Don’t fall for the idea that “the model works, so if this winds up being a dud for you…well…it’s your fault!” The truth is that, yes, it does have mainly to do with you or me, not so much the model, but the model, whichever model, is as much a dud as the person upon whom dudding has occurred.

You see, people are not mathematical equations. We are not a series of variables, any of which can be “solved for” in the absolute mathematical sense. Our variables are just that: variable. What works for one will likely not work for another. What works for one today may likely not work tomorrow or some point in the future. The model, the solution, must resonate with the individual. The frequency has to vibrate in the same way for both so that good things can happen. That said, there is one thing that all models for discerning purpose that I’ve come across have in common: they contain an element of introspection. At some point, the individual must stop to take that long, hard look inside to figure out what makes them tick.

Aaron Hurst, Arthur Woods, and the good people over at imperative are serving up one method for taking that hard look within. Their work is focused on finding patterns in the population and helping the individual connect to their special pattern. From there, the work begins. Kevin McCarthy is helping people be on-purpose. His work is focused on…well…purposeful focus. Kevin’s methodology requires a close examination of not only what the individual values but how they choose to spend their time. The common element is finding meaning through turning the gaze inward before looking to apply any sense of purpose to the world outside. They both have merit and impact. I know; I’ve worked through them both. They resonated.

With resonance and honest self-evaluation, purpose can come into focus. Then focus can become the next step.