Living On Purpose

“We shall not cease from exploration;
And the end of all our exploring;
Will be to arrive where we started;
And know the place for the first time.”
~ T.S. Eliot

Maybe it had something to do with being the eldest of four.

Maybe it had something to do with being in an organizational setting as a file clerk at 12 years of age.

Maybe it was because my parents trusted me, championed me, and nurtured me.

Maybe it had something to do with God creating me this way and placing certain desires and interests within me.

Definitely it is all of these, and more.

I’m talking about my interest in leadership, my ambition to be a leader, my belief that being a leader opens doors, and my awareness that leaders are the ones who really make a difference and an impact on our world.

I recently celebrated my 39th birthday, and as with most people I become more self-reflective around my birthday. As I reflect back, the journey hasn’t been exactly what this Type A girl had drawn out at 11 and 12 years of age, but nonetheless, 39 finds me having arrived at the intended destination: living life on purpose and helping others to do the same.

A conversation that began well over a year ago has brought me to this destination, which is actually just the beginning.

In April, I was invited to join the prestigious organization, Building Champions, as a business and leadership coach. Building Champions is one of the leading coaching organizations in the U.S., with clients such as Chick-fil-A, Prime Lending, Bank of America, Morgan Stanley, Northwestern Mutual, Pfizer, and State Farm. We are engaged every day to make a positive difference in the lives of those we touch with this motto: coaching business and life on purpose.

I am honored to be part of an organization that is truly making a difference in the way people live and lead. Being able to combine my loves of business strategy, organizational culture, people and leadership development, vision clarification, and priority management is a dream come true and my intended destination.

With this new beginning as a coach with Building Champions, I am looking for people who need someone to partner with them as they work to achieve their professional and personal goals. I help people and organizations get clear in who they are and where they want to go, define their current reality, and develop very specific actions, plans, and strategies to close the gap from their current reality to where they would love to be.

I am specifically looking for 10 additional new clients by the end of August. Who do you know who might benefit from business and leadership coaching?

Additionally, I am also specifically looking for speaking engagement and workshop facilitation opportunities over the next several months. Who do you know who might benefit from a workshop about time management, vision planning, team building, strategic planning, or culture creation?

One of things I realize as I write this is that you might be led to think that by having realized my dream, that my life might be perfect. One of the beautiful aspects of this new role is getting to share life with my clients and being in community with one another as we experience the triumphs and tragedies, and the valleys and peaks of life. For example, one of my current battles is losing the rest of the 30 pounds that I gained while working toward my Ph.D. My birthday present to myself was a Dr. McBabe’s Walking Desk for my treadmill; it’s such a fantastic invention. I’m also excited to use it to begin training for the 2015 Hood to Coast, which I will be running as part of the Building Champions’ team. Another example, as with anyone who has “Achiever” as one of their top five strengths, I’m working diligently to discipline myself to have one day every week where I completely disengage from anything work-related and spend the time in fellowship, community, worship, play, and rest. This is a very difficult thing for me, but is absolutely crucial if I am going to live a full and meaningful life.

Whether you’re 39 or 59 or 89 it’s never too late to live on purpose. I’m curious, what is keeping you from living on purpose?