A man I have known for over forty years had a series of surgeries. Each surgery required rehab. Every surgery required a season of an excruciating rehab program, which he refused to do. Remaining glued to his wheelchair, the vision for his life became nothing more than anticipating the subsequent surgery.
What resulted was atrophy; his muscles remained unchallenged, under-used, and neglected. Atrophy is a gradual decline in effectiveness.
Instead of vigorously attacking the rehab program after surgery, dreaming of and working toward recovery, he became depressingly focused on the subsequent surgery.
He was in a rut. His vision was for the subsequent surgery, not an energized and inspired life. I call his vision “navel-gazing,” all wrapped up in himself.
It is easy to become stuck in a rut. Someone has famously described a rut as nothing more than a grave with both ends knocked out of it! He was stuck.
In life and business, the answer to being stuck is to have a reason for jumping out of bed each day. That reason is a purpose. Purpose involves having a passion for impact beyond yourself.
Amazing inspiration and energy are released when we serve a purpose beyond ourselves. In business, profit is significant. But profit for the purpose of impacting others is fuel for a significant business and life!
Lesson: Profit for the purpose of impacting others is fuel for an energized business and life!
I will never forget the level of energy in the lives of a group of veteran business leaders in Asia as their mentee entrepreneurs and employees succeeded. They were so alive, inspired, and filled with energy as they saw the lives of their employees, customers, vendors, and communities impacted through their businesses.
I give my business partner Randy the credit for helping us find inspiration and energy in our purpose. If someone we hired had been beaten up in the ring, he pulled them back to our corner and helped them get what they needed. If they required teeth, we helped them get teeth. Did they have bald tires that weren’t safe? He would help them get new tires. For the first time, they had a 401K retirement opportunity. When we realized that this was the unique purpose of our business, we saw lives being changed for the better just by showing up to work every day.
Energy and inspiration were the byproducts of our making a profit for a purpose.
An inspired and energized life flows from a simple formula: Profit, so you can bless the community and further your business’s unique purpose.
Lesson: An energized and inspired life flows from making a profit with purpose.
Is your life filled with that kind of purpose? I believe it was meant to be!
Never remain stuck!
Harry T. Jones
P.S. Connect with me on LinkedIn and let me know your thoughts on this post.
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