The Blog

Purpose and passion are terms that are often conflated and used interchangeably.

That is unhealthy and dangerous.

Here are five distinctions I make in my work helping others define the difference only they can make (AKA "their purpose") and living more passionately.

1. Purpose is your reason for b...

The art of living is the central concern of most ancient philosophical and spiritual traditions. 

And yet, we rarely discuss how to live a good life in our educational and occupational institutions.

Why is that?

I honestly don’t know. Yet, these questions have been my life’s most consistent preoc...

Do you know your life’s purpose?

If you answered, “No,” you’re not alone...

According to recent polls, only 25% of people in the United States have a clear sense of purpose and meaning in their lives.

57% are searching for greater purpose and meaning.

Purpose is how we build identity and forge m...

As a coach, I hear the word "transformation" quite a bit. Maybe too much...

In Seth Godin's Akimbo Workshops, where I served as a head coach for four years, "transformative" is the number one word students use to describe their experience after completing a program.

"Transformative" is also the wo...

I believe that too often, we conflate leadership with expertise and authority.

We assume others must have more knowledge and power than us and therefore look for leaders beyond ourselves and our circle.

But what do great leaders do, really?

A dictionary definition of a leader is "one who guides o...

Purpose is an evolving thing.

Just as you are a work in progress, the difference only you can make is something that is refined and iterated over time.

Here are 3 questions you can ask yourself daily to help you clarify and stay in your purpose and decide your next small, bold steps into possibili...

The New River is one of the oldest rivers in the world. 

I live near it and visit it often.

It flows north instead of the usual south and crosses a mountain range rather than descending from one.

I love that it's a contrarian. It reminds me of someone I've known all my life. ;)

My wife and I pic...

Why is purpose (AKA “the difference only you can make”) so elusive? A big part of the challenge is the misconceptions about where purpose resides.

Maybe you’ve been told that your purpose is “out there,” and you need to go find it. Or perhaps you were told it’s “inside,” and you need to excavate it...

Who are you?

Why are you here?

Where are you going?

How do you engage with the world?

What is your reason for being?

These are questions about purpose. Your purpose. Your reason for being.

Defining and refining your purpose builds identity, forges meaning, and creates common cause and connection...

Setting big goals and establishing long-term strategies are all well and good, especially once you have a lot of clarity about and confidence in your endeavor (AKA "the difference only you can make").

But if clarity about what you're building, who it's for, and confidence how it works and why peopl...

Many of us have been told, “find your passion and purpose.” But have you been shown how to find your passion and purpose?

Where do purpose and passion reside?

Are they “out there” for you to discover and exploit? Or are they inside you to be excavated and employed?

I wonder if they’re ne...