BEing leads to DOing

May, 2023

I get to facilitate a purpose -> service #workshop next week for #americorps students in High School.

The workshop is called "BEing and DOing"

Notice that BEing is first. I wish I learned this in my youth.

The meaning of life is to get and give meaning and joy in life, as a being. Not based on a role or a goal.

Not to be happy. Happiness is a lovely side-effect of being in purpose.

Every day.

Not some day in the future when you are enough or everything is how you imagine perfect looks like.

Don't wait to find out and honor who you are as a BEing. Delaying this knowing WILL result in hitting a wall, eventually. Maybe it will be when you are suffering, challenged, navigating a transition, leading others, being promoted or retiring.

If your sense of purpose is based on external circumstances and what you DO--you are in for a jolt some day. Because these things inevitably change, or go away, and are out of your control.

Who are you - your values, personality, gifts, natural strengths - this is the WHY that you need to deeply understand and harness your joy and motivation and resilience and perseverance--to keep going.

Feeling, finding, making meaning in every day life--which starts by simply waking up, is based on BEing. Doing is the result, or the side effect.

THIS is why I'm excited to engage with the students.

THIS is why employees need a sense of purpose.

THIS is how teams collaborate with excellence.

Build up that internal scaffolding - your purpose - so you can navigate the ever-flowing winds of change. You will look back on your life and know that you made a difference every day.

You will KNOW that your unique light shined out to warm your friends, family, colleagues, strangers simply because you were here and you lived in #purpose.

~Anna