Kevin W. McCarthy

What Is A Vision?

Vision is a gift to look into the future with a creative clarity and belief that what isn't will one day become. Vision comes in many forms and manners. Vision is larger, much larger, than a goal. Vision is what prevents the people from perishing according to The Book of Proverbs. Vision is personal, yet it can be shared and engage a group to greater heights.

Vision is the second of four key strategic concepts for better leading one's life, family, and/or organization. In context and order, here are these what I call "deep strategy" concepts: Purpose, Vision, Mission, and Values.

If you're asking about vision, then you are likely in the midst of seeking a deeper understanding or clarity related to direction. Vision answers one of The Great Questions: Where am I going?

What is a vision, really? If you're confused as you read books or surf the web, then you'll only be more confused. Sadly, there is no standard accepted definition for vision, or its related strategic concepts of purpose and mission. We're doing life and business in a Tower of Babel world. Our language is confused around these vital concepts. By casually co-mingling and using them synonymously all of society pays the price for the confusion and poor communication.

In the absence of standards, for nearly three decades, I've led the charge to fill the void by offering a standard in The On-Purpose Person and The On-Purpose Business.  Meet The On-Purpose Pal—a cartoonish character who provides a simple sense of how purpose, vision, mission, and values are different, yet connected. 

There's much to learn about purpose, vision, mission, and values. This post isn't the forum, but let me give you one way to better understand what you're wanting to know. Answer the following "Who am I?" questions and you're on the road to what you're really after—a life of meaning and purpose with a clear identity, direction, plan mixed with strong confidence, and hope for the future.

• Purpose: Why am I here?
• Vision: Where am I going?
• Mission: How will I get there?
• Values: What's important along the way?
  

Answered these questions? You're well on your way to being an on-purpose person in creation.

 

Story: Trusting One's Vision

Vision can be cooped up inside us longing to escape if we will just dare to express it to the world. Years ago one of our certified On-Purpose® Professionals was coaching a woman who shared a vision for an inner city orchestra. At the time the client was a single mom working two jobs and caring for her two children. Dreaming was a luxury this single mom believed was ill-afforded to her. With some gentle prodding by my associate, the client risked putting words to paper. Her vision began to take form. Cautiously, she began to share her vision.

Remarkable events unfolded within three weeks. At church one Sunday, a local high school principal approached her with this statement: "I heard you are gifted with teaching music." 

"Yes," was her simple response.

The principal continued, "Over the summer, my high school received funding for an entire orchestra. I have stands, instruments, sheet music, and an acoustically designed studio. But guess what I don't have? Someone to develop and lead the students. Would you be interested in the position?"

The rest of the story is one that ends happily.

So, what is your vision? Are you prepared to allow the world to conspire for your benefit? Share your vision in the comments section. Who knows what might happen if you do?

More On-Purpose Minutes by Kevin W. McCarthy

What is Your Cost of Poor Communication?

Are You Still Living In Trial and Error Mode?

What Are Your Answers To Life's Great Questions?

The On-Purpose Leader Experience Preview: 24/7

Dare You Risk Leading Your Life Better?

Here they are: The 7 Great Questions about life that haunt us until we answer them, deny them, or simply overwhelm them in a soulless chase for gain and/or pleasure. 

1. Who am I?
2. Why am I here?
3. Where am I going?
4. How will I get there?
5. What is important?
6. Is life meaningful?
7. Does God exist?

You may think, With all I have to get done, I realistically don't have time to mess with these questions. Here's a tip for life: until you begin answering these questions, they will mess with your life.

Don't put your life on hold until you have definitive answers. Simply, explore your possibilities. Make it a joyous adventure of daily discovery as the layers of your life unfold before you with a sense of wonder and excitement.

Think it's impractical with all you've got going on? Hardly! There's a hard dollar cost to being off-purpose that is costing you in very real terms. Stop wasting your life in trivial pursuits.

Answers to these questions fill in the soul gaps—those places within us that we know are there, but aren't quite sure we want to or know how to get there. It can be a scary place to visit, like a closet of dashed hopes, painful memories, unrealized dreams, disappointments, and pain. On the other hand, it is also a journey of hope and healing to the heart of who you authentically are. Here's the only place on the planet where you can discover your true identity and begin the process of re-orienting your life on the strength, function, and contribution you have to give. Transformation begins in the spirit. Knowing and bringing expression to your purpose will raise the spiritual and practical trajectory of your life forever.

The On-Purpose Leader Experience starts with you. Come as you are. None of us have it together. We're all dysfunctional to some degree. Let the one doesn't have a measure of chaos, confusion, hurt, distress, worry, or pain cast the first stone.

Join this six-week conversation (May 8-June 12) that includes peer-to-peer interactions, phone and online on-purpose coaching from me, and more. Once a week we have a 55-minute live webcast that is recorded for replay later. You'll walk the steps of the man in The On-Purpose Person. You will:

• Connect with on-purpose persons in creation in our private social network: The On-Purpose Planet
  
• Write your two-word purpose statement
• Clarify your core wants
• Identify your TOP Want
• Participate in live webcasts with me
• Have access to webcast replays 24/7
  
• Develop a meaningful time management approach
• Get answers to the 7 Questions above
  

Here's a fun, easy-to-do, and efficient way to sound deeply into the spirit of who you are. What's more, you'll be creating systems and strategies that will save you time, help you to make better decisions, and eliminate costly detours. The upside is amazing. You'll discover:

• Refreshing clarity and rare focus in your life
• Authentic alignment from your heart outward
• Clearer thinking to make wiser decisions
• Renewed strength and energy
  
• The abundance of being who you are and meant to be
• An internal gyroscope to guide you
• Improved confidence and growing personal leadership
• The POWER of your Two-Word Purpose Statement

The On-Purpose Leader Experience Enrollment information

Preview Session 1 Replay

Click here for: Single Enrollment: $197

Click here for: Dual (2 persons) Enrollment: $297

 

Guarantee: A 100% refund is available until the start of the third webcast.

 

What Is Your Cost of Being Off-Purpose?

   

Put on your financial hat for an On-Purpose Business Minute. If I asked you to pay me $1.22 to help you save a portion of $1,000, would you "risk" it? Most likely, yes. It is an easy business decision. In fact, you would probably ask, "What's the catch?" There is a catch!

Prior to the 30-minute webcast of The POWER of Your Two-Word Purpose Statement (watch here), I conducted a survey of registrants. One of the survey questions was, "If you had to put a U.S. dollar figure on being disadvantaged without or a weak purpose, vision, or mission statement, which best reflects your cost of being 'off-purpose'?" 

The multiple choice answers can be found in the first seven columns (see chart below) plus "Other." Over 47% of those surveyed indicated the cost of being off-purpose was over $1,000,000. Astonishingly the write-in text for the "Other" included words like immeasurable, incalculable, and priceless. At 22% it ranked highest. Not bad for an un-choice!

To be on-purpose, you need to make an intentional choice to actually do something about it. The ROI is amazing, especially for those in the 46% group. The On-Purpose Leader Experience begins May 8 at 3:00 Eastern with the week one webcast being an open preview. Invest 12-15 hours of time over six weeks to write your two-word purpose statement plus a plan for life. Immeasurable, incalculable, priceless?

Here's the catch! $199 compared to $1 million is less than 1¢ compared to $1,000! Tuition is $147 through May 8, then May 14 it is $199.  Sign up on or before May 7 using this coupon code: MAY$28OFF and save $28 off the single or dual enrollment.

Single Enrollment: $147/$199     

Dual (two people) Enrollment: $197/$227

Tuesday, May 8 you'll receive a reminder about the Week One preview of The On-Purpose Leader Experience.

 

Soul searching begins with sole searching.

“Who am I?” is one of the most profound questions you will ever seek to answer. Much of our identity is erroneously formed by others’ opinions of us and shaped by experiences that reinforce and refine our sense of self.

Yet, the true answer to the question is found from above and within. It takes quiet time and solitude. Oddly, being contemplative is harder than it looks—I’m so programmed to equate action with productivity that rest feels like I’m playing hooky from life.

Being alone is not the same as solitude. When I’m alone I can fill the emptiness with television, email, web surfing, reading, or any number of business related activities ill-intended to avoid confronting the real me.

Soul searching is a time of resting in God’s presence, listening for His voice, and seeking His will. Jesus taught that the Kingdom of God is within and we are to seek it first. Yet, most of us pursue fame and fortune “out there in the real world.” Eventually, even precious Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz discovered, “There’s no place like home.”

And when my sole searching leads me to my soul, indeed I have found the kingdom of God. I’m home where God intends me instead of where the world might like me to be.

Do You Know Your Gift?

Your contribution to the life of another is directly tied to the gift you possess.  How well you examine and understand your gift directly influences the measure of your difference making.

Within you is something inherently special.  It is a gift that must be unwrapped, examined, and understood to be fully appreciated and enjoyed.  This gift is an expression of your purpose.

You can give this gift by sharing The On-Purpose Person with a
family member or friend.  Place your order today.  Do you want the book(s) to be personalized and signed?  Use the comment section on the order page to give us instructions.  If you want to include a gift card with your name, please let us know and we'll even do that for you.

How Do I Find Peace In My Life?

 

Finding peace in your life is really a matter of finding peace in your spirit.  When your spirit is calm, then peace of mind follows and the swirl of chaos and confusion is an annoyance, but unable to cut to the core of our being.

Peace is not like an elusive rainbow that can be seen but never visited.  Peace can take residence in your heart when the space is there for it.  Most of us have such cluttered spirits and have gotten ourselves so busy that we don't have the margin to explore the possibilities within us, nor do we have the process to help us get there.

Peace and security are often joined at the hip as being mutually dependent.  We may have a sense of security, but we aren't really secure.  The world is a broken and fallen place so security is an illusion.  

Security is simply protection from outside forces.  Peace is the need for no protection.  Yes, you can have a bit of heaven on earth.  Peace can be owned.  You've experienced it, haven't you?  Now you know when you have it and when you don't.

The On-Purpose Leader Experience is designed to help you find that peace that passes your understanding and then to live into it.  Is it the easiest thing you'll ever do?  Hardly!  I'll challenge you (in a good way) to dig deeper, experience more, and rise to the surface of your life a renewed and refreshed person.

 

 

 

 

 

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What Is The Meaning of Life?

  

"What is the meaning of life?"  Now there's a tiny topic hardly worth pondering!  The graphic and T-shirt design below by artist Aled Lewis (used with his permission) may provide as good a sense of "clarity" on the topic as one can find.

Kidding aside, the value of asking, "What is the meaning of life?" may be less in the answer to one of life's big questions, but more in the very act of the inquiry.  Asking this question is a positive sign that changes in life, ideally growth and maturity, are budding.  There's an awareness that can lead to a new life with the potential to lead to a life of purpose and meaning. Engagement in a greater reality has begun.

Change is a part of life, but a change for life needs to be self-initiated -- owned, if you will.  Those around may demand or encourage us by saying "Change your life," but at the end of the day it is our responsibility and challenge.

How you go about embracing growth is up to you.  For me, my big shift change happened when I attended a Bible study of the book of Romans back in the spring of 1985.  Like many, I had been searching for meaning in life.  As a true student of self-help literature, I was well read in the classic and contemporary self-help writers.  At some point, however, it all started to sound like the same stuff simply rehashed from a different point of view.

I was not a Christian, but I was curious and willing to give that "old and irrelevant book" and the institution of the Church a chance.  The Bible, I discovered, had a ring of authenticity about it that none of my self-help books had.  There were no lightning strikes or trumpets sounding.  It was mostly an intellectual pursuit to better understand, "Who am I?  Why am I here?  What should I do with my life?  Is life meaningful?"  The Bible was different because here was core wisdom instead of just knowledge.

What is the meaning of life?  It doesn't matter what I say.  You have to find your answer for yourself.  What I will tell you, however, is this: life is meaningful!  Start with this basic assumption and go forward.

More On-Purpose Minutes 

• What does it mean to be on-purpose? by Kevin W. McCarthy
• Do You Really Know Who You Are? by Kevin W. McCarthy
• Are You Happily Distracted? (kevinwmccarthy.com)
• Do You Want More Balance In Your Life? (kevinwmccarthy.com)

Are You Still Living in Trial and Error Mode?

This On-Purpose^® Minute may rattle your cage a bit as I challenge what might be a hidden and unproductive point of view coloring your daily experience.  Trials and errors in life are inevitable, but "trial and error" does not need to define our approach to life.

Please watch and add your comments.

Click here to receive an email when I post new On-Purpose Minutes.

A "Balanced" Life by Kevin W. McCarthy

A "Balanced" Life

A balanced life is what I sought,

Only to have a life that was not.

My battle for balance was constantly fought,

Yet, time and again I found myself caught.

 

I planned, I managed, I strove to obtain.

With burnout, frustration, and a worn out brain.

Time I did “manage” with feelings distraught,

Where the harder I tried, the less I got.

 

A balanced life captured my thought.

Advice and coaching I often sought.

So coaches and counselors I did retain

To inspire, encourage, and help me retrain.

 

I listened and learned and did as I ought,

Yet my sense of my self continued to rot.

Day after day I did not obtain,

A life in balance – I could not sustain.

 

Daily my Father saw my deep pain,

Finally, he asked of my earnest campaign.

I told of the experts and advice I had bought.

He listened long. Then, I asked what he thought.

 

“A balanced life you will not obtain.

It’s an illusion sure to drive you insane.”

About the balanced life I so anxiously sought.

In essence he said, “All is for naught.”

 

Could my experts’ advice be words all in vain!

Dad’s contrary words were too simple and plain.

Defensive and righteous, I took a pot shot,

“If not balance, what else have you got?”

He answered, “A balanced life is what you’ve sought.

Instead, try this one simple thought:

Live your life integrated.  It will go as it ought.”

A different perspective my Father had brought.

 

Intrigued and delighted his words fell as rain,

To my parched soul truly going insane.

How do I integrate?  How do I maintain?

Were questions resounding deep in my brain.

 

“In the beginning, when you were begotten

A purpose was given, you’ve long since forgotten.

Search your heart and all its terrain.

Your purpose lies dormant, yet steadfast and fain.

 

“Ignoring your purpose causes work with strain.

Why worry about balance if it isn’t germane!

Align to your purpose, live as you ought.

Listen, my love, to the words that I’ve taught.”

 

His words were startling, and hard to contain

For Balance, my idol, he had just slain. 

No more was my stomach tied tight in a knot.

For a balanced life I no longer sought.

 

In the heart of my heart I had learned a lot

Of ordering life on Dad’s integrating thought.

Gone were failings and feelings distraught

Where the harder I tried, the less I got.

 

I’m sparked by my purpose so simple and plain.

Integration, not balance, now keeps me so sane.

The gift of hope in my heart does remain.

For being on-purpose I can surely sustain.

 

© 2011, Kevin W. McCarthy

Are You A Driven Person?

Have you ever really stopped to consider what it means to be driven?  For many it is easy to get on a track at work and in life, lean into the yoke, and just keep pushing forward day after day trusting that in the end it all works out for the best.  Is this a healthy way to live?

Here's a great article on the difference between a job, career, and vocation from Fast Company magazine founder, Alan M. Webber.  I remember reading this article years ago and nodding my head in agreement.  Watch today's On-Purpose Minute.  You may find it alarmingly disturbing to your well-ordered life.  Perhaps you'll find it amazingly comforting as you pursue a calling that seemingly defies logic and reason to everyone except you. 

Please let me hear from you.  Are you driven or called?  Tell me your story in the comments section below and you'll be helping put voice to your own thoughts.  More importantly, others will read your post and glean insights and better self awareness.  You can make a difference this way that can alter the course of another person for good.

Be On-Purpose (called, not driven)!

Kevin

 

 

Related articles

• Do You Really Know Who You Are? (kevinwmccarthy.com)
• What Is Personal Leadership? (kevinwmccarthy.com)
• What Is A Vision? (kevinwmccarthy.com)