It was a hot summer day at my uncle’s house. I was 10. Swimming in my uncle’s backyard pool proved difficult with the hard contact lenses I wore at the time—I had to remove the contacts to avoid losing them. One day, frustrated at the loss of vision while swimming, I decided to abandon practicality and leave those contact lenses in. When I emerged from the first dive, I quickly discovered how valuable practicality could be: I’d lost my lenses and couldn’t see a thing. Do you have any idea how hard it is to find clear contact lenses in 15,000 gallons of water? There I was, staring at this huge liquid mass knowing that everything I needed to make the world right was within arm’s reach but lacking any discernable means to grab it.
Finding your life purpose can feel just as elusive.
In 2011 after selling a company I started in 2003, I finally “won” the entrepreneurial game. I made it through the rough years of eating ramen noodles while making a $50,000 per month payroll to staff. I had pressed through one of the most difficult recessions in US history while making sure that a single mother of two kept her job. I cashed out, selling my company for nearly three times top-line revenue, in one of the most difficult of economic times—something others would see as the pinnacle of entrepreneurialism.
Yet, I was never more defeated than in that moment.
You see, 10 years earlier, I found the answer to the question, “What am I?” But, as a successful entrepreneur, I still felt empty.
I discovered there is a critical difference between pursuing a goal, mischaracterized as purpose, and living in God’s designed intention. My entrepreneurial purpose was outcome-driven. It was to get to the top of the gold podium, see my dream become reality, cross the finish line and say, “I did it.” When I finally sold the company, l discovered that getting a payday was not enough to constitute valuable purpose.
Now, I faced the hardest journey of my life, answering the purpose-driven question, “Why am I here?” By discovering God’s purpose for me, I believed I could find the steps that needed to follow. Living out my purpose became the goal, and filtering out the pursuits that were not on point has become the challenge.
There I was staring at a mid-40s life full of experiences, challenges, pursuits and ambitions trying to cypher out of it my intended purpose. Much like finding the clear contact lens harbored in the swimming pool, my goal was somehow out of reach and in front of me at the same time.
Entrepreneurialism: Not the End Goal
When I was forced to answer the question of what my life would be about instead of what I would spend my time doing, suddenly the sea shifted direction for me. I discovered that I added the most value to life when I invested in the interests of others rather than in my own ideas. I found greater joy in seeing the light turn on as I helped people become unstuck than when I moved beyond my own barriers. Finally, I figured out that there was a point at which all of my entrepreneurial efforts had given me a diverse array of industry experiences which allowed me to dive into virtually anyone’s business, quickly understanding it but bringing my unique ability to connect dots that others could not see.
Having gone through a LifePlan process myself, I finally discovered my purpose, “To activate people and organizations for a global Kingdom impact.” In all of the muck of my life I had finally found the diamond.
With my “One Life”, I strive to make yours have the greatest impact it can have, personally and organizationally. I am passionate about seeing you fully live out God’s unique purpose for you. When you do, my life and investment in you is validated and God is glorified.
By the way, my dad ended up finding those contact lenses for me. Sometimes we need someone else’s help to find our way.
As an entrepreneurial leader, do you know your unique purpose?
