Living & Working On Purpose

Ben Stein & I Agree - "We're More than a Balance Sheet"

My friend and professional colleague, Dave Carpenter, recently shared with me some additional thoughts from Ben Stein after Dave read my blog post that I felt Ben had missed the mark just a bit on the recent Sunday Morning show.

So, it appears that Ben does realize that we're more than just a balance sheet.  I invite you to take a read over at Dave's Blog -- Prospering In Tough Times.

A Hike to Sandburg's Home

Hello everybody. I am testing out my dial2do and hello text options to allow me while I'm out of the office to do post a blog posting as Amber and I are walking along Carl Sandburg's trails not far from our home. Pictures to follow here shortly if I can figure out how to get them out of my cellphone. I just wanted to check in. You know sometimes when you're living and working purpose is also includes some fun and play. - Powered by

Dial2Do

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Isn't technology amazing?  While Amber and I were walking together with our two dogs (see pic), I was able to record the above message from my cell phone by calling Dial2Do, and instructing it to leave a Typepad entry.  I also posted a status update to Twitter and Facebook in the same way -- through Dial2Do which then connected with Hello Text and on to the social networks.

Awesome.Well, at least I find it so. But as awesome as the technology is, it doesn't hold a candle to spending time with my beautiful daughter and two of our four-legged family members.  Again, technology allowed me to capture the moment with my cell phone camera and then send it on to the web site so I could share it with you.

It's a gorgeous day here in the NC mountains, sunny with the temps in the low 50s.  Carl Sandberg's was crowded, almost as many people at there are in the Spring.  I guess everyone wants to take advantage of the warmer, sunny weather, especially since it's been overcast and rainy the last several days.

I think one of the nicest things about today's walk is that Amber initiated it by inviting me on a hike. It feels good to know that we have a relationship where she still likes to 'hang out' with her dad.  And I know that's not the case with all parents and their teenagers, which is one of the reasons that one of Life On Purpose Institute's Purpose Projects for 2009 will be Family & Teens On Purpose.  More about that later.

For now, it's just good to be alive, happy and content. Oh, and I've figured out how to get the other pics out of my cell phone so here are a few more:

 

Spending Our Way Out of a Recession - Stein's Approach Missing Out

One of my favorite show, and one of the few news shows I watch regularly is CBS's Sunday Morning.  I often enjoy Ben Stein's opinion pieces too, but this past Sunday's comments by Stein left me thinking he'd missed the boat with his view of how we can spend our way out of a recession.  Says Stein:

"Okay. It's Christmas time.

We are in a recession. People are being laid off right and left. Homes are being foreclosed in huge numbers. Detroit is teetering on the brink of disaster. There is a wild, palpable fear running amok in the nation.

One of my best friends, a very successful engineer, told me her plan for the Christmas season was to spend as little money as possible. A number of my pals have said the same thing and retail sales bear it out.

People are planning not to spend. They're not spending.

This is not a good idea.

For those of us who still have our jobs, who still have a few nickels to rub together, we should be buying like mad.

Look, we're faced with John Maynard Keynes called "the paradox of thrift." If everyone is cheap and thrifty and doesn't spend, the economy slumps and everyone is poorer, not richer."

But perhaps we need to look a little more deeply at this.  For example, many people have pointed out that the American auto industry needs major revamping, since they're whole economic stability is predicated on the need to produce bigger and bigger vehicles. 

But isn't our overall retail economy equally dysfunctional when many retailers determination of whether they go in the red or black is based on the last 3-4 weeks of the year.  Might it not be a good time to rethink our whole retail structure in this case.

And how about some 'mindful buying,' rather than 'buying like mad,' which is what we've mostly done in the past.  Says Stein, "So, for those of us who can still pay our mortgages, let's tip the doorman double, get cashmere sweaters and flat screen TV's for our kids, and trips to Palm Springs for our wives."

Really??  How about using this economic slump to not become frozen by fear for sure, but instead to re-access our core values and direct our economic clout towards what truly matters most.  Dare I say, maybe it's time for some 'spending on purpose,' rather than spending like mad.

P.S. There was one particular comment that Ben made that I do fully endorse: "Most of all, we can share with people and animals in need. When times get tough, donations to homeless shelters and animal shelters collapse. Those of us still able should really dig deep this Christmas and give all we can."  Of course, do so mindfully and consistent with your purpose and values.

Karen Mehringer - Sailing into Your Dreams - A Blog Interview

I recently had a fascinating conversation with author and life purpose coach, Karen Mehringer, for the Living & Working On Purpose Radio show that will air on Exceptional Wisdom Radio on Wednesday, Dec. 3rd at 5 pm eastern.  I asked Karen to respond to a few other questions which she graciously said yes to. 

Here they are:

Please describe the work you do in your business. How is it in alignment with your life purpose? What are some of the ways you live true to your life purpose outside of work?

My primary life purpose is to experience joy and to share it with others. My business, Creative Transformations, was developed in 2004 as a medium for me to creatively and authentically express myself in the world while also assisting others to experience more purpose, passion and joy in their lives. I do this via my writing, speaking and psychotherapy/coaching work. As I witness my clients transform their lives, I experience great joy! Outside of work, I live my purpose by doing things that I love, that bring me joy like reading, hiking, skiing, sailing, dancing, spending time with friends and family, engaging in spiritual community. I also love spending time outdoors, connecting with nature and the Divine.

What have you found can get in the way when it comes to living and working on purpose?
The pressure to make money and pay bills can cause me to feel anxious at times which blocks the flow of joy and abundance in my life. Out of fear, I act compulsively and get busy “doing” and getting things done. When I am able to remain in trust and “be” still and silent, Spirit guides my actions. I then accomplish more with less effort and experience joy in the process.

What suggestions would you offer to someone who knew it was time to become clearer about their life purpose?

Set your intentions to receive guidance and assistance. It can come in many forms such as a conversation with a friend or stranger, picking up a book that resonates with you, symbols and messages in your nighttime dreams. Make it a practice to journal and meditate on a regular basis. The truth and wisdom you seek is already within you. If you feel stuck, then hire a coach or therapist like myself to assist you to move forward. Sometimes our limiting beliefs, childhood wounds, traumatic experiences and deepest fears can keep us immobilized. It takes great courage to heal and transform our lives, but the benefits of living a joy-filled, purposeful life is well worth it!

What helps you stay on purpose?

A daily spiritual practice assists me to connect to my center of abundant joy and stay on purpose. I start by doing about 20 minutes of yoga and then pray and meditate at my altar for about 10 minutes. I also write and meditate to check in with myself on a frequent basis. When I feel stuck or am in fear, using affirmations can help me move forward. I also engage in a gratitude practice such as writing down what I am grateful for every night before I go to bed…even the small things. Upon awakening, I say a prayer of gratitude for the new day while setting my intentions for how I desire my day to unfold. I then spend a few moments visualizing my day and how I desire to feel. If I’m short of time, I do this in the shower.

Listen to the Living & Working On Purpose Radio Show for more.

Holidays On Purpose on Living & Working On Purpose Radio

There can be a lot of contrast during the winter holiday season.  Really, any holiday can bring up some of our 'stuff', so with a primary holiday season upon us, Ann and I figured we'd lend a hand about what we've learned about staying on purpose during this time of the year.

Listen Here.   

Here are the tips and resources for Holidays on Purpose. Books to use as resources

• Hundred Dollar Holiday by Bill McKibben
• Simplify Your Christmas: 100 Ways to Reduce Stress and Recapture the Joy of the Holidays by Elaine St. James

Tips:

1. Sort out what you really want for the holidays
2. Let family and friends know what you are doing
3. Live within your means to keep yourself from going into debt
4. Stop the "Shoulds"
5. Create a theme for the holidays (such as Making Memories, Hundred Dollar Holiday, etc.)
6. Make your own gifts to bring more meaning to the holiday
7. Cut back on the number of gifts you are giving
8. Compromise in new ways
9. Get creative about everything from gift giving to decorating to how much you will spend
10. Live from LOVE instead of Fear, lack, struggle & not enough

Chuck Pettis of Earth Sanctuary on Living & Working On Purpose Radio

Chuck Pettis – visionary, designer, author, monument-builder, and eco-artist – is the founder of Earth Sanctuary, a 72-acre nature reserve and retreat center located on Whidbey Island in the state of Washington.

Author of the books, Secrets of Sacred Space: Discover and Create Places of Power, as well as TechnoBrands: How to Create and Use, Brand Identity to Market, Advertise and Sell Technology Products, Chuck Pettis was recognized in the September 2008 issue of Science of Mind magazine as one of 12 people making a difference in the world.

Listen on Wednesday, Dec. 17, at 5 pm eastern on Exceptional Wisdom Radio.

Simplifying Your Life Podcast

Seems like everyone is talking about the economic downturn both online and off, and there's a lot of different perspectives on it. One that I'd like to offer today is that this is a perfect time to re-evaluate your life and lifestyle and to simplify it all. So, here are 10 simple steps to get you started to living a simpler life and a life on purpose.

WORKING ON PURPOSE: Taking a Stand for Creating a World On Purpose

This is part two of a 2-part article.  I posted part one yesterday, in case you missed it.

For over a decade now, Ann and I have held it in our mind that it's the vision of creating a world on purpose that directs our decisions, choices, and actions, while doing everything we can to stay fiscally and financially responsible so we can keep the doors open and continue to fulfill on the vision. And, we recognize and acknowledge that the real C.E.O. of Life On Purpose Institute is God, Divine Source of it all. ( C.E.O. for us equals Cosmic Enlightened Officer.)

Relating to Life On Purpose as a 'vision-directed, fiscally responsible, spiritually based enterprise has helped us through some tough times. When Ann and I look at our business in this way, we see that it's time to make some adjustments that are consistent with being this kind of enterprise.  Adjustments that include:

**  Deepening our own spiritual practices as they relate to our work in the world.
**  Renewing our commitment to the vision of Life On Purpose Institute, and trusting that as we allow that vision to direct our decisions, choices and actions, all necessary resources will be provided for the continuation of the vision being realized.
**  And perhaps the most significant adjustment is in regards to our policy around charging for our programs and coaching services.

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A Purposeful Policy for These Turbulent Times
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Effective immediately, our policy is this:  

"Anyone who truly feels called to our work (programs and coaching services), and feel that we can be of service to them in living a more purposeful and meaningful life, will not be denied those services due to monetary or financial constraints. 

We will make every effort to find a way that will allow them to participate in our work while continuing to be financially responsible as an enterprise."

Said another way, money or financial issues will no longer be an obstacle to people who are truly called to our work from benefiting from it. 

For example, in a few days we'll be opening the next Living the Fulfilled Life Program: Purposeful Prosperity Edition, and there will be 12 slots available...the number of people we feel we can most effectively serve in the program. 

And yet, given our new policy, as long as there are slots available, we're committed to making those slots available to people who are guided to this program, whether or not they can pay the full tuition.  Together with the client, we will determine what financial arrangement is consistent with our being a vision-directed, fiscally responsible, spiritually based enterprise.

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Assisting Others to Live On Purpose
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We also realize that in any economic climate there are people who are 'flush' with money and those who are 'tapped out' and many in between.  To help balance these temporary imbalances, we're starting a Life On Purpose Scholarship Fund that will allow people who feel guided to contribute to helping others live on purpose to do so. 

So for example, let's say Alice feels called to do the upcoming Living the Fulfilled Life program and she can take care of 50% of the tuition without causing a hardship for herself or her family, then, if there's money in the scholarship fund, we'll pull the other half of her tuition from the fund.  If there's no money in the fund, then we'll absorb the difference.

Now, will some people try to take advantage of this new policy?  Perhaps, we'll see, but I don't foresee this happening.  For one thing, there will be certain conditions of satisfaction to be in our programs, or use our coaching services that I believe will wean out those who are insincere.

(If you want to read the rest of the story including these conditions, go to: http://www.lifeonpurpose.com/policy)

This is an experiment. Then again, in a very real way, so is Life On Purpose Institute and our lives. <G> You can be sure, Ann and I will continue to meet with our C.E.O. on a regular basis over the next several months, and we'll keep you posted how this all unfolds.

NOTE:  Shortly after writing this article, I read another one on Steve Pavlina's blog entitled How to Make Lots of Money During a Recession.  While it's a fairly long article, it has many good points in it, and in some ways I think really speaks to what has prompted us to create this new policy.  I encourage you to take a look at it, and then return here for comments. 

Living On Purpose: Moving Through Fear to Faith

This is part one of a two part article that I wrote for Purposeful Pondering Ezine.  I wanted to share it with the blogosphere as well with the hope that it would of interest and value to others during these turbulent times we face.

Ann and I have been married for 18-plus years....happily I might add.  But about a week before our wedding day, I was going nuts at work at the coaching and consulting company where I received much of my business coaching experience.  And Pontish, the owner of the company, heard from another of the consultants how nuts I was and called me.

After we talked for awhile, Pontish gave me an assignment which went something like this:

"Brad, take your dog for a walk. (Yes, even back then I did some of my best thinking while walking my dog).  While you're walking I want you to contemplate what predictably is going to happen in your marriage to Ann.  To really be with the 'no possibility' side of the equation.  Since you have two prior divorces under your belt, and Ann has one, and you both have a number of other 'failed relationships' in your past, predictably this marriage will end up in divorce as well.

During this walk, don't be with the possibility of it all. You and Ann have hung out there your entire time of knowing each other.  Just spend a little time being with the the other side of the coin -- the possible worst case scenario.  And then, choose whether or not to go forward with the wedding or not."

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Moving from Fear to Faith In One Self
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It turned out to be one of the hardest coaching assignments I've ever been given and one of the most powerful as well.

You see, I did what Pontish asked, and really hung out with the fears and pains of going through another failed marriage...and I came out the other side.  I realized that if that was what happened with Ann and me, I'd still be OK.  I'd recover from it and go on, and so would Ann. In the process I grew in my faith...my faith in myself and in my relationship with the Divine.

And having faced the greatest fears around it, I could authentically stand for a much larger possibility, which has since that day been that our marriage would be a demonstration of what's possible in a loving, committed relationship. That stand has allowed us to go through some hellish times and only become stronger as a couple for them.

We recently conducted this exercise with our business and the down economy and realized that no matter what happens, we'll be OK, as a couple and as a family.  It was part of the foundation that led to taking a stand with our business as well, as we'll explore next.