Living & Working On Purpose

50 new members have joined our Life On Purpose Community

We've had close to 50 new members join our Life On Purpose Community over the last week.  What's that all about?  Well, for starters I've been encouraging you all to take 2 minutes to join as a fr.ee member, because very soon we're going to announce a whole new way to bring clarity of purpose to your life.

Not only will you receive a number of additional online resources such as:

Ø      a large article archive filled with powerful insights on how to bring more purpose and passion to life,

Ø      an audio library offering insightful classes on living on purpose,

Ø      extended samples of the Life On Purpose Process Online Program &

Ø      a few more surprises,

Ø      and you'll be among the first to hear about our new business model as part of our celebrating our 10 year birthday as a spiritually based enterprise.

Time is running out, so what are you waiting for?  Go NOW, do not pass GO, do not collect $200 but instead collect some purposeful resources and the inside track for our soon-to-be-announced new way for you to enhance your life with a greater sense of purpose and meaning than ever before.  And what a great way to help us celebrate our 10th birthday -- by continuing to help people enhance their life through purpose.  Ready, Set, Join at:

Http://www.lifeonpurpose.com/join .

The Birth of Life On Purpose Institute

At Life On Purpose Institute we believe everyone should follow their purpose and passion in life and that doing so will never lead you astray even when you aren’t completely clear where it will lead you.  I call it “following the breadcrumbs of your passion” and it’s actually how Life On Purpose Institute began.

I first got the idea of starting a organization that was a reflection of my own purpose of living a life of service, simplicity and spiritual serenity from a pet writing project:

Project Purpose: To write and publish articles about people and insitutions
whose lives and missions are dedicated to a bold and inspired purpose or vision.

After interviewing and spending time with dozens of these purposeful people, I began to recognize certain common elements they shared; one of which was that almost all of them were expressing their own life purpose through some organized structure -- a for profit business, a non-profit, etc.  I was in the midst of pondering what such an organization would look like for me when I received an assignment from Yoga Journal  to write a feature article on simple living in a complex world.  They wanted, as part of the article, a sidebar listing resources about living simply.

Well, I thought, Life On Purpose Institute could be in that sidebar, except there wasn’t a Life On Purpose Institute yet.  At first I dismissed the idea as being premature, but as I continued writing the article I couldn’t get the idea out of my mind.  Finally, I ran it by my coach who replied, “Why not include it and see what happens?”  So, I did.

I didn’t think much more about it until 2 to 3 months later when the article appeared as the cover story for the August, 1996 issue of Yoga Journal with a cartoon illustration by Gahan Wilson.  A few days  after the magazine hit the newsstands, my phone rang.  “Hello, Brad Swift,” I answer in my customary fashion.

“Is this Life On Purpose?” An excited voice on the other end of the line asked.

I paused,  momentarily dazed and looked around my office.  I had forgotten about listing my dream in the sidebar.  Gathering my wits about me, I replied, “Yes, how may I serve you?”

That was 10 years ago next month.  Today Life On Purpose Institute is a flourishing, spiritually based enterprise.  Hundreds of people have clarified their life purpose by working individually with our Life On Purpose Certified Coaches, and thousands of others have done the same through our group programs.  We have had close to a hundred purposeful and passionate people who have gone through our Coach Development Programs as far away as Germany and Australia.  While our mission to deeply and profoundly touch and contribute to at least 1% of the world’s population (around 60-70 million people), is far from complete, we’re building momentum to have it accomplished during my life time.  (I turned 57 a couple of months ago and intend to live to at least 104, so we have some time to make this Impossible Mission possible).

This “meta purpose project” continues to transform my life and that of my wife, Ann, who is also Life On Purpose’s CFO and program registrar.  Only in my wildest dreams did I ever think I could live such a satisfying and fulfilling life as I’m living now, but then again, isn’t that where such realities begin — in our dreams.  Perhaps Goethe said it best: 

“Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it: boldness has genius, power and magic in it.”

For all of you reading this who are a part of our cyber-adventure, thank you for all that you have contributed and continue to contribute to my life and to the realization of the LOPI vision.  Please celebrate with us our 10th birthday of Life On Purpose Institute.  Can any of us imagine what LOPI will be like when its 50!

You can count on that at Life On Purpose Institute, we will continue to follow our purposeful path of passionate breadcrumbs.

(To read the landmark article, Simple Living in a Complex World that launched LOPI into the world, go to: http://lifeonpurpose.com/index.php?task=more-info&page=42&websectionid=86 )

HOW ABOUT YOU?  What insights can you glean from this story that you can apply to your own life and work?  What passion filled idea are you holding back waiting for the perfect time, the perfect business or life partner, or the perfect amount of money to kick it off?  What breadcrumb of passion path could you follow that would bring a deeper sense of purpose and meaning to your life?

Share your comments here and let me know if I can share them in Purposeful Pondering Ezine.

Tapping Into Your Deepest, Purest, Truest & Boldest Desires

Ok, this is where I get to 'practice what I'm preaching (actually coaching) this week in the article, "Leading a Public vs. a Private Life." This is how the plan to redesign Life On Purpose as we move into our second decade came about. It starting with me tapping into one of my deepest desires.

Tapping Into Your Deepest, Purest, Truest & Boldest Desires

Have you ever had a desire that was so pure and true that you just knew in the moment of recognizing it that it was already on its way to you? Such desires have the ability to alter us at the cellular level as our very DNA begins to align itself to fit the new reality of the desire. I had such an experience recently. It was proceeded the day before by a powerful coaching session with my coach that served as a seed for the desire, followed by a family upset that nudged me off purpose to the point I was guided to take a long walk in nature.

It was while I was on that walk restoring my sense of inner peace that the desire came forth so pure and true as to almost take my breath away. Luckily I had my journal with me, so I was able to capture it in words. It went like this:

This is a Game Worth Playing!

To build a spiritually based, vision-directed, fiscally responsible enterprise with a vision to create a world on purpose, with the mission to deeply and profoundly touch and contribute to at least 1% of the world's population by assisting people to clarify their life purpose and live true to it. And to build it in such a way that it lives and flourishes well beyond my own life and that in the process of building it I, my family, loved ones and those connected with this grand enterprise live on purpose and flourish as well.

This is my grand game that creates a gap worthy of investing my life to close. It is what I truly and purely desire.

I also understand that it is not necessary at this point to know how -- how is not my job -- and my CEO (Cosmic Enlightened Officer) works with me regarding the how on a "nee to know basis." I am prepared to release and am releasing any past based, detracting meaning/thoughts/feelings that would in anyway slow the realization of this desire. I affirm that I lean from my past without being limited by it.

This is what has led me to look more deeply at our current 'business model' and to begin to rethink how we can fulfill on our vision, mission and this new 'Grand Game Worth Playing."

I truly hope that these words touch your heart and assist you in tapping into your own deepest, purest, truest and boldest desire -- one that will take your breath away with a jolt of ecstasy that will be strong enough to begin to rearrange your very DNA.