I recently grabbed a thumbdrive from a drawer, not knowing what was on it, just needing it to transfer some data.
When I opened it, I saw it wasn't just any thumb drive, it was the one that had a recording of my dear dad's funeral. Whereas normally I would avoid inviting any sadness back from the time he passed, I was strangely drawn to watching it. I believed there were messages through his eulogy he wanted me to pay attention to, and so I listened intently.
Of all the messages I took away, this one stood out the most:
Know and live your purpose, outside of work.
My dad lived with so much purpose. Yes, accounting was purposeful during his working hours, but really, his purpose was being the example of love and generosity. As a husband, father of 6, grandfather of 8 and a faithful Christian, he constantly gave in various ways to all the people in his life. He was not only dedicated to caring for my special brother Pete full time, he sought out opportunities to volunteer, to donate his money, to help those near and far.
When he turned 80 I asked him where he wanted to celebrate, suggesting where I selfishly wanted to travel to: Italy, Ireland, a Caribbean Island. His answer: Guatemala, to meet the children he'd been sponsoring. It was more meaningful to him to spend time with those children in their impoverished nation than to go anywhere just for himself. His purpose guided his decisions and it was far-reaching.
On his final days suffering from pancreatic cancer, his stubborn yet purpose-driven self said to the visiting priest: “If I could just get rid of this pain, I would be out of here!”. In his mind and heart, he had so much more love to give this world. His body just didn't cooperate.
Even though he passed 5 years ago, my dad has a way of showing up in my life when I need him most. When I'm frazzled on the golf course, I hear his calming voice. On a sad day, Pete brought me a beautiful bouquet of flowers, much like my dad would bring me. I know it was dad working through Pete. And just this week when feeling unfocused, of all the thumb drives in that drawer I could've chosen, it was the one with his message I picked. I needed the reminder of his generous love and the importance of knowing and living my purpose.
Thank you dad for inserting yourself in my life when I need you most. Your life was so well-lived, and your generosity and love in my life lives on, and always will.
And so I ask each of you who has something unique and very special to offer the world: Outside of work, do you know and live your purpose? What will people say about you when you're no longer here?
If you're not sure what your purpose is, I will help you get clarity. This is what I love to do! Take my purpose workshop & let's discuss 1:1. Get your clarity here: https://snowy-lake-343.myflodesk.com/ivmcxc1urh
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