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Finding Purpose, Finding Freedom

This post’s title may seem alarming, but in our cookie cutter/make it easy world it would be dangerous to use any other. 

As I mentioned in last week’s post (How To Know If You’re a Corporate Slave), lack of purpose (specifically life) will create a condition that leads to enslavement to your career.  If you’re not careful you’ll wake up and find yourself dead…even if you’re still breathing.

The following outlines how (mistakenly) purpose became the food of mystics, preachers, artists and the like:

  • As information began to flow more rapidly, we got bored.  Yes, bored!  We now have so many choices and it leads to…well…life surfing.  Life surfing is not to unlike channel surfing, since it is the sad practice of jumping from one thing to another.  Two years of this, three years of that, but nothing sticks, and nothing grows.
  • We fell in love with celebrity.  Idol worship is another term.  We not only became interested in where Tom Brady spent the holidays, but we anointed him to hero.  And since he’s our hero we don’t need a purpose.  Why have a purpose if Tom can live it out for us-on the field and off.
  • We’re too comfortable.  One of the most lethal poison pills is comfort/ease.  Sadly, we’ve come to expect it, and many would have it no other way.

Now here are my recommendations for turning around:

  • Identify what makes you come alive/what breaks your heart/what you’d be willing to give your all too.  Now go pursue it!  You can do this in many ways, but you must pursue it.
  • Become an alien.  I’m serious…start being different.  If you continue to act and think like the herd, you’ll be just like them; an unspoken statistic.  You were created uniquely (no DNA like your’s) so live accordingly.  Yes, it will be painful in the short run.  However, your concern should not be on the short term pain.
  • Get a coach, advisor, guide, etc.  You’ll need people that will help, especially when you feel like giving up.
  • Stop fighting God.  He has the keys to real purpose, and he’s not your enemy.
  • Give your commitment time (lot’s of it).  Change is a process not momentary event.

Defined by Corporate America

I knew a lady once who always seemed uneasy in her daily work life.  It wasn’t everyday, but I started to notice a trend; when things were good at the organization, then things were good with her.  The same applied when things were bad.  Is that ever a good place to be?  Not in my book, but the former describes many workers/slaves in Corporate America.

To some it seems reasonable that work would define us.  Our economic well-being, sense of belonging, need for exorcising ghosts or greed would explain much.  Not to mention how many hours we spend there.  I see much danger up ahead in Corporate America.  Any system that creates a condition of self-imposed slavery is bound to rupture.  Maybe not a unrepairable rupture, but a rupture just the same.  Understand me, I’m not saying that Corporate America will cease to exist.  There is a heart issue here.  The death of a heart is a tragic thing.  It’s the center of your universe, whether you know it or not.

So how do you avoid the trap of corporate definition?  Think about the following:

  • Don’t kid yourself, it won’t be easy to change.  It will take hard work, but it is simple (thankfully).
  • Make the decision to turn around.  That may mean you choose not to gamble in Vegas or buy that new diamond.
  • Remember, the organization cares about the bottom line first.  Your heart is a by-the-way issue to them. 
  • Eventually (through retirement, downsizing or firing), the organization will ask you to step aside…no matter how great you are today.
  • Start valuing (really valuing) the hidden things.
  • It’s your choice!  The life you create/shape will be credited to you.  Make sure it breathes in eternity.

Playing It Safe

As modern day human becomings, we value safety and security.  Maybe too much…In this post I want to expose the dangers of playing it safe, and how that can lead you to becoming a voluntary slave of your organization.

Think for a moment about your current state.  When it comes to your work, do you manage from a perspective of playing not to lose?  When a controversial issue comes up, do you speak up or keep silent?  Do you prefer to agree with your boss…even when you know he/or she is wrong?  Truth will be the acid test here.  I’ll assume that you’re being honest with yourself and want to get better.

The following are some moves you can make to get out of the business of playing it safe:

  • Start taking some risks.  Make these risks small at first, then gradually make them bigger as you go along.  For example, maybe all your life you believed that investing in the stock market was foolish.  How about doing some research (historic in nature) to see where you could invest a little.  Remember, risk rarely causes great loss, but stupidity does often.
  • Give up control.  This may be the hardest thing you’ll ever attempt to do.  I’m not advocating a "what the hell" attitude.  I’m advocating that you stop thinking you can control the outcome of things you know are out of your hands.  When you give up control, you’ll begin to see life as dynamic versus static.
  • Stop seeking comfort.  One my concerns for America is our obsession with comfort and ease.  A false belief that we’re special and deserve all of the fruit God has provided.  If all you pursue and want is comfort, it is a certainty that your growth has stopped.

People who play it safe will invariably become voluntary slaves of the organization they work for.  Something in them always convinces that to move away from the safety of the shore is foolish. They hear the voices that question giving up a 401k, a pension, health benefits, and without a doubt money.  These are the tried and true techniques of a corporate slave-owner

All of us struggle with playing it safe, but the greatest road we can chart is the one filled with risk and loss.  That’s where we find our Destiny, and that’s where we lead others to a better future.

Motivated by Fear

Today starts the unwrapping of some of the subject matter in yesterday’s post How To Know If You’re a Corporate Slave.  See the list from yesterday to connect the dots.

One of sure signs that you’re a corporate slave is when fear motivates you.  I’m not talking about fear of a deadline or being late to a meeting.  The type of fear I speak of is ongoing.  For example, you recognize that your boss has authority over you and you live in fear that dismissal is a mere breath away.

This post is not designed to tease or make light of your fear.  Matter of fact, I know your situation is very serious.  I have counseled many on dealing with this issue. 

What if you did the following and decided to move toward freedom?

  • Admit to yourself that you are living in fear (not to mention motivated by it).
  • See fear for what it is; False Evidence Appearing Real.
  • Find a mentor to help you in your journey.
  • Ask yourself this question; Is what (your job) I’m doing make me come alive? 
  • Cross the Rubicon and don’t look back.  It won’t be easy, but it will move you toward your Destiny.

All of the above won’t solve every situation or problem you face.  But it is a start in the right direction.  The dangers of being motivated by fear are obvious and yet subtle at the same time. 

Chuck_prince You may get that retirement package you want like Chuck, but you’ll have traded something for it.  You can’t have it all.  You can’t  slave for 60 hours a week and think that you can have a great relationship with your spouse…kids…friends and most importantly God. 

You only have a short time to get this right.  Get in touch to learn how I can help.

How To Know If You’re a Corporate Slave

Want to know if you’re a corporate slave? 

The following are some clues to know:

  1. You’re motivated by fear.
  2. You think playing it safe produces success.
  3. You’re identity is defined by the organization.  In other words, as the organization goes so go you.
  4. You have not identified your purpose in life.
  5. You’re willing to lie rather than take a stand.
  6. You believe in the idea of retirement.
  7. You ignore reality.  For example, the organization is dying and you refuse to accept it.
  8. You consistently compromise your values.
  9. You think power is first a tool to move people and processes.
  10. You haven’t considered the legacy you’re leaving behind.

I will unwrap these clues in the coming weeks.  Hang on!

Nothing Ventured

"To live is the rarest thing in the world. Most people exist, that is all."

The above quote is attributed to Oscar Wilde.  I pulled it from a post from Tom Peters titled; Against All Odds: So What?  The entire post is good…full of things to consider.

As I’ve been looking at my own journey these last couple of weeks, I can’t help but think of what makes what I do worth it.  This is something you should evaluate for yourself as well.  Is what you do full of risk and seemingly insurmountable odds?  Tough sometimes to say and live, but those are the circumstances of real living.  Our soft culture denies this by the way.

What are the odds your facing?  Consider the following as you evaluate:

  • If you’re being sold on something being easy, watch out!  It (nearly) always leaves you dissatisfied.
  • Watch your time because you don’t have as much as you think.
  • If you’re facing an against all odds situation, then evaluate how you got there.  Was it because you cheated or cut corners?  Was it because you began with an honorable pursuit?  The answers to those questions will reveal a lot.
  • You’re not going to break through with skill alone.  Destiny will play a part in the outcome.
  • Don’t give up when the water is up to your neck.

What You Should Do

The following are my tips regarding yesterday’s post:

  • Talk to the receiver (employee/associate).  Hopefully, you’ve built up the kind of rapport that will enable a conversation.
  • Watch them and pay attention.
  • Make sure your trusted advisers know what’s going on.
  • Talk to the receiver again and let him/her know what you’ve observed.
  • Probe for the commitment to change…this is the crossroads.
  • Provide the tools needed for change.
  • Watch.

If you see positive change after the last bullet, then congratulate and spur them on.  If status quo or worsened performance, then it may be time for a trade.