The power of purpose

Do you know your purpose?

A well-crafted purpose statement will inspire you. For some of my clients being the best parent and/or spouse is their purpose and the work they do must serve this. Others choose to be more creative, while a few are up for a purpose that has global impact. Your purpose should address the values and roles you have that are most important to you in the long run.

Jay Beckley is a digital media consultant, the director of the SMyles Foundation, and the proud father of three children. For the ten years before his career transition, he worked for Yahoo!. He left while he was a Regional Vice President, leaving behind a great deal of prestige, salary, and benefits in order to fulfill a higher purpose.

When Jay and I first met, he was a reluctant executive coaching client. Jay has always been focused on his wife and kids, first and work, second. From my experience, this

is very unusual in the corporate world. In our work together, he completed purpose statements that reflected his values and concretely communicated his intention for

his life and family. He has also used his purpose statements as a tool for surviving the worst tragedy he and his family will ever have to endure.

In January of 2008, Jay took his wife Virginia and kids to Costa Rica on vacation and to visit family. Myles, their five-year-old son, was injured in a freak accident and then died suddenly. Since this happened, I have watched from the sidelines as this extraordinary man and his family continue to work through their grief by following the threads of faith and purpose. Here is an excerpt from that work that was completed before Myles’ accident in Jay’s coaching program:

Overall Purpose: To love Virginia and raise children with her.

Parent: To overwhelm our children with love and care. To be their biggest supporter, to give them most of me, and spend as much time as possible with them. To always be there for them and to teach them well.

Spouse: To have Virginia feel loved completely and wholly. To always appreciate everything she has given me and does for us. To make her smile.

In retrospect, Jay believes that defining his life goals and creating his purpose statements was instrumental in all the decisions he has made since the tragedy, including leaving Yahoo!. He has said that he left the security of the corporate world to enjoy the security of his family. In the future, he will continue to share the joy Myles brought to others through a foundation that provides scholarships to children in need. You can learn more about Myles and how he continues to inspire others at Myles5.com  and at this video.

Purpose is a reflection of your best self. If you would like to learn more about this process or need help creating your own guidelines for life, The New World Institute can help. Take our comprehensive and free Career Change Assessment and set up a complimentary consultation with one of our qualified coaches.

If you would like to learn more about how The New World Institute  can transform your career and help you discover your true calling, then join my business partner Paul Lanzarotti and me on this free Webinar.  To register click HERE