Joy, Service, Rewards
I recently received an email from Theresa Szczurek (http://www.pursuitofpassionatepurpose.com/) that, together with the message in "Not Fade Away" (see below) resonated with me and may with readers of this blog as well.
In the email, Ms. Szczurek described how she had met all of her business development goals in 2007 but, when she took stock of her life as she prepared for 2008, she realized that she had sacrificed quite a bit in her personal life. Of course, this is something that many of us experience. Rather than beating herself up over the issue, Ms. Szczurek decided to use the lessons from last year to take action in 2008. The message she crafted for herself and that she now shares with her clients is: "first, follow JOY, then seek to be of SERVICE, and then reap the REAL REWARDS."
How often do we, in the honest pursuit of the things we believe we need to be happy, provide for our families, etc., truly "follow Joy"? I've also heard this described as a decision to "follow your bliss." It sounds easy, doesn't it? But then we run up against reality: "How am I going to pay for my ___________ [home, car, apartment, school, child's education - you name it] if I pursue my dream of playing lead guitar with the Rolling Stones?"
I don't know the answer. I'm not even sure I've decided what my own "bliss" is (if you have figured this out for yourself, congratulations!!). What I do know is that Ms. Szczurek, like Peter Barton in "Not Fade Away," is on to something very powerful.
Another example of this is contained in "The Dash" (http://s224403325.onlinehome.us/dashpoemmovie/), which was recently sent to me by my friend and business colleague, Bill Moye. In a nutshell, "The Dash" describes the dash that you'll find between the birth and death dates on someone's tombstone. The tombstone clearly identifies the start date and end date of the person's earthly existence. But how the person spent their life is contained in the dash.
So how are you going to spend your dash? I'd suggest that Szczurek and Barton offer some powerful guideposts for all of us.
In the email, Ms. Szczurek described how she had met all of her business development goals in 2007 but, when she took stock of her life as she prepared for 2008, she realized that she had sacrificed quite a bit in her personal life. Of course, this is something that many of us experience. Rather than beating herself up over the issue, Ms. Szczurek decided to use the lessons from last year to take action in 2008. The message she crafted for herself and that she now shares with her clients is: "first, follow JOY, then seek to be of SERVICE, and then reap the REAL REWARDS."
How often do we, in the honest pursuit of the things we believe we need to be happy, provide for our families, etc., truly "follow Joy"? I've also heard this described as a decision to "follow your bliss." It sounds easy, doesn't it? But then we run up against reality: "How am I going to pay for my ___________ [home, car, apartment, school, child's education - you name it] if I pursue my dream of playing lead guitar with the Rolling Stones?"
I don't know the answer. I'm not even sure I've decided what my own "bliss" is (if you have figured this out for yourself, congratulations!!). What I do know is that Ms. Szczurek, like Peter Barton in "Not Fade Away," is on to something very powerful.
Another example of this is contained in "The Dash" (http://s224403325.onlinehome.us/dashpoemmovie/), which was recently sent to me by my friend and business colleague, Bill Moye. In a nutshell, "The Dash" describes the dash that you'll find between the birth and death dates on someone's tombstone. The tombstone clearly identifies the start date and end date of the person's earthly existence. But how the person spent their life is contained in the dash.
So how are you going to spend your dash? I'd suggest that Szczurek and Barton offer some powerful guideposts for all of us.
posted by Chris Kenny at
10:59 AM
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