THE BENCH: PURPOSE

How often do you hear the story about the hard working person, male or female, they finally reach a point that they decide to retire. Now this is the same person that everyday showed up early to work, carried the ball all day and many times late into the night and even on week-ends.

This is the person that you thought, geez where do they get the energy? How do they do this? But one day you hear, remember Sally or Jim? They passed away suddenly or they are in the hospital, had a heart attack? You think how did that happen now of all times?

You hear too about the husband or the wife that the spouse passes and within one year they do as well and you again say, How did that happen? I believe it is all about having a reason to be there. That "PURPOSE" The daily reason you get up, you push yourself to make an impact, make a difference. I look at that BENCH and each day, exhausted or not, I am doing that work out, I am using that bench as my purpose not to try to be Mr. America or another Arnold, but to keep my body healthy and strong so I can help my family, be with my children, my wife and do all the fun things they need me to do as well as help when they need me to help.

I will tell each of you, the purpose that gets you up each morning certainly can change, adjust and adapt, BUT you must have one. Is it driving people to get groceries or medicine as you get older, is it being part of a non-profit to help others, where is the place that people look and smile seeing you and where is the place that you feel, if you did not show up you let them down.

Work must give you this, or leave the role, does it make you feel you have a purpose, NOT a salary a purpose? Does the relationships you have make you feel, they need me BUT I need them, if not run fast! And in your daily life find a place that you can tell yourself, YES, this is not what you do but rather the what I AM. The reason I exist is to do this.

Many years ago I told a great friend, that at first when I successfully achieved my Black Belt, that was a purpose. But as time went by and I taught, I saw another purpose in teaching and coaching, the self esteem the students gained, the deep friendships that were built. And later beyond this, I became a Black Belt therapist for Kids Kicking Cancer, in this I found the "purpose". It never was the Black belt it was using the skills and learnings of meditation, self control, self discipline to teach these young cancer patients how to manage the pain and the therapies . So in that moment I clearly saw, this was my purpose, so yes it can change, evolve over time but you must always have a purpose. LEADERS MUST SHOW UP WITH A PURPOSE AND LEADERS MUST GIVE THE TEAM A PURPOSE