The Gift That Keeps On Giving . . .

Welcome to Seeds 4 Growth issue #6!

In each issue, I will use the “Higher Power of 4’s” to provide 4 “seeds” within a particular topic designed to help individuals, teams, and organizations find purpose in fulfilling their true growth potential. And by doing so, grow leaders into living legacy builders who desire to make the world better.

“The glory of gardening: hands in the dirt, head in the sun, heart with nature. To nurture a garden is to feed not just on the body, but the soul.”

— Alfred Austin

Within my new book, The Purposeful Growth Revolution: 4 Ways to Grow from Leader to Legacy Builder, I outline a holistic model for purposeful growth that features a LEAF as a natural symbol of growth as well as an acronym (Leadership, Engagement, Accountability and Fulfillment). Given the approaching winter season, I thought it would be particularly relevant to discuss the concept of purpose fulfillment—truly a gift that keeps on giving.

Depending on where you live and your tolerance for inclement weather, winter can take on many forms. This season can conjure up a variety of thoughts, emotions, and memories, both good and let’s just say…not so good. I grew up in Kansas and have lived in Dallas, Chicago, Atlanta, Austin, and Los Angeles, so I can personally attest to the differences in both intensity and duration of the season. But there’s a time in early winter that, regardless of geography, conjures up very positive memories for most of us—the holidays. In fact, just thinking about the smell of a freshly cut pine tree, warming up with a steaming mug of cocoa, a roaring fire, and gingerbread cookies baking in the oven brings a smile to my face.

Regardless of religious beliefs, the holidays are widely considered “the season of joy.” According to the dictionary, “joy” is a noun defined as: a feeling of great pleasure and happiness. I’m sure we can all understand and relate to the power of joy and happiness in many ways.

In addition to sharing the joys of the holiday season with family and friends, I use this time to both reflect on and celebrate the past year’s accomplishments while getting rejuvenated to embrace the challenges and opportunities of the new year ahead. This is the same process we find in nature as winter plays a significant role in plant rejuvenation. While it may appear most plants are dormant since their leaves have fallen and we see no outward signs of growth, a lot of activity is actually going on in the soil.

In fact, winter is a season of care and feeding for plants and trees as leaves compost into mulch and enhance root systems, building a strong foundation for rebirth in spring. Mulch from fallen leaves serves as a natural fertilizer.

A leaf can fulfill its purpose by “leaving” behind a living legacy through nourishing its ecosystem to help future plants flourish and creating a virtuous cycle of reciprocity for the benefit of others’ growth.

Coincidentally, I recently came across an article written by David Brooks published in The New York Times highlighting the difference between happiness and joy. I thought it was both thought-provoking and highly relevant to this sharing. Brooks states:

Happiness usually involves a victory for self. Joy tends to involve the transcendence of self. Happiness comes from accomplishments. Joy comes from when your heart is in another. The core point is that happiness is good, but joy is better.

While I don’t disagree with Brooks’ thesis, it got me thinking there might be an even deeper, more meaningful, and longer-lasting feeling than fun, happiness, or joy—fulfillment.

• Fun takes place in our body

- Momentary outer-level feeling

- Connected to context

- “I had fun at the concert last night!”

• Happiness takes place in our mind

- Short-term, surface-level feeling

- Connected to self

- “I feel very happy at the moment.”

• Joy takes place in our heart

- Longer-term, deeper-level feeling

- Connected to others

- “It gives me great joy to serve others.”

• Fulfillment takes place in our soul

- Eternal, spiritual-level feeling

- Connected to purpose

- “I feel a deep sense of fulfillment in my life.”

All these feelings are vitally important for growth; however, I believe fun is an important respite while happiness on certain levels can lead to a deeper sense of joy. But I believe the concept of The Purposeful Growth Revolution is even more important—encompassing all of one’s life journey as we learn and grow forward, and the living legacy paid backward for the benefit of others along the way.

Fulfillment: 1. To bring into actuality; effect or make real: fulfilled their promises; fulfilled their dream. 2. To do, perform, or obey; carry out. 3. To meet; satisfy.

I believe we attain fulfillment naturally when we “grow into” our purpose and in communion with our creator. But given we are human organisms who thrive in community, we need to be nurtured along our growth journey to fulfill our unique purpose while we "pay it backward" to help others do likewise.

For me, it’s not “nature versus nurture” as the old debate poses. I believe it is vitally important to have an interrelationship between both elements in cultivating our full growth potential. We must establish a growth ecosystem to attain Purposeful Growth Fulfillment.

According to National Geographic, an ecosystem is a geographic area where plants, animals, and other organisms, along with weather and landscape, work together to form a bubble of life. There are 4 conditions that must be correct for seeds to germinate: temperature, moisture, air, and light.?It is important to note each seed type has individual needs.

Consider the delicate balance of key variables that enable a tree to fulfill its purpose. While it’s true some plants can adapt to new surroundings, most tend to thrive in the ecosystem in which they evolved, which best fits their unique growth traits. This means the best combination of soil, sunlight, rain, and protection, and a balance of oxygen and carbon dioxide for a plant to grow and thrive.

As you will read in my book, I believe “nature” can be a powerful metaphor for growth—linking key aspects of a plant or tree to represent the revolutionary 4 LEAF GROWTH processes found in successful individuals, teams, and organizations. I further believe the way to optimize growth is using a nurture-based approach representing the entire ecosystem, including the care, feeding, and safety of the plant, which can also be said of the cultural environment of a team or organization.

The word “nurture” is both a verb and a noun. According to Vocabulary.com, “If you plant a seed, water it daily, and give it lots of light, you can nurture it until it is ready to be transplanted outside. When you nurture a person or thing, you care for it and help it to grow.”

As we apply this metaphor to the growth of an individual within the context of a team or organization, we call it a “culture.” It stands to reason that Nature + Nurture = Culture.

And, in the immortal words of the great marketing guru Peter Drucker, we learn, “Culture eats strategy for breakfast.”

Before we talk about the cultural dynamics of your team or organization that is largely outside your control, let’s first put the spotlight on you which is most definitely in your control. Let’s begin by having you consider the following questions:

Who do you want to become? How badly do you want to get there? If you were to fulfill your growth potential, what would that look like? Who would you be? What would you hope to accomplish? What living legacy would you like to leave? How might that change your family, your friends, your coworkers, your community, and the world? What would it be worth to you? How would you measure its value? What currency is most motivating to you?

“What great thing would you attempt, if you knew you could not fail?”

— Anonymous

I have always loved the above quote because it provides a unique perspective while challenging us to think big and be brave. However, I feel replacing a few key words would make the quote even more powerful. Given the fact the writer is anonymous, I’m sure they won’t mind.

“What great purpose would you fulfill, if you knew you could not fail?”

More than just “attempting a great thing,” which comes across as a somewhat vague, one-off activity, fulfilling our great purpose(s) is a life-long quest. Are you clear on what you want? It might include:

?????????????Financial security

?????????????Personal freedom

?????????????Purpose fulfillment

?????????????Growth and development

?????????????More time with my family and friends

?????????????Leaving a “living” legacy

?????????????Meeting others’ needs

?????????????Other?

Now, let me turn this around and ask you an equally (if not more so) important question. What will your life be like if you don’t find purpose in fulfilling your true growth potential?

?????????????Financial insecurity

?????????????Personal failure

?????????????Squandering gifts/talents

?????????????Surviving instead of thriving

?????????????Letting family down

?????????????Crippling regret

?????????????Envying others

?????????????Other?

“Someone once told me the definition of Hell; on your last day on earth, the person you could have been become will meet the person you became.”

— Anonymous

Ouch! That would certainly be an extremely unsettling image.

I know which direction I would choose—do you?

I also know finding your purpose and fulfilling your growth potential takes intentional work. You must have clarity about who you serve, why you exist, how you invest yourself, and what you will do to get “there.” My goal is to help you create a powerful and inspiring Personal Brand that will accentuate your unique assets and equities in highly attractive ways, and a Purposeful Growth Plan that will help you navigate your journey.

To amplify my points, I want to share these words of advice said by Steve Jobs just before he passed away:

“Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma—which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.”

In summary, it is vitally important to ask and answer these 4 foundational questions to grow into your purpose and ensure personal and professional success.?

Seeds 4 Growth

1. Who do you “serve” (i.e., Spiritual, Relational, Personal, Professional)?

2. Why do you exist (i.e., what’s your unique purpose in life)?

3. How do you invest yourself to create a “living” legacy (i.e., time, talents, treasures)?

4. What must you do to fulfill your true growth potential (i.e., a Purposeful Growth Plan)?

The new world of work is changing... on purpose.

If you are interested in learning how you, your team, or your organization can find purpose in fulfilling your true growth potential, I would be delighted to work with you. Please check out my website at https://www.MarkAMears.com where you will find my free Purposeful Growth Self-Assessment that will help identify where your growth opportunities may be.

The Purposeful Growth Revolution is ON!

Are you IN?