Purpose

It’s been a few weeks since I last posted an article. I’ve been busy working with two companies on projects that, hopefully, have big upside potential. I was part of a big client pitch this week (which went well) and I'm working on a complex content production for another client. While busy, I’ve had the topic for this piece in my head for a while. I spent a good deal of the 6 hour drive home from the pitch thinking of this article. The subject resonates with me hopefully will with you.

So here we go…

My wife and I loved “The Bear” on HULU. By far, it's the best show we’ve watched this year. If you have seen it, you know how good it is. If you haven’t seen it, watch it. Don’t worry, I won’t give too much away here! The show follows an award winning chef and his team as they try to transform a typical Chicago beef joint into a world class restaurant. Quintessential in its portrayal of everything Chicago, the viewer is treated to gritty shots of the city, Chicago themes and the food scene. The writing is top notch. Every episode has a lot of lessons for the viewer. How we live, what we love, what we get from life and work. The second season focuses on purpose. We explore each character’s journey from cook to chef, waitstaff to front of house, etc. We also get a look inside the world of super high end restaurants - the kind of places you book months in advance and are delivered a once in a lifetime experience. It’s fun, raw and well executed.

But “Forks” (S2/E7) goes beyond just good TV. I can’t stop thinking about how incredible the episode is.?

One of the characters Ritchie, is defeated in life?- he is actually quite a miserable person to follow in the show! In “Forks” Ritchie spends a week interning at one of the world’s most exclusive restaurants. We see lots of drama in the restaurant but not for Richie?- He is on an island, given the mindless task of cleaning and polishing forks! He resists but keeps at it. Hours and hours of polishing. It’s painful for Ritchie but through his complaining he picks up important tips from the staff. Work lessons. Life lessons. Over the course of a few days, Ritchie is given more and more responsibilities. The spark is ignited! He transforms, finding meaning and purpose. He becomes a master of giving! He feeds off the energy of making people happy. He finds pleasure in his work, for the first time in his life he sees his direction. Gone is the cynicism and snarky behavior that hides deeper flaws. The new Richie emerges because Richie discovers his real purpose. It’s joyful to watch.?

There is so much more to this deep and fun episode but at the heart is this wonderful transformation of a character, a character who before this episode, I could not stand! Any other show would have kept the loud mouth, do nothing Ritchie as is. Not here. The show’s writers went all out and left us with a gift! By watching Ritchie change, we see that it is never too late to discover a new you - that we all are capable of radical change. We all can pivot and find real purpose in our life, you simply need to let go and embrace the change.?I feel this has been that kind of year for me!

Have you managed someone through such a transformation? Have you transformed and found purpose? You can see your own journey in Richie. Maybe you got stuck working late on a pointless project. Maybe you didn’t love “learning the ropes”. Maybe you didn’t agree with the boss so you dragged your feet. Maybe you were just plain negative and let others feed off it.?

But hopefully you had a moment like Richie did. You caught yourself and asked what was your purpose and you transformed your path. If not, maybe it’s time you did. Discovering something inside is not always pretty but with transformation, the results usually are spectacular.