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Purpose in Everyday Moments · The Strength Catalyst

• 0:06
  SPEAKER_00: Hello, and welcome to Introspective Moments.
• 0:10
  SPEAKER_00: I'm Colleen Biseli, an executive coach and a strength strategist.
• 0:16
  SPEAKER_00: Each week I'll spend just a few minutes exploring one strength to use our strengths with greater intention and to notice how they shape our work, our relationships, and our everyday lives.
• 0:40
  SPEAKER_00: Have you ever wondered whether you're doing enough with your life?
• 0:44
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe you've thought about finding a more meaningful career or getting involved in a cause you care about or discovering the one thing you are meant to do.
• 0:55
  SPEAKER_00: We hear so much about finding our purpose that it's easy to believe that we're supposed to have some grand mission in life.
• 1:02
  SPEAKER_00: But after talking with so many clients and groups of women about this topic, I've come to believe something quite different.
• 1:09
  SPEAKER_00: Purpose doesn't have to be grand to be meaningful.
• 1:13
  SPEAKER_00: So today we're exploring the strength of mission.
• 1:16
  SPEAKER_00: In the Skills Discovery Assessment, mission describes someone who pursues things that give them a sense of meaning and purpose in their life.
• 1:24
  SPEAKER_00: People with this strength are often drawn toward activities or causes that connect with what matters most to them.
• 1:32
  SPEAKER_00: I understand this strength partly through my own experience.
• 1:36
  SPEAKER_00: Many years ago, I made a significant career change moving from advertising agency work into executive coaching.
• 1:44
  SPEAKER_00: I'd enjoyed much of my advertising career, but I was drawn toward work that would allow me to help people better understand themselves and discover what they were capable of.
• 1:55
  SPEAKER_00: And now, more than 25 years later, that sense of purpose continues to guide my work.
• 2:01
  SPEAKER_00: And what I love most about coaching is helping people recognize and appreciate their strengths and find ways to use them more intentionally.
• 2:11
  SPEAKER_00: Because I've come to believe that when we're using our strengths, we're doing more than simply performing well.
• 2:19
  SPEAKER_00: We're expressing something important about who we are and what we have to contribute.
• 2:24
  SPEAKER_00: And there's a wonderful sense of satisfaction that can come from that.
• 2:29
  SPEAKER_00: But my career change was a big decision.
• 2:31
  SPEAKER_00: Finding purpose doesn't always require a grandiose decision.
• 2:36
  SPEAKER_00: I sometimes talk about the difference between a big P purpose and a little P purpose.
• 2:43
  SPEAKER_00: Big P purpose is that larger sense of calling or direction.
• 2:49
  SPEAKER_00: Perhaps it's a career devoted to serving others or a cause you're passionate about or a commitment that comes to give shape to much of your life.
• 3:00
  SPEAKER_00: And little P purpose is the meaning we find in everyday experiences, often in ways we might overlook.
• 3:09
  SPEAKER_00: So I could imagine this.
• 3:10
  SPEAKER_00: Imagine walking through a farmer's market on a Saturday morning and you're surrounded by people who've grown beautiful produce or baked bread or made something by hand.
• 3:21
  SPEAKER_00: You might simply be there to buy some vegetables.
• 3:24
  SPEAKER_00: But you could also take a moment to appreciate the effort behind what's being offered, the pride that someone takes in their work, or even the opportunity to support a person in your community.
• 3:36
  SPEAKER_00: And that small shift in awareness can make an ordinary experience feel more meaningful.
• 3:44
  SPEAKER_00: Because meaning isn't always something we have to go looking for.
• 3:48
  SPEAKER_00: Sometimes it's something we can choose to notice right under our nose.
• 3:52
  SPEAKER_00: And here's something that coaching has taught me about mission.
• 3:57
  SPEAKER_00: People with this strength often feel energized when they know what they're doing matters.
• 4:04
  SPEAKER_00: Their enthusiasm and their conviction can be contagious, helping others feel connected to something worthwhile.
• 4:12
  SPEAKER_00: But like every strength, mission can be underplayed or overplayed.
• 4:17
  SPEAKER_00: When we underplay mission, we may long for a greater purpose without taking steps to explore what might provide it.
• 4:26
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe we imagine that finding meeting requires a different career or some extraordinary opportunity.
• 4:32
  SPEAKER_00: And because those possibilities feel so big, we might not do anything at all.
• 4:38
  SPEAKER_00: And a small adjustment might be just reaching out to someone whose work you admire and offering to help.
• 4:46
  SPEAKER_00: Or maybe becoming more intentional about the contributions you're already making.
• 4:51
  SPEAKER_00: Now, overplaying mission can look quite different.
• 4:54
  SPEAKER_00: And I have to admit, I recognize this in myself.
• 4:58
  SPEAKER_00: People often tell me, Colleen, you're so busy.
• 5:02
  SPEAKER_00: And I don't particularly like hearing that, but I know there's some truth behind it.
• 5:08
  SPEAKER_00: I can be so focused on making good use of my time that I sometimes struggle to simply relax and enjoy an afternoon without feeling that I should be accomplishing something.
• 5:20
  SPEAKER_00: And maybe you recognize that feeling too.
• 5:23
  SPEAKER_00: So when mission is overplayed, we can begin to believe that every activity needs to have some worthwhile purpose.
• 5:31
  SPEAKER_00: And even leisure time to start to feel like something we have to justify.
• 5:35
  SPEAKER_00: So here's what I'm learning, and what I'd encourage others to consider.
• 5:40
  SPEAKER_00: We don't have to justify every moment of our lives by what it accomplishes.
• 5:45
  SPEAKER_00: Sometimes simply enjoying ourselves is enough.
• 5:48
  SPEAKER_00: There's a quote on our mission introspective card from Jade Simmons that I particularly love.
• 5:54
  SPEAKER_00: And it says, Your purpose is not what you do, it's what happens to people when you do what you do.
• 6:03
  SPEAKER_00: I think that's a beautiful reminder.
• 6:06
  SPEAKER_00: The purpose isn't necessarily defined by our job title or the size of our accomplishments.
• 6:12
  SPEAKER_00: It's also about the difference we make in the lives of others.
• 6:16
  SPEAKER_00: And that difference can happen in the smallest of interactions.
• 6:20
  SPEAKER_00: So here's something I'd invite you to notice this week.
• 6:23
  SPEAKER_00: As you go about your ordinary activities, pay attention to a moment that gives you a sense of meaning or satisfaction.
• 6:30
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe it's something you contributed, maybe it's a connection you make, maybe it's something you appreciated.
• 6:37
  SPEAKER_00: But notice what made that moment meaningful to you.
• 6:41
  SPEAKER_00: And you might discover that purpose is already showing up in your life more often than you realize right there.
• 6:49
  SPEAKER_00: Purpose does not have to be grand to be meaningful.
• 6:53
  SPEAKER_00: Thanks for spending these few minutes with me.
• 6:56
  SPEAKER_00: And until next time, take a few moments to be introspective and notice what changes.