The Power of Passion and Purpose

Have you ever started something new;  wrote a book, started a study group, created a new product, launched a ministry etc.?   If not, have you ever watched someone else put his/her passion into practice to fulfill a dream?  Inevitably the task takes 10x more time, effort and resources than we could possibly imagine.  And what about obstacles?   I estimate we anticipate 25-30% of the potholes and diversions that surface during the journey to completion.  If that’s true, what pumps fuel into the lines to sustain our efforts?  What helps us stay the course and avoid derailment?

Amazing Grace is now one of my all-time favorite movies (that’s saying a lot for a movie buff).  William Wilberforce drew down on the slave trade like a badger – for over 20 years!  He stayed the course with his passion despite innumerable failures, continued criticism, and a long-term battle with illness and addiction.

When you read StrengthFinder you will notice a strength called “Positivity” – the ability to continually look on the “bright side”.  I’m confident Wilberforce had it.  My son Kyle also has it, and it’s a joy to watch him – especially when circumstances are not in his favor.  I remember when his baseball team was down 23-0, in the first inning!  After the game, he told me, “It’s fun just being out there.”   Positivity is a talent I don’t have, but covet.   I see it often in entrepreneurs, like the CEO of my current company – regardless of engineering failures, regulatory battles, and customer rejection – he remains upbeat about his creation and focused on the end goal. 

But what about the rest of us who aren’t born with an innate positive attitude?   What about our young men who aren’t perennially upbeat and unfazed by circumstance?   I believe the answer is Purpose + Passion.   Purpose stirs our hearts, as slavery did for Wilberforce, and Passion is the fuel of a God given dream.   It’s also our ability to answer a surprisingly difficult question.

God Stamps 2

 

While  temperament drives our motivation and behavior, God given strengths fuel the engine of our participation in the Adventure.

Several years ago the Gallup organization launched a research project that involved assessing the natural strengths of executives.    They developed a tool that identified an individual’s five greatest strengths from a list of thirty-four categories.  Several years and several hundred thousand execs later, StrengthFinder was available to the public through a book called “Now Discover Your Strengths”.   The book became a bestseller and a standard as a staff evaluation tool.  Now, StrengthFinder 2.0 is available; more condensed, less expensive and worth every penny of the small investment.

    www.strengthfinder.com

I have given the StrengthFinder assessment to employees, friends, and family.   I think it is the best tool on the market for assessing God given, natural strengths.

We’ll use me and Da’ Boys again for illustration.  Here’s our breakdown:

Kyle:

·         Woo

·         Adaptability

·         Positivity

·         Communication

·         Strategic

Kyle is the guy you want selling your idea.  He is the ultimate people person who can gain trust and acceptance quickly.  He’s rarely discouraged, whether the game score stinks or he’s forced to change plans; in fact he can adapt to unexpected change better than anyone I know.   Kyle not only adapts to change, he can find creative ways to address the change.  He has excellent verbal skills and has a strong presence in front of crowds.

Christian:

·         Achiever

·         Strategic

·         Learner

·         Focus

·         Relator

Christian is your man to “get it done”.   Christian’s strength mix and his intelligence give him the ability to tackle high tier, complex projects.  I’ve never met an individual with his ability to sustain focus until a task is accomplished.  Though highly motivated to succeed, he cares deeply for others and takes time to develop deep relationships.

Brent:

·         Ideation

·         Learner

·         Strategic

·         Belief

·         Activator

Innovation is my “fastball”.  I’m an idea guy who’s not satisfied until my ideas are put into practice.   I’m constantly listening to books or podcasts, whether I’m in the car or on the treadmill.  I’m a fan of House and Sherlock Holmes because of their ability to discern “patterns” of behavior.

Identifying and resonating with God given “stamps” (temperament and strengths) enable a young man to train and focus in preparation to participate harmoniously with others in the Adventure ahead.

God Stamps

You hear often of DNA “stamps” on individuals to describe their innate tendencies, abilities, and predisposition to longevity.  I believe we’re stamped – by God.  God works through DNA, brain tissue, body and spirit to instill behavior tendencies, motivations and strengths to equip us in the Adventure set before us.

You see three very different individuals in the picture below – guys who love the opportunity to engage in Harmony whenever possible.  From left to right: the old man (moi), my youngest son Kyle, and my new son-in-law Christian. 

We had just finished an incredible night of paintball to celebrate with Christian at his bachelor’s party. The next week he married my beautiful daughter, Katie:

Sounds like the soundtrack to Gladiator, doesn’t it? Not sure how that happened. 

I’ll use “Da’ boys” and I to illustrate two categories of “God Stamps” that give us the opportunity to participate uniquely in tasks together; categories that also offer a young man a starting point for self evaluation:  Temperament and Strengths.  I recommend two tools to begin self assessment:  the DISC (temperament – http://www.uniquelyyou.net/teens/index.php) and StrengthFinder (innate strengths – https://www.strengthsfinder.com/). 

The DISC reveals natural temperament and behavioral tendencies that motivate an individual to action. 

A “D” (not represented in our group) is strong willed, authoritative, and decisive.  The D’s natural desire is to be in charge.  He can be a “bull in a China shop” at times, but he’s also usually a natural leader.  If you’ve read Teknon and the Champion Warriors, you’ll recognize those characteristics in Teknon’s mentor Tharreo, also known as Tor.

http://www.championtraining.com/characters/tharreo/index.html

When you look in the DISC dictionary under the “I” category, you’ll find a picture of my youngest son, Kyle.  Kyle is outgoing, charming, a friend to the masses, and the life of the party.  In Teknon, he’s the character called Mataios, or Matty.

http://www.championtraining.com/characters/mataios/index.html

I am the “S” of the group.   I’m the faithful friend, the relational guy, the Labrador Retriever (probably why I enjoyed growing up with Labs so much).  I’m Epios, or Epps in the Teknon story.

http://www.championtraining.com/characters/epios/index.html

Christian – my new, fantastic, son-in-law is high on the “C” scale.  He is gifted analytically, he’s meticulous, organized, and an incredibly skilled at multi-tasking.  He knows how to make things “right”.  He is the mentor Artios, or Artie to Teknon.

http://www.championtraining.com/characters/artios/index.html

Everyone has a primary temperament category, but we are all a mix to some degree.  Christian is also an “S”, he’s an incredible friend and thoughtful husband.  I’m the weirdo of the group with a secondary “D” temperament; which has earned me the nickname “Velvet Hammer”.  And Kyle…well Kyle….the lad’s other categories pale in comparison to his “I”.

Knowing our temperament helps us understand our motivations and what prompts us to respond in various circumstances – whether it’s stress or team participation.

I encourage all young men (and young women) to take the DISC and read the detailed descriptions it offers for particular mixes of the temperament categories.     Temperament is one of the God Stamps and the beginning to an essential process commonly referred to as “know thyself”.