As a breakthrough performance coach it's important for me to get to a "passion statement," the "why I do this" or "why bother" statement that is at the core of any undertaking. It is the statement from which all other action and strategies begin and it is a core building block in our coaching plan.
For example, one of my clients is a financial advisor. In one session she sat forward and powerfully said, "Do you know what I really want? I want women to understand their financial standing on their own, not as a 'subset' of their husband. I want women to be financially empowered."
I sat back and took a deep breath and for a moment we sat in silence as the power of her statement echoed between us. I know I've gotten to a passion statement when I feel the little hairs on my arm stand up or just get plain old goose bumps. Once we've reached a passion statement the rest of the work is how to have that vision manifest in the world.
For example, when I considered whether or not to write a series here I had first to consider: does it serve my own passion statement and move me towards my purpose?
I'll share it with you now: "I create breakthroughs every day." It's only a few words but I've been refining it for years and the most crucial part of it is the most recent addition: "every day". Whenever I feel low-energy, have a feeling of overwhelm or just want to stay in bed and read I access my statement and challenge myself to create even one breakthrough with another person today. Once I've created a breakthrough, the bargain goes, I can go back to bed or take the rest of the day off.
Between you and me, once I go out looking to create even a single breakthrough I usually pick up momentum as the day goes on and even the slowest starting days are most often transformed into purpose filled, contentment producing events.
So to my question of whether writing this series serves my passion statement: "Yes, as it is another way to cause breakthroughs if even one person gets an 'aha' moment out of something I've put out there." So let's get to YOU now.
What's YOUR passion statement? You have one, I'm sure, as a matter of fact everyone does, they just get left in the background as things that are taken for granted or assumed. However, once you take them out of the background and move them into the foreground they have the possibility of transforming your everyday experience into a more vibrant, exciting and 'juicy' place to live.
Let's try this on together: Remove all obstacles from your life or occupation (choose either one or even an avocation; any area of your life that could use a little more "sizzle"). Take away considerations of money, time, resources and obligations. If all of those obstacles were removed, as with a "magic wand" and you could create the result of your heart's desire, what would show up in the world?
Let's look at a couple from people I'm currently working with; a web design studio and a professional home and office organizer. From the designer: "I would see client's brands that were beautiful, inspired and know that they truly capture the essence of their product and service." The organizer says: "My clients would know the freedom of a place they love to be in, free of clutter and the weight of too many possessions -- every space would be a sacred space."
So get out a piece of paper and a pen and start drafting a statement. Don't get stuck by form or poesy, just write whatever is in your head out on paper so that you've got a starting point and get it out of your head and onto the paper. Try out as many iterations as you can.
It's best to keep it brief with as few words as possible so that it's not something you have to practice or memorize. It should flow freely and every time you hear your own passion statement you should get a shot of energy. One way to put it is "It will keep you honest."
Share the statement with those people in your life who you love and trust and see if it inspires them. Let them ask you questions about it and be your coaches in a way that moves you closer to the core statement that will resound in your entire being and move you past any difficulty. Then help them write their own passion statement and continue until you have a network of people all living from their own passion statements and playing full out.
I wish all of this for you and I want you to know that everyone deserves to live this way. Let me know how this works out for you, please, as it will feed my purpose too and let me know how successfully I'm fulfilling the statement: "I create breakthroughs every day".
Visit me at www.starofyourownlife.com or email me at James@starofyourownlife.com!