Much of the work of the second half of life is to discover why we are here. Who am I? What is my journey? To what am I in service? How do I find my way? Or, as Carl Jung would have put it, what is my soul asking of me?
We’re each surrounded by – engulfed in! – clues about what our soul is asking of us. Clues about our uniquely Extraordinary Why.
Sometimes, though, we need a guide to help us see and divine those clues … a guide who’s own Extraordinary Why is to help us uncover ours.
I’ve met and worked with such a guide. His name is Brett, and he has spent two decades researching, speaking on, and living the topic of personal and professional purpose. Brett is the real deal: wise, compassionate, transparent, trustworthy, funny, insightful.
Brett provides a thoughtful roadmap for self-discovery, or rather soul-discovery, that’s accessible to each of us. He encourages us to replace dogged pursuit of purpose with conscience-centered contemplation. As we gently dig into the past, sort through the present, and imagine the future, we encounter important dimensions of our truth. Some truths are hard (“This is where I’m stuck.”), while others are joyful (“This lights me up! “).
The process works. With Brett’s guidance, my compadres and I were able to name the legacies, passions, capabilities, and motivations that inform our own Extraordinary Why. Those of us who were all-in were rewarded with insight and clarity. We recognized our life’s throughline that touches all four quadrants of active purpose with our family, community, profession, and true-self identity.
It’s not an accident that “Purpose” is one of MEA’s three main pillars. As Chip often reminds us, the science on aging and longevity shows that having a sense of purpose as we grow into our second half helps us live longer, happier, and healthier lives.
What is your soul asking of you?
Brett, my friend and sherpa, will be teaching “Discover Your Extraordinary Why” at MEA’s Santa Fe campus from November 4th – 9th. If you’re ready to go all-in to uncover your own Extraordinary Why, you’ll be taking an important next-step on the adventure of a lifetime!
Denny Meadows is a three-time MEA alumna whose Extraordinary Why is to gently nudge others toward what’s possible. She learned and practiced servant leadership as a corporate executive for Nordstrom in Seattle, and her current passion is to serve college students who are seeking their own path and purpose.
Brett Pyle is the most consistently requested and highly-rated speaker on the Vistage circuit, the world’s largest CEO peer advisory organization. He’s delivered his programs to over 25,000 people worldwide. His audiences dig deep and return transformed with clarity of purpose, inspired to give their lives the meaning they most deeply desire.