Putting Perspective in Purpose
In October last year, I decided to join LIVEsciences for the very reason that it aligned with my own values and personal calling. One thing was clear to me at that time: the decision to join was based on a gut feeling, a sense of expectation and anticipation for a chance to live a life that is truly fuelled by my direct contribution to the world.
It goes without saying, it was an opportunity to make a personal dream come to life — one that is about creating a shift in the marketplace, and unleashing human potential to bring real, impactful value towards our society as a whole.
I wrote my 100-day narrative here and gave you a glimpse of how life felt like under the lens of a newcomer. I have now crossed the 8-month mark, no longer a rookie, and already well over halfway being part of dreaming, scheming and pathfinding with the crew at LIVEsciences.
The big question I ask myself at this point — am I still here for the same reasons? Am I seeing my personal purpose come to life? Am I happily dancing with the company’s overall purpose and growth?
My answer is a resounding Yes. Let me count the ways.
Healthy Things Grow
I’m a believer that when seeds are rooted and planted in good soil, it grows. I’m fortunate to have seen some of the seeds we’ve sown with pure purposeful intention at Teal Around the World, resulting in a resonance that is felt globally beyond our wildest dreams, and a tipping point towards tackling the important conversations that activate the shift into fairer, more empowering work places. And yet we know, this is just the starting point of a crazy adventure that we are about to embark on.
A Choice to be Generous
Growth mindset teaches us to see things with new lenses, from a space of mediocrity to the pursuit of excellence, shifting from a mindset of scarcity to abundance. While not entirely a new concept for me, being part of an ecosystem that thrives in these values is a rare privilege. Experiencing the beauty of generosity come alive in our many conversations as a team, in decisions we take individually and collectively, and in the vast areas we play a part in, is so enriching and it reverberates into the deepest parts of my core value system. I find myself yielding endless amounts of regenerative energy from the joy of enabling others step into their fullest potential. For this, I am grateful.
A Catalyst for Lasting Change
To truly activate change, one must connect to the depth of purpose that we wish to see in the world. Stewarding a truly profound and aspirational mission to catalyse the movements of life, I find myself intentionally envisioning and driving new ways of being: often consciously and sometimes, habitually. At LIVEsciences, I learned to spread my wings without compromising our credo to walk the talk, to take self-leadership and my role as a source radical candor, and to step into my role as creator with much grit and passion. Together, we have created LIVEforward Institute, a playground for exploration and sense-making. We have co-created a soulful community and platform for storytelling and inspiration at Teal Around the World, and we continue to bring our curiousity and love for inspiring conversations in our Living Room Conversations. With our clients, we get the opportunity to bring the full breadth of our experience, as coaches, as mentors to future internal coaches, and as trusted advisors.
A Habitat for Impact
The Purpose Pot initiative, a deliberate decision to allocate 25% of our hard-earned annual profit to things that we believe in and those that truly inspire us, is one of the most compelling arguments why I continue to say yes to my role in the company everyday.
In our last offsite, we rounded up funding and support for 5 initiatives that is very close to our hearts and our LIVEline:
- The Week — a climate change initiative that seeks to create urgency awareness and mindset shift in our response towards this phenomenon.
- JMJ Hospital (India) —procurement of a life-preserving equipment.
- Community Platform for Women’s Health (Bulgaria)
- JMJ Social Services Society (India) — a socio-economic programme for widows
- Health Hack Lab (Basel) — to support the development of open-source health care solutions and its availability to society
If you want to know more about these initiatives and how you can support them, please reach out to me directly.
Our purpose pot initiative has enabled me to directly contribute my energy to things that have both short and long term impact — in shifting the narrative for people’s lives, in activating community resonance about pressing societal and existential issues and in financially contributing to bridge an equity gap in our world today. And doing this without the feeling of juggling two identities, but beautifully weaving the wholeness of who I am into this story with ease and wonder.
The stubborn optimist in me is brimming with a lot of energy and excitement for what the future holds, knowing that I get to choose this path everyday. I hope that my little journey and reflection on my perspective on purpose, transcends beyond words and inspires you to frame a purpose path for you and your company as well. Everyone, every company has a different definition of purpose. My wish is for you to find that sweet spot of what it could look like, through openness and self-reflection.
If you enjoyed reading this story, also check: Timm’s article on Purpose and Profit and our Purpose Pot Process.
