We are in the midst of our special summer podcast series, Crucible Hacks, in which we’re taking nine weeks to unpack ways to make bouncing back from a crucible simpler (there’s a 10th episode that’s not about hacks but about giving you insight into how to apply the hacks). We’re spotlighting the best practices listeners can undertake at each step of the journey from tragedy to triumph, guiding them along the path of what we call the Beyond the Crucible Refining Process.
We spoke in January about making a life resolution rather than a New Year’s resolution. That we should make a resolution to live in light of our true purpose. Now, we are six months through the year which is a great time to think about recalibrating our mission and vision.
With the release of my book Crucible Leadership: Embrace Your Trials to Lead a Life of Significance on Oct. 19, I have been speaking a fair amount these last couple of months.
The key to leading a life of significance, a life that helps others, and moving beyond a searing experience, a crucible moment, where you are forever changed, is to understand your design. We are all designed a certain way. If we look at those around us, our children, siblings, and our loved ones, we all come out of the box with our own wiring. We may be creative and artistic or love math and the sciences, or we may be adventurous and athletic. We all have certain aptitudes. If we are wise, we will understand our innate strengths and giftings, and build upon them.
Our beliefs form the very core of who we are. They are the essence of our true selves. Living and leading our life in harmony with our most deeply held beliefs is a major step toward leading a life of significance – a life that is not about us but about serving others and making a difference in the world.
Letting go is not easy. We yearn to cling to the familiar, the well-known, the safe. But moving forward often means letting go of the past. For me, this month is such a moment.
When you grow up amidst wealth and power as I did in a large family media business in Australia, you don’t always see a lot of authenticity. Amongst the rich and powerful, there can be a temptation to be who others want you to be.
In this age of Hollywood stars, celebrities and athletes, we often long to be someone else. We long to be taller, more beautiful, more handsome, smarter, more self assured, more athletic. Anything but who we are.
A crucible experience is often searing. The loss of a job or business, a health or family challenge can make us feel like our world has changed forever.
We have spoken about what a life of significance is. It is about a calling, beyond success, fame or career.
