I don't assume you follow my story, so I short update on a passion you haven't heard me speak much about: LifePath Unlimited.
Two years ago, I received the phone call of my life. The two co-founders of LifePath Unlimited, asking me if I would like to assist them in the creation of a half-a million dollar home-study personal development course. (I told you it was the call of my life).
To make a long story short, I not only headed up that project, but I also became the third co-founder. A role I've been passionately and purposefully involved in for exactly 751 days now.
I'm 42 years of age and it feels like my entire life has been training for this opportunity (or rather this role) in life. LifePath Unlimited is far more than an opportunity to me - it is a role and a responsibility. Let me explain the difference.
LifePath is a personal development company at its core. Our products are purely and solely to assist people in making dramatic transformations in their life. We create transformational movies, CD's, live calls, and live seminars and conferences. To market our products, we put a home-based business, direct sales opportunity in place. In other words, we have several thousand associates in 22 countries (already!) sharing our products and events with people everyday - these associates make up our tremendous community of great people and they do our marketing.
So the "opportunity" for myself is the passionate employment of my skills and talents. And the financial rewards of work and service. But as I said earlier, the "role" and "responsibility" is of greater value to me this time than the opportunity. The responsibility derives from the enormous promise many others and myself feel LifePath Unlimited has and holds.
The promise of the positive impact this company does and can have on countless many is what wakes me up early everyday and drives me in my highest gear. I do not day dream about monies to be made. I dream awake all day long about anything and everything that can be done to help the company fulfill its promise.
Being a founder gives me a great sense of responsibility for keeping this promise alive. I feel like life has entrusted me with a role that carries great responsibility - and it is a great fulfillment to live each moment of the day doing my best to live up to that entrusted position.
Being a co-founder of this exploding company is not a walk in the park, (Unless perhaps that park is the Grand Canyon). There have been ENORMOUS obstacles to overcome. Some of the obstacles have been external. Circumstances that have truly looked like the end of LifePath Unlimited. People that would do the company harm for their own inability to take responsibility in their lives. And there have also been large internal obstacles. Everyday my role challenges me to grow and play my game better, stronger, truer.
Everyday there is a wall to scale. A sail to raise. A hill to face. So it ain't no marsh mellow roast.
But more significantly, everyday there is a yard gained, a corner-turned, a hill crested. And most of all, a promise further fulfilled for a somebody you haven't even met yet.
Here's a take away of mine from my involvement at year 2 of building what we envision as a 100 year company... One of the greatest strengths you can possess for leadership is bottom line clarity about what the ultimate responsibility of your role is. At LifePath Unlimited, I am "responsible for the development of our transformational products and events". That's what it says in my job description. But as a person with a seat at the leadership table, I am clear on the real responsibility of my position: To wake up everyday and do whatever it takes to make our company better for those we serve, for that one person at a time who is trusting us to assist them in bettering their life.
Who do you serve? What is your real responsibility - the one that's greater than the opportunity to enjoy your job or make bank? And what is the great role life has entrusted you with, the one that's bigger than even your own dreams?
I've been rolling around a new phrase that for me sums up what LifePath Unlimited is truly about:
