Higher Purpose Podcast 61: 7 Shifts That Move You Towards Purpose

Last week, Kevin had a deep and insightful conversation with Nick Tasler about what good people do when bad things happen to them. They touched on Dr. Viktor Frankl’s view on “Tragic Optimism” - the unwavering belief that life is good despite episodes of adversity. This inspired Kevin to share 7 mindset shifts that will ground your life in gratitude and meaning.1. Changing your default setting to become more receptive to opportunities.

• How do you naturally respond to unbelievable opportunities that come your way? Kevin shares how the book, Immunity to Change, helped him rewire his brain to change his immediate response, from “Who am I?” to “Why not me?”
• Why is there a need to shift your default setting? Sometimes we don’t feel qualified when we are called to do great things. We are often too critical of ourselves. This makes us blind to our own qualifications. Kevin calls on you to stop disqualifying yourself from claiming these once in a lifetime opportunities. Own your qualifications and seize your opportunities.

2. Adopt, cultivate, and develop a growth mindset.

• When people box themselves up in limiting beliefs that describe their resources as finite, they get trapped in the Fixed Mindset. They don’t believe that they are capable of change. They are stuck thinking “this is it” when it comes to who they are and what they have. Life is unfair and there’s nothing they can do about it.
• Studies have shown that the human brain has the capability to constantly learn and adapt throughout our lives. Which makes sense now that we're shifting to the Growth Mindset. People who live by the Growth Mindset open themselves up to abundance and potential. They believe that life, although sometimes difficult, has limitless possibilities.
• How can you live by the Growth Mindset? Nourish your mind. Surround yourself with positive people. Work on intentionally transforming those limiting beliefs into liberating beliefs.

3. Moving away from egocentrism and becoming other-centric.

• Do you think about yourself more than you think about others? In Rick Warren’s book, Purpose Driven Life, the opening statement says, “It’s not about you.” If we want to create significant change in our lives, we must go out of our way to build meaningful relationships with the people around us. Find ways to dedicate yourself and resources to support efforts that improve the lives of those around you. Do something for someone who has no way to repay you. Consciously shift away from self-service and focus on being authentic when you’re extending service.

4. Focus on what matters most.

• Kevin shares how his routines help him focus and keep his priorities straight. We may have different priorities in life, but it acts as our anchor for when the beauty and chaos of life happens. When we learn to rank and understand what’s most important to us, we are better able to walk our journey without distractions.

5. Live in the now in light of eternity.

• "Now" may be the only time we have, but now is not an isolated time. This very moment is a slice of eternity. Now connects with everything that came before and everything that follows. Live knowing that your life is the product of all the nows that you have lived so far. Live wisely and make those nows count. What you do now, at this moment, is both the soil and the seeds of what is to come in your life.

6. Live a more led, less driven life.

• What is the driven life? It’s the hustle and bustle, the fast-paced and high energy demanding life. Living your life as if you were on fire and attempting to put it out yourself by flailing your hands.
• What is a led life? It’s living a responsive life, following the leading and rhythms of life. It’s about living a life of connectivity, creativity, and community.

7. Live in the abundance loop.

• Ground yourself in gratefulness and seek to live in abundance. Do you know what’s holding you back from living a fruitful life? It’s called the scarcity mentality. It distracts you from enjoying the good things that are present in your life with the belief that it will come to an abrupt end.
• You always have something to be grateful for. Kevin encourages us to find ways throughout our day to incorporate and include gratitude so that we flourish in the abundance loop.

Resources:Man Search For MeaningImmunity to ChangeMindsetThe ShallowsPurpose Driven LifeLeadership and Self Deception: Getting out of the boxOutward Mindset: Seeing Beyond Ourselves