I went to an association meeting in Santa Barbara last… Well, that’s not exactly true. Actually, I didn’t just go to an association meeting in Santa Barbara last night… I was the guest speaker.

Someone is probably thinking, “Santa Barbara? That’s more than seventy miles away! Why would you leave work early on a week night and fight the traffic up the Coast just to go to a meeting… even if you were on the agenda?” And, realistically, that’s a fair question. It is far, and it is a long drive: especially, after working all day.

The answer is elegantly simple. I did it because I was asked. That may sound like an over-simplification of sorts, but it isn’t really. I write for an industry trade publication and that means putting yourself ‘out there’ and one of the ways you do this is by making yourself available if and when you can.

There is another reason you do it and that reason is just as elegant, if not quite so simple. In fact, it’s a bit complicated. You do it because you have something to say… Or, at least, you believe you do. And, say it you must.

It’s an integral part of who you are, the most basic element of your being here: a big part of your purpose.

I guess, there is a third, less compelling reason as well; and, that is the ride up. If there isn’t any traffic – and, last night there wasn’t any to speak of  - I don’t think there is more beautiful stretch of “windshield time” scenery than the Coast Highway or the 101 Freeway between Ventura and the Northern tip of Santa Barbara.

If you aren’t familiar with the term “windshield time,” I’ll explain. It’s those long, sometimes isolated, sometimes difficult, miles between stops when you find yourself on the road. It is the countless miles with nothing to do but think about ’stuff.’

Last night’s ride to Santa Barbara was one of the best opportunities for “windshield time” I’ve ever experienced in a while: a beautiful sunset after a perfect day accompanied by good company and great – albeit, sometimes esoteric – conversation.

As good as the ride there may have been, the ride home was better… Why? Because, there was more to talk about and one of those many things was this idea of purpose.

I’ve thought about his a lot. And, in the end, I’ve come to believe that purpose is the single most critical element driving any kind of substantive change even if we don’t recognize its presence or understand its role entirely.

It is a sense of purpose that allows us to move out of our respective comfort zones and drives us into uncharted territories and great accomplishment… If we let it.

It is a sense of purpose that motivates us and allows us to stand alone against overwhelming resistance or great adversity: even danger… If we let it.

And, it is almost certainly an absence of purpose that dooms most organizations, projects and initiatives to fail.

Purpose is contagious…  Or, at least, it should be. When it is, it manifests itself as the passion of a movement. When it isn’t, it is almost instantly suspect and you’ve got to wonder about its imperative. A sense of purpose is the gift leaders offer those who follow: and, the purpose of purpose is to guide us and keep us moving forward, ignoring the displacement, frustration and exhaustion that can accompany great effort and/or great change.

On the ride home, it occurred to me that to a large degree this sense of purpose is the great divider separating success from failure; achievement and accomplishment from disappointment and despair. This is important because it forces us to confront our purpose: the what and why of who we are and what we’re doing, and whether or not that is enough to sustain us.

That was a lot to think about on the seventy-three mile ride home; more than enough to keep my mind occupied. For my next trip, I think I’ll consider this concept of purpose and how it relates to Vision, Mission, Goals and Objectives.

Would you like to join me?

I’ve been interested in this ‘blogging’ stuff almost since it started. But, interest isn’t always enough to motivate one to action.

I don’t watch television because it is a distraction I can ill afford. I work eleven or twelve hours a day at the shop and spend most evenings writing for both sides of the industry I am involved in. If you understand deadlines and recognize the kind of writing responsibilities I’ve accepted, it shouldn’t be hard to understand why someone like me would not allow themselves the luxury of getting involved with a series they know they’ll never be able to follow?
So, despite my interest, I never allowed myself the luxury of following a blog or a blogger until my son started writing about his Iron Man training experience (theironmadman.com).
You might be able to ignore a televisions series, but it’s unlikely you would be willing to ignore one of your kids – especially, when that kid is as articulate, thoughtful and as entertaining as mine is.
Consequently, I found myself ‘hooked’ on Ryan’s blog for a number of reasons, not the least of which is the tendency most writers have to share their innermost thoughts and feelings in print more readily than they might in conversation. The interesting thing about following his blog is that it inspired me to go back to the gym and start training again myself.
At about that same time, and through the same son: I discovered Seth Godin’s blog and became an addict almost instantly. That blog started me thinking about my own business in ways I never even thought possible before. Now, I wouldn’t think of starting the day without checking in with either.
Reading about blogging and starting to follow more and more blogs forced me to consider blogging myself – a difficult decision when you aren’t sure you have anything of value to contribute to the terabytes of material already out there. Nevertheless, I added this blog to our company website.
After I started blogging here, I discovered that there were parts of my life independent of the shop and my industry involvement that I felt compelled to write about.
Please note the use of the word ‘compelled.’ Somehow, this ‘blogging stuff’ has gone from an interest – and, a moderate one at that – to an obsession. Note to self: do not get obsessive-compulsive, anal-retentive individuals started on projects that feed their compulsive-obsessive nature! Not, if you want them to stop! Not, if you care whether or not they ever enjoy a normal life again!
So, I started a second blog… Not bad for someone who didn’t see the need to have a first one! Now, I spend more time than I would like agonizing over what to put where, and whether or not I really do need two blogs in the first place.
Barring all that, I’ve got to tell you that from a personal point of view, whatever this is: it’s weird! You start out not knowing what you’re going to say one moment, and then trying to figure out how to stop the next.
It’s kind of like going to therapy without a therapist: you’re on the couch struggling to make a breakthrough, struggling to say something substantive, when all of a sudden you’re stricken with verbal diarrhea and find that you just can’t stop! And, all the while – not a sound can be heard, because there is no one there to guide you.
It’s like talking to yourself, only you’re not. You’re talking to anyone and everyone out there who will listen.
You’ve got to wonder what it says about us: this need to connect, the need to communicate, the need to share the intimate details – the minutia, of our lives, with literally everyone in the known universe.
What does all this say about the nature of our relationships and how we choose to interact with each other? Is this some kind of a window into an ‘arm’s length’ future where relationships become more virtual than real; more distant than intimate?
I don’t know and I’m not sure, but this does seem like a good place to ask questions like these: doesn’t it?