Rediscovering Purpose: From Frozen Waffles to Fulfillment

As we enter the year's midpoint, it's a natural time to reflect on our experiences thus far and contemplate what lies ahead. This introspection isn't confined to individuals; it resonates across organizations, regardless of their size or structure. This same exercise happens across organizations of every size and business structure.  

During this evaluation and projection, I want to share a story that encapsulates a profound lesson:

Let Them Eat Waffles! 

This seemingly whimsical phrase emerged from a conversation I had with a plant manager a few months back. He oversees the production of electronic components, vital elements that find their way into countless products, from airplanes to household appliances. Yet, he described his role as mundane, almost inconsequential.

This assertion puzzled me. "Mundane?" I echoed. "Did you say grocery store freezers?" The significance of his work dawned on me. As a lover of frozen waffles, I realized the impact his role had on my daily breakfast routine. His loss of vision and passion could potentially disrupt something as seemingly trivial as my morning meal—a thought that stirred me to action.

Self-Actualization

At the core of this narrative lies the concept of self-actualization, a cornerstone of emotional intelligence. It's about discovering one's purpose and meaning in life, and the relentless pursuit of personal growth and fulfillment. Those who embrace self-actualization find purpose beyond mere occupation; they see their endeavors as contributions to something greater than themselves.

However, many struggle to bridge the gap between what they do and who they are. This disconnection can lead to a sense of purposelessness, overshadowing the significance of their actions.

Who You Serve

It's time to shift our focus from tasks to the people we serve. Whether you're delivering pizzas or managing an entire plant, your role extends beyond its immediate duties. You're nourishing families, fostering social connections, and ensuring essential components reach those who need them.

As leaders, it's imperative to reignite our passion and vision. Our teams rely on us to provide direction and inspiration. By reaffirming the significance of their roles and how they contribute to the greater good, we empower them to rediscover their purpose and drive.

CONCLUSION

As we embark on this journey of self-reflection and goal-setting, let's remember the lessons of the frozen waffles. Let's strive for self-actualization, finding purpose in our endeavors, and recognizing the impact we have on others. Let's redefine success not by what we do, but by whom we serve.

And in doing so, let's create a ripple effect of fulfillment and inspiration that touches lives far beyond our own.

Let Them Eat Waffles!

As we enter mid-year, we may reflect on some of the significant things we have experienced up until now and ponder what we want to try and accomplish for the rest of the year.

This same exercise happens across organizations of every size and business structure.  

As you are evaluating your year and thinking about what you want to accomplish in the next one, here are some words of encouragement I have for you… 

Let Them Eat Waffles! 

What does this really mean? Well, I was meeting with someone a few months ago. As we talked, he described his job to me in some detail. He is a plant manager for an organization that makes all kinds of electronic components. These gadgets go in hundreds of products, everything from airplanes to automobiles to grocery store freezers. His job is to oversee the plant’s manufacturing of these things and to ensure they get to the right customer.  He finished his description of his role simply with this statement, “It is pretty mundane stuff, nothing major.”

Wait! That really struck me and made me stop and ask, “What do you mean nothing major?” The way my brain works (which is quite odd at times, I will admit), I added, “Did you say grocery store freezers?”  I went on to tell him, “To me, and lots of other people too, that is a really big deal!” 

One reason that this is so big to me is that I love frozen waffles. Every time we go to our local grocery store, I take a walk down the frozen waffle aisle to see what is on sale and what items are new, then I decide what I am going to buy. It is rare that I go to the store and do NOT pick up a box of delicious frozen waffles. 

Then it hit me - this guy had lost his vision, his passion for what he does.  His lack of vision could also someday interrupt my breakfast, and I am not okay with that.

Self-Actualization

In the world of emotional intelligence, self-actualization is finding one's meaning and purpose in life. It is the willingness to persistently try to improve and engage in the pursuit of personally relevant and meaningful growth that will lead to a rich and enjoyable life. 

Someone who acts on the idea that what they are pursuing and involved in actually adds meaning and purpose is experiencing self-actualization. For some, it is that they feel they have more of a calling instead of just having a job. For others, what they do is an act of service that fulfills their destiny as human beings.  It is very much more than what they do, it is about the meaning and purpose they have in life and whom they serve. I think the reason behind the struggle some folks have is they have lost the link (or maybe it never existed) between who they are and what they do.

Let’s say, if you deliver pizza for a living, some of what you really are doing is feeding a hungry family or bringing joy to a group of people so that they can socially connect. But it is so easy to get lost in the idea that you are merely transporting a disc of dough with sauce and meat from a storefront to a house, and you have to do at least 100 of them in a night to make any decent money.

It is really easy for us to lose sight of what we do and become defined by our tasks rather than the bigger vision of who we serve. In the example above, you are not merely delivering pizza, my friend, you are feeding people and helping cement relational bonds with family and friends. 

Who You Serve 

Let’s really try to engage in what it is that you are doing with your life. Perhaps as a part of your mid-year review, you should be asking yourself who it is that you serve and how well you have done so.  Let go of defining yourself by WHAT you do and give some consideration to WHO you serve.  

The plant manager at the beginning of the blog post plays a critical role in getting component parts to people who need them. Without him and without his team, a poor schmuck like me would not have my frozen waffles in the morning for breakfast...may it never be so!

As a leader, have you lost sight of the vision and the passion for what you do? If so, the people on your team can usually sense this. You need to make sure that you show them your commitment.

Let's make sure the people on our teams and those around us have a clear vision of what they do and how it links to the people you all serve. This may help them rediscover their purpose and drive, benefitting everyone.

The Paradox Parable of the Called Leader

Once upon a time, right around now, in an organization not far from here, sits “Hero”, the leader of the whole thing. She is not having a very good day, although both the quantitative and qualitative metrics upon which her performance is measured look good. No, let's not fool ourselves, the numbers are actually great. Hero is in her element. She loves her role and she is really good at it. She has found her niche in life. Some of the articles she read recently in the “Scholarly Organization Journal” would say that Hero has found her calling. 

By all accounts, Hero should be having a very good day. Indeed this should be a very, very good day. 

She has a late meeting with an influential member of the board of directors, “Distance”. Distance oversees the selection, compensation, and retention of the executive team. The relationship Hero has with Distance is a good one, even though Hero has never felt like the relationship was that close. In fact, Hero has only ever met with Distance in board meetings and on executive retreats. She was really looking forward to finally meeting one-on-one with Distance and aligning their goals for the upcoming year.

Yes, it really, really should have been a good day. 

Hero even started her morning with 15 minutes of quiet reflection using her favorite bible verse as the focus of her morning contemplation. She turned in her bible to Proverbs 3:5-6 which reads “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding, in all your ways acknowledge him and he will direct your path.”  Because of the complexity of her organization, Hero often finds herself turning to her spiritual connections for wisdom in decision-making.  Since she often feels the magnitude of hundreds of people whose lives are impacted by her decisions, connecting with her spiritual nature helps her to realize that she is not the center of the universe. Hero remembers attending a conference where she heard a speaker say, "Humility is like a sock with a hole in it, it's realizing what is not there that really matters."*

As Hero sat in quiet contemplation, what really jumped out at her in this morning's reading was the instruction not to lean on her own understanding. This was quite a puzzling paradox. The instruction seems to say that Hero should not put her trust in or be supported by the structures of all that she had learned over the course of her 50-some-odd years on earth. 

As Hero focused her attention on these words “lean not on your own understanding” her mind started to drift….

“I have always felt that my business and my life are solid. My marriage of 30 years to the love of my life is rock solid. As for the workplace, I  have been complemented by the board chair that I show excellent critical thinking and a strong ability to discern between very viable, but distinctly different options when a decision is needed.  My experiences have been formed from a very good academic pedigree that lead to an excellent job right out of school. Each opportunity I have been given in life seemed to build perfectly as a jumping-off point for my next career opportunity.  I really can’t believe it, here I sit three years into this leadership role really trying to fully appreciate what I have accomplished…no that's not right, why do I always do that? It is what the team has accomplished. If it wasn’t for their hard work and dedication to the mission we would be nowhere.” 

As she sat and stared at her journal where she keeps these reflective thoughts she got an overwhelming feeling of gratitude and appreciation for who she is and what she has been able to accomplish.

Then Hero remembered the words of her Coach who told her that when journaling, if her mind wanders, she should come back to the thought she was reflecting on, “lean not on your own understanding”.  She even remembered proper meditation techniques. A good day, are you kidding? 

Yes, this really should have been one of those.

Now time doesn’t allow us to tell you in any detail about the excellent workout that Hero had that morning, nor the healthy breakfast she enjoyed (perfectly balanced between carbs and proteins). We just really don’t have the space to discuss her commute to work where it seemed like she was the only person on the road, and not one car pulled in front of her to cut her off. Not one. When does that ever happen?

We wish there was time to tell you about all the productive meetings Hero had that day, the 20-minute nap she enjoyed in the afternoon, and the very productive afternoon session she had with her Coach. Time and space just don’t allow it. Sorry. But all that aside...

Really and truly this should have been a perfect game of a day.

Oh yeah, Hero even got in a 45-minute hot yoga class before her meeting with Distance. 

Good day? Ha. 

And yet, to quote from one of Hero's favorite childhood books,

 “This is an awful, no good, very bad day.” 

You see, Hero had her late meeting with Distance, who told Hero her services were no longer needed by the organization. The board wanted to go in a different direction. Sure there was certainly acknowledgment of all her positive results. Distance thanked her for all her effort. But in the end, the board decided they needed a new focus and direction (it is highly recommended, that if this was a real organization, who had a real board who made decisions like this, and who issued real stock; that you sell as fast as you can.)

Distance said the announcement would be made in 2 weeks and that they would like to throw a party for Hero. Yes, you read that right, the board fired Hero and wanted to celebrate it.  "Who does that? “Hero asked her Coach when she called to provide the update on her meeting with Distance, 

Indeed, this was not a good day. 

"But one day does not a life make. Nor does what happens on any single day ever define us. It can have an impact for sure, but is in no way a full picture of who we are". —Coach

Now if Coaches are good at one thing, they are good at asking the right question at the right time. They are not very good, however at providing quotes to be used in a blog post.

Hero’s Coach sat with her in silence as Hero contemplated this day that should have been so good and yet felt not that way at all.

“It's not if something bad might happen in your life but when." Those are the words Hero spoke that broke the silence that enveloped the coaching session (they are also words that will end up someday in a blog post, quoted by Coach.) “The real question to be answered is, How am I going to respond?”  Coach knew what Hero was saying, that leaders are often defined by their resilience in the face of setbacks. Having a positive optimistic long-term outlook is what trust is all about.

And now you know why she is my Hero.

*This quote is from Dr. Jay Wood, author of Virtue Epistemology, taken from a lecture at Indiana Wesleyan University. Hero hopes she heard this as the speaker intended.