By Jon Gordon
While driving from the airport to a speaking engagement in Las Vegas I mentioned to my driver that I was sad that my friend Danny Gans, the amazing entertainer, had passed away.
The driver stopped at a red light turned to me and said "A few weeks after he died his name disappeared from all the billboards and taxi cab signs. Bam! He was gone and the town moved on without missing a beat or him."
It occurred to me that while Vegas can't afford to miss Danny because the show must go on, his family are the ones who miss him more than anything. The people who have seen him perform and have been inspired by his talent, life story and faith miss him... and I miss him.
I saw Danny on CBS This Morning and was inspired by his story. I had just written The Energy Bus manuscript and sent it to him. Surprisingly he responded and wrote a quote for the back cover. The next time I was in Las Vegas I went to see his show and spent some time with him before he went on stage. I didn't know him a long time but his encouragement and support of me as a new author had big impact.
Thinking of Danny reminds me to do my best to make an impact on others and the world. I also want to encourage you to do the same. Live in such a way that people will miss you.
Smile like you mean it.
Be an encourager.
Share your gifts and talents.
Be original.
Be memorable.
Show people you care.
Be positively contagious.
Help others be there best by giving them your best.
Make memories.
Knowing how you want to be remembered helps you decide how to live today. And living in such a way that people will miss you ensures you will leave the greatest of legacies - lives impacted by your life.
How will you choose to make a positive impact?
- Jon
Gordon, J. (2012, July 9). Who Will Miss You. Jon Gordon Blog. Retrieved from http://www.jongordon.com/blog/2012/07/09/who-will-miss-you/#disqus_thread
Working for a Bigger Purpose
By Jon Gordon
This was a newsletter I wrote a few years ago that inspired me to write The Seed. I think it’s such an important message and we have so many new readers I wanted to share it again.
What if work wasn’t just work? What if work was a vehicle to live and share a bigger purpose?
I believe there’s flawed perception in our society that in order to live a life of purpose we have to leave our jobs and go solve world hunger, feed the homeless, move to Africa or start a charity.
While these are all noble causes and many are called to do these very things, for many of us our bigger purpose can be found in the here and now, in the jobs we have, right under our noses. And when we find and live this purpose it will provide the ultimate fuel for a meaningful life.
You may not build libraries around the world but you can find the bigger purpose in reading to your children. You may not feed the homeless every day but you can nourish your employees and customers with a smile, kind word and care. And while you may not start your own non-profit organization you can begin a charity initiative at work. After all, "charity" means "love in action." You can make a difference every day and touch the lives of everyone you meet.
While these people may not be starving because of a lack of food, you can provide them with a different kind of nourishment that will feed their souls and feed your own in the process.
I heard of a janitor who worked at NASA and even though he was sweeping floors he felt his bigger purpose was contributing to put a man on the moon.
I met a bus driver who knows his purpose is to help kids stay off drugs.
I met an administrative assistant who has become the Chief Energy Officer of her company.
I received an email from a woman in the mortgage business who sees her job as a way to help couples save their marriages by keeping their homes.
I know a Popeye's Chicken employee named Edith in the Atlanta Airport who makes thousands of air traveler's smile each day. The list goes on...
Ordinary people with an extra-ordinary purpose.
In any job our purpose waits for us to find it and live it.
I can't tell you what your purpose should be but I can tell you that every one of us can find a bigger purpose in the job we have.
I can tell you that every job, no matter how glorious or boring it may seem, will get mundane if we let it.
Purpose keeps it fresh and when we are filled with purpose, we tap into an endless supply of energy.
Don't wait until you go to Africa to start living with a mission. Don't wait until the weekend to feed people who are hungry. Bring your mission to work, start working for a bigger purpose and nourish others in the process.
- Jon
Gordon, J. (2012, July 9). Working for a bigger purpose. Jon Gordon Blog. Retrieved from http://www.jongordon.com/blog/2012/06/25/positive-tip-working-for-a-bigger-purpose/#disqus_thread
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