15 Sep, 2023

Are You Working Out With Life?

Hey Purpose Peep!

Are you working out with life, or does it feel as though life is working you out? The difference between the two may seem like a play on words, and yet it is a big deal because the stories we tell ourselves and our perception manifest experiences and create our realities.

When I expressed a sincere ask, an intention, to move with life instead of having what I call “rearview mirror” wisdom, something happened. It was not what I expected. It felt as though life responded by turning up the speed of life events that broke down the perception that I could control or manage this speed.

Think about being on a treadmill that is increasing in speed. Either you pick up your pace and be with the speed, or you will recognize the gap, usually by abruptly recognizing the difference, sometimes on your a**. But with the treadmill, you or someone else can turn down the speed so you can catch up. I discovered through many tries at “turning down the speed” that there was something else that wanted to be revealed, a different way to be with the situation.

One of my favorite purpose peeps and I have a metaphor for this. Imagine being in the “sea of change” with lots of waves, wild currents, and this feeling of being tossed about. You can fight the experience and try all of the swimming techniques you’ve garnered over the years, you know, totally wear yourself out doing all the things. The sea of change is about to overtake you, you start gulping water and feeling all the unknown creatures of change touching your body and amping up a fear response, when an intelligence connects with you. You turn on your back and float. You realize being as a new possibility, being with this unknown pattern that the sea of change knows and is trying to show you. When you look up, you see spaciousness, and possibility returns with the sea of change. Possibility and the sea of change are the contractions needed to birth something new.

Through my experience of floating on my back and trusting the speeding turn-up of events, life birthed a realization and a curiosity. I realized how I am responding to life is not working. Because I feel connected to what I am witnessing and the importance of understanding it from multiple perspectives, the curiosity of how to be present to the experience without trying to control what I do not yet understand opened. One possibility that emerged are reps, a new workout regime that life as the ultimate purpose coach is teaching. The thing is, life does not announce its program. It does not inform you of the format, the formwork, or the promise. Life shows up without an appointment, and sometimes we recognize the appointment. Life was answering my sincere ask with the reps so that I could cultivate the capacity to be with life instead of recognizing life lessons in the rearview mirror.

I believe we are having different experiences learning our way through the reps to be with the high volume of change we are experiencing as the world in change. I worked for a consultancy that specialized in transformational change. One of the identifiers of transformational change is the number of people directly impacted by the change. Purpose Peeps, with a world in change, there is an intersectionality of change that is impacting all life on the planet. How else would you describe humanity evolving and the way our planet is communicating the need for a different way of being with her?

Some of the Purpose Reps that allow me to build the capacity to be with a world in change (both within me and beyond me) are: conditioning (recognizing the many ways we are influenced from birth and before birth through epigenetics), deconditioning (the reckoning with conditioning to determine what stays, what gets composted, and what gets reimagined), life as a purpose partner (trusting that life is for me and us and knows something about how to restore us), awe (being with the vastness and mystery of the sea of change and trusting that there is something new and/or to be remembered that wants to presence, understand, and embody), and gratitude (thankful to be a part of restoration and healing that spans seven generations back, right now, and seven generations forward).

Purpose Reps are expanding and making themselves known through repetition. Notice repetition that you may be resisting and check in to see if it could be Purpose Reps in disguise, practices that are really important to your evolution.

Purpose Reps live in all of the courses that are in the Unlock YOUR keys App. They seem to integrate better as enablers in action rather the an idea. The Purpose Reps come alive and unleash their alchemy in us when they are woven into a practice we are committing our life force energy to.

When life is getting your attention in ways that you will recognize, I invite you to practice a purposeful pause in the liminal space between the world in change and the possibilities that it is alerting you to. You will be supported. There are Purpose Reps for you to practice and learn, enabling you to understand yourself better and unlock your core stability as you embrace the hope that resides within and flows through you.

Dena Wiggins, MBA is the founder of Success By Planning, LLC and co-lead of Soul To Soul Spaces. Dena pours her life force energy into ways of being for the purpose clarity, expression, and contributions of all (whom she intentionally calls Purpose Peeps). She believes the compassion of possibility is achieved through realized purpose, heartivism, and the acknowledgement and ending of harms to ourselves, each other and our planet. Learn more about her books, programs, coaching, and newly-released app, Unlock Your Keys featuring Purpose Reps, enablers and capacity builders for sustainable change at www.denawiggins.com.

The Wonderings/Wanderings Series are snippets to invite the curious soul forward in times that are calling her out to play.

27 Jul, 2020

EP 20: The #Sparked Life Podcast: Life Shifts With Brandon Peele

Purpose Peeps,

During these unique times, you may be experiencing some emerging truths.  These truths bubble up on the inside and shake up our lives.  You may be thinking, do I really need any more disruption during a global pandemic and unprecedented social justice uprising, and whatever else is on our watch? It is during these times you can gain clarity on what you take a stand for and tap into what will sustain you during the marathon required for significant change.

Like the lotus flower that grows through muddy waters, these emerging thoughts are unclear, perhaps nudges that something is shifting.  And this process does not come with an instruction manual and can be beautifully messy!

During this episode, we have Purpose Peep, Brandon Peele with us.  Brandon lives and breathes purpose. Listen as Brandon takes us through some recent inner shifts.  We touch on some of the inner work that is happening within us that is shaping our responses to the clarion calls for we hear sounding loudly for change.

Purpose Peeps, there is homework! Apply Brandon’s heart-centered advice to arrive at your authentic and intentional action towards your vision of flourishing.

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Brandon Peele (he/him) is a Midwesterner, best-selling author, international speaker, the Vice President, People Science at ion Learning. He has written / co-written 4 books on purpose activation and worked with many organizations to activate purpose-led and inclusive cultures. He has also taught at several universities and has had his work featured in media outlets such as Forbes, U.S. News and World Report, and Conscious Company Magazine.

Brandon is a PGI Certified Purpose Guide™, Imperative Certified Purpose Leader™, serves on the Council of the Global Purpose Leaders and has an MBA in Leadership from Columbia Business School. He lives in San Diego with his wife, Stephanie.  To connect with Brandon, visit his website www.BrandonPeele.com.

Dena Wiggins (she/her) is a Best-Selling Transformational Author and MBA informed Purpose Doula. She wholeheartedly believes that purpose is the birthright of humanity and intentionally refers to all of humanity as Purpose Peeps.  Dena’s sweet spot of service is to transform the many ways of living survival as a lifestyle into the many ways of living thriving lives of purpose.  This shift is vital to members of BIPOC communities who have experienced systemic oppression as well as doing our individual and collective parts to the end intentional oppression that is the antithesis of thriving lives of purpose.  Her style is to be a voice of shared experience meeting clients where they are on their sacred path to purpose journeys with empowering frameworks reflective of her lived experiences, Divine guidance, and learnings in–spirituality, facilitation, purpose, and strategy–all working in service of clients delivering their purposeful expression into the world.  Learn more and grow in connection at www.denawiggins.com.

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22 May, 2020

EP 18: When Tragedy Births Purpose, The #Sparked Life Podcast

When the unthinkable happens, we are built to respond in fight, flight, or freeze.  Our bodies are wired to slow down, conserve energy, and limit our view to what is right in front of us. Remarkably, when tragedy happens, there are some Purpose Peeps who shift to evolve tragedy into some of the most purposeful action. Somehow they shift to see possibility in the middle of impossible grief.

As we are months into the world’s response to the COVID19 pandemic, many of us are experiencing the extreme stressors of the attack on human life as well as the painful requirements to reduce its impact.  During this time, the ailments of our time are revealed in full view as the capacity of the world is too full and stretched to cover them.

During the last weeks, the world mourned with the family of Ahmaud Arbery as we watched the video of his murder amongst intense public outcry.  Let me ask the question that is the elephant in the room, does the sparked life matter and exist within such difficult and challenging times?  While the world is in survival mode, is thriving an option?

Thanks to a friend sharing his heartbreak about Ahmaud’s murder, I was reminded of a part of my purpose story, my family history, that is so painful I locked it away.  Locked away with that pain and trauma is also the story of a family hero who in the face of indescribable pain, weaved an amazing story of love, purpose, and social advocacy.

I am thrilled that The #Sparked Life Podcast’s first interview format features a painfully complex and beautiful purpose story that will help us answer some of the big questions many have during this challenging time of history.  Please open your hearts and hear a story of a tragedy that birthed purpose and societal change with Mr. Kenneth Barnes, Sr., Community Leader, Purpose Prize Fellow, Founder of Reaching Out to Others Together (ROOT Inc.) and father.  Here how the unthinkable allowed him to coin the term, Chronic Traumatic Stress Disorder™  (CTSD) that built a platform for change in how we view and treat youth who are repeatedly traumatized by gun violence.

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Check out our COVID19 Sparked Life Support here.

Dena Wiggins is a Transformational Author, Consultant, Certified Purpose Coach & MBA. She takes an unwavering stand for your purpose. Dena unlocks purpose in sparked Purpose Peeps facilitating businesses and organizations to transform into lighthouses that shine solutions into the marketplace, no matter what. As a Purposed Resultant, she combines her experiences and passion for spark, purpose, and strategy to create impactful solutions that deliver your results that matter. Learn more about her Unlock The Keys To Your Success And Turn Them Into Results® programs and A Life of Purpose® Products that shift your sparks (or ahas) into action at www.denawiggins.com.

IKIGAI As A Purposed Resultant Program

Freemiums For Your Purpose

The Purpose Place: Activating Purpose In Younger Purpose Peeps

A Life of Purpose Products

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12 Mar, 2019

Workism or Purpose At Work?

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Last week I featured a clip of CBS Good Morning about workism in our compilation paper, Connecting With Purpose.  As I listened to Derek Thompson succinctly present the case of workism, which he defines as the way work has morphed into a religious identity—promising transcendence and community but failing to deliver,  I nodded my head enthusiastically as he shared the symptoms of workism. I recall thinking, “yes, Derek, I am tracking with you!” …Until the conclusion that the intersection of purpose and work translates to seeking the meaning of life from work, which makes the seeker miserable because work is not designed for that and the purpose and work story seems to end there. That’s where Derek and I differ because I know of an additional chapter in the story of purpose and work that is unfolding and it’s a game changer.

Over a decade ago, I became impassioned about the intersection of spirituality and work.  At that time the question that sparked me was, “how can I bring my full self to what I do?” I felt exhausted from the ways I compartmentalized my life and believed I had to seek different fulfilling experiences from multiple sources that I felt were easier to unleash my authentic self.  I read and studied and tried to make this a mental exercise but it was a soul question and exercise and it took years to figure that out.

I was gifted with the opportunity to work at a consultancy that embraced that exploration in its culture! Talk about manifestation.  My employer was a Spirit At Work award recipient and community member allowing me access to living models of intentional practice or being with big questions in an organizational context.

In 2009 like so many workers, I was laid-off.

My bounce back from this lay-off was really difficult not just because of the strains in our economy but because of the importance I placed on this job.  I think I developed a slight case of workism in this place of noble pursuit.  My case of workism was not about working crazy hours to make meaning of my life but rather how so much of my identity was locked into the work environment that allowed me to explore my big question.

After a challenging couple of years, I realized that purpose, which I define as the fullest expression of who I am (spiritual, savvy, experience, passions, goals) and the authentic service that comes from that knowledge, comes from within me as an ongoing exploration.  Whether I am working or not, whether my doing is compensated or volunteered or how I am with my family and community, it all comes from my home center, my knowing who I am and the value I bring that delivers different outcomes in different environments.

When we unlock ourselves, we take ourselves everywhere we go including the workplace.

My lay-off was a gift, a catalyst that allowed me to amplify what I learned.  I realize the job that I loved was really my cocoon for transformative growth and post-layoff was time for me to learn my wings and fly.  I learned that when I unlock purpose I take that knowing everywhere I go, including the work that I do.  It may seem like a slight distinction but the order is everything.

The press that I felt beginning in the early 2000s was the beginning of my awareness of The Purpose Economy, where consumers are purchasing not solely based on the widgets made or products and services provided but on a company’s ability to answer its big question, who it is in its fullest expression.  What is its fully intended impact?  Like my personal experience of awakening, many organizations are compartmentalized and the shift is moving to an integrated existence. Many organizations are moving from a model of this is what we do, this is how it relates to community and multiple sets of stakeholders to this is what we do, this is why we do it and this is how we integrate what we do with why we do it for a continuum of results that matter.

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Source: Making Work More Meaningful: Building a Fulfilling Employee Experience, 2018 PwC, CECP, Imperative

 

The next chapter of extracting more meaning in life is not trying to wring it from our employment by doing more but rather by bringing our full selves and the expanding knowledge of the value we bring to the organizations we partner with for results that matter.  I agree with Derek insomuch as the order matters. Work is not doling out purpose but it can be designed as a purpose-friendly facilitator with measurements including employee-fulfillment and the impact of purpose enrollment between individual, organizational, consumer & community stakeholders towards results that matter.

In this new paradigm, people are leveraging what they know about purpose and gaining fulfillment through intentional doing with purpose clarity. Through this lens, work is a purpose partner and as we shift our jobs, we shift purpose partners. Employers partner with employees in the way it provides opportunities for relationships, impact, and growth, which are the pillars for fulfillment in what its employees do.  This is critical as some say we are in a growing Gig Economy.

The next chapter of purpose and work that we are all coauthoring contains external pushes from shifts in our economic environment as well as internal pulls from what many people are experiencing in pursuit of fulfilling and meaningful living.  Organizations reside between the economic environment change and the personal internal transformations of its employees.  Choosing to be market and employee responsive are good strategic choices for the organization, which are systems of people, and yet the demand is coming from the people in support of what is transpiring within the people.

Dena Wiggins is a Transformational Author, MBA Resultant, and Certified Purpose Coach.  She takes an unwavering stand for your purpose. Dena unlocks purpose in sparked Purpose Peeps who transform businesses and organizations into lighthouses that shine solutions that transform our world.  Stay connected, join the conversation, take inspired action.

Learn more at www.denawiggins.com.   Shop A Life of Purpose® Products and children’s products at The Purpose Place.

31 Oct, 2018

#SparkNotes: How Do You Double The Number of Fulfilled Purpose Peeps in the Workplace by 2030?

Hey Purpose Peeps,

I owe you an apology.  I apologize for being passive about a trend that impacts all working Purpose Peeps and future working Purpose Peeps–a trend that impacts all of us.

33% of Purpose Peeps say that they are unfulfilled in the workplace. Source 2016 Workforce Purpose Index, Purpose, Imperative & LinkedIn

I’ve shared this trend but sometimes with the energy and passion of a keynote speaker who gets onto the podium, clears her voice, “ummm hmmmm,”  and begins speaking while the audience is still talking!  How empowered is that?

Speaking from my belly, this trend means that 2/3’s of us Purpose Peeps are unfulfilled at work.  Either we know it, we deny it or we’re on autopilot doing a great job of existing.  It means that we are doing all the things to check the box on success and we still don’t feel connected.  This brings up another point, we may not have the common language to express what we are feeling as unfulfillment.

Here’s the definition of fulfillment:

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I got sparked from the definition because.

  1. The definition includes the word realization.  One of my realizations is that many of us may be installing (checking the boxes, doing all the things) life and not realizing (coming back to reason) the intent of our life.
  2. The example of the definition describes many Purpose Peeps that have a vague plan for fulfillment because they have not unlocked their definition of success or their purpose code.  Riddle me this, how do you measure what you have not defined or defined well? The answer, you don’t because you can’t.  At best you try to apply measures that are not aligned with your purpose realization and are met with frustration that is difficult to unlock and unpack.

Last week I attended a gathering of Purpose Peeps at Purpose 2030 where Purpose Peeps across the globe, disciplines, industries and functions and roles met to unlock the burning question Imperative asks every day, how do we double the number of fulfilled people in the workforce by 2030?  Such a large question with a huge number of targets, Purpose Peeps who shift, requires a movement–Purpose 2030.  But before the movement, comes the revolt or the shift.

A piece of the answer to the question of how we shift this trend is realizing (there’s that impact word again) that it takes all of the Purpose Peeps.   At the start of Purpose 2030, Aaron Hurst, founder of Imperative and author of The Purpose Economy shared one of the findings from Imperatives new body of research before its upcoming release…

Are you ready?

82% of Purpose Peeps sampled in the survey understand that they are responsible for fulfillment at work!  Introduce the:

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What this means is that Purpose Peeps recognize they have the power to switch the dynamic of fulfillment at work, they just have not unlocked the how.  It’s like Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz who understands the ruby slippers have power but she does not realize that she possesses the shift that unleashes the power!

 

During Purpose 2030, one of the solution design teams (yes, this is a working session) was tasked with going out and questioning random Purpose Peeps (not Purpose 2030 attendees who are already unlocked) about how they are fulfilled at work.  It required a quick reframe on what we mean by fulfillment. Here’s a fulfillment wall with their answers.

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The Purpose Peeps in this impromptu exercise were able to express an authentic fulfillment lever that they can check in with daily and throughout the day.  This mindset shift shows what is possible for what the 82% of Purpose Peeps expressed in Imperative’s upcoming research survey–we are empowered to unlock fulfillment and create it and do something about it.

This fulfillment exercise reflects the paradigm shift from focusing on engagement to focusing on fulfillment which starts from the inside out.

Purpose Peeps, test this out.

  1. From a place of curiosity with no attachment to the outcome, use the definition of fulfillment above from Dictionary.com and ask Purpose Peeps (anyone) to fill in the blank.
  2. Now go back to your organizational metrics and see if you have anything that measures outputs like this.  If you do, awesome! You are an early adopter in the Purpose 2030 movement. How are you leveraging and scaling the power of purpose in what you do within your organization? What is the activation rigor that moves the Purpose Peeps from aha moment to intended practice and mastery?

This is the difference, the gaps, between knowing you have ruby slippers, unlocking the power of the ruby slippers on your path to purpose journey (yellow brick road) and clicking the heels of the ruby slippers knowing you have the power to transform because you were transformed by knowing more about how you come alive.

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Imperative has a solution that unlocks more than the knowledge that we have keys to fulfillment to unlock.  They’ve unlocked the science of purpose and created a psychological assessment that unlocks the purpose drivers that connect Purpose Peeps with a composite of what brings fulfillment to them.  Purpose Peeps are empowered to see the value they bring and create more of it in what they do. It’s a game changer.

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Organizations that value sparked, unlocked Purpose Peeps create environments to further unlock what clicking the ruby slippers means (realizes) for Purpose Peeps across organizations (systems of Purpose Peeps) while Purpose Peeps own unlocking what this means for themselves through more mindfulness is his or her doing.

The power of purpose within organizations is multi-directional and when approached this way instead of traditional top-down methods of execution, has exponential power to deliver multiple levels of results that matter.

To learn more about unlocking the power of your ruby slippers personally or in business, check out the Unlock the Keys to Your Success And Turn Them Into Results® Programs and get YOUR custom Purpose Me Purpose Profile for you and your teams of five or more Purpose Peeps.  I hold a belief that many Purpose Peeps require some unlocking before using the assessment (going to see the wizard).  It’s like Dorothy and the other characters of The Wizard of Oz starting the story visiting the wizard in their current frame of reference versus unlocking more about themselves so what the wizard shares affirms their knowing rather than tells.  We are for realized, empowered purpose!

XO,

Dena, Your Sister in Purpose & Resultant

Dena Wiggins is a Transformational Author, Consultant and Certified Purpose Coach.  She takes an unwavering stand for your purpose. Dena unlocks purpose in sparked Purpose Peeps who transform businesses and organizations into lighthouses that shine solutions that transform our world.  Stay connected, join the conversation, take inspired action.

Learn more at www.denawiggins.com  and shop A Life of Purpose® Products.  Save the date, October 18 – 19, 2019, Purpose 2030 in San Francisco, CA.

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certified imperative coach