I was recently invited to speak about purpose to a classroom of MBA students at Sonoma State University. Specifically, the request was that I speak on how to find purpose or stay aligned to purpose in times of chaos or massive change.
I talked about where we leak our energy by using our precious resources (time, talent, energy, attention, money) in ways that aren’t aligned with what matters most to us. We talked about what it means to stay true to our values when we’re being challenged at work or in the community.
I was so inspired by these students’ dreams and hopes but also by their willingness to reflect and be present to what I feel are some of the most important questions people can sit with:
- Why am I here?
- What impact do I want to make?
- What lights me up?
- What are the relationships I want to have in my life, and how do I cultivate them?
- What’s my role in times of massive change?
- How do I want to “be” in times of massive change?
To explore this, I asked the students to spend ten minutes writing a letter to themselves. After they had written their letters, I asked the students to read them and underline anything that surprised them. (This is the magic of the exercise and my favorite moment of impact.) Our truth comes through the pen, and we’re not always conscious of it.
Here’s how the exercise goes, and I encourage you to try it yourself.
If you have a level of trust on your team, this is a wonderful exercise to do collectively if you can spare up thirty minutes (ten minutes to write, and ten to twenty minutes to share). Here are several prompts to get you started:
Hey, you,
I remember how uncertain things felt back then in 2025. You were trying to figure out what it meant to live on purpose in a world that felt like it was shifting under your feet. Change was constant, and some days felt really wonky. Here’s what I want you to know:
- This is what really mattered to you back then, no matter what was swirling.
- Here’s the value and impact you had, no matter how many changes were happening.
- Here’s what you stayed true to, no matter what was happening.
Dear Me,
Wow, what a decade it’s been. I’m sitting here in 2035 thinking about all that’s happened since 2025 and how far you’ve come.
- This is how you stayed grounded when things got chaotic.
- These are the moments that make me proud.
- These are the relationships that mattered most in and outside of work.
Dear Me,
It’s ten years later. Here’s what truly mattered in your career: how you led, what you stood for, and the culture you helped shape.
- This is what people remember about you.
- This is what makes you proud.
- Here’s what I want you to keep doing.
