Purpose Through Contribution: Small Acts, Big Impact

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Welcome back to the Purpose Day podcast, curated by LeBrandon Dates and inspired
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by his new book, Purpose Day, which is officially out now on Amazon.
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I'm Maya, and I'm so grateful you're here.
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Today's episode is centered around one of my favorite chapters in the book,
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Purpose Through Contribution to Society.
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A reminder that your purpose isn't just about who you are. It's also about what you offer.
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In this chapter, LeBrandon opens with a powerful quote from Dr. Anita Phillips.
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Purpose is the gift you offer to meet a need in a community that you are a part of.
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That one sentence shifts everything. We live in a world where purpose often
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gets framed as personal achievement, climbing towards something,
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proving something, becoming something.
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But this chapter reminds us that purpose is also collective.
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It's relational. It's rooted in belonging. In many indigenous cultures,
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purpose is not a solo mission. It's a shared responsibility.
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In the Navajo tradition, living in hoju, walking in beauty, means living in
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balance with others, with nature, with spirit.
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In African cultures, Ubuntu teaches us, I am because we are,
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and in Maori communities, identity and contribution are inseparable.
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Purpose isn't just about your personal fulfillment. It's about how your gifts
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strengthen the people around you.
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LeBrandon writes so honestly in this chapter about recognizing that part of
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his purpose has always lived in simply being available to others.
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Not in having all the answers, not in fixing every problem, but in offering
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presence, perspective, or even just a safe place to breathe.
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And he makes this beautiful point. Contribution doesn't always look like service
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in a professional sense.
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Sometimes purpose looks like access. Helping someone book their first trip,
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opening a door, sharing a resource, sending financial support when someone is struggling.
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Purpose can be sacred. Purpose can be simple. Purpose can be the thing you give
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effortlessly because it's already who you are.
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One of the most helpful parts of this chapter is when LeBrandon talks about
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how to identify your unique contribution.
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He says to start with this one question, what do people naturally come to you
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for? Think about that for a moment.
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Do people come to you to vent, to get clarity, to feel encouraged,
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to get organized, to hear the truth?
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When people think of you, what role do you naturally play in their lives?
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And then there's this framework, the intersection of three things. What are you good at?
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What do people value in you? What do you feel proud to give?
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Your purpose through contribution usually lives right there in that overlap.
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We often think purpose has to be glamorous or public. But sometimes your purpose
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is the thing that feels so natural to you that you overlook it,
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because it doesn't feel like effort.
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But that ease, that's where your giftedness lives.
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LB makes a point in this chapter that I really want to underline.
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You may be contributing to the world in meaningful ways without even realizing
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it. Purpose isn't always loud.
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It doesn't always come with a title or recognition or applause.
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It might be in the advice you give your friends.
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In the way you show up at work, in the way you make people feel understood,
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in your consistency, your reliability, your presence.
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Purpose doesn't always announce itself. Sometimes it reveals itself through
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the people who are already leaning on you.
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All right, it's time for your purpose practice for the week.
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Something small but powerful to bring this chapter to life.
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Take a few minutes to reflect on these questions. What are the most meaningful
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compliments you've ever received?
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When do you feel most useful to others?
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What have you offered? Time, insight, love that made someone's life easier?
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What situations move you to step in without being asked?
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Journal on these. Let them sit with you. You might be surprised to realize that
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your purpose has been quietly active all along.
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And that's it for today's episode. Thank you for listening to the Purpose Day podcast.
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Don't forget, Purpose Day the book is out now.
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You can learn more at labrandondates.com or grab your copy on Amazon to begin
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discovering the gifts you're meant to offer the world.
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I'm Maya, and I'll talk to you soon.