At Hillcrest Healthcare, we are so thankful to work with partners and community leaders who are compassionate, creative and dedicated to providing quality healthcare and senior care to our region. Their insight is invaluable. Today, Josh Crisp, founder and CEO of Solinity, poses an interesting question.
When did you lose your purpose?
It’s an interesting question. It might have even caught you off guard. Perhaps you immediately push back in your mind and say, “I haven’t lost my purpose!” That’s OK, the question wasn’t to be accusatory, it was just to get you thinking. Allow me to elaborate.
I’ve been building and leading teams across the country for almost 17 years in the senior care industry. I have asked many team members, residents and audiences this question: “What is your purpose?” As you would imagine, I often get blank stares and a variety of responses. I will summarize a few of the more common responses I get by category.
As I ask the question, many of the younger respondents will give answers of something they are seeking to achieve, such as a goal, a position or a status. Most often the more mature people give me a well-polished answer that revolves around their daily duties of their career mission.
For those nearing retirement years, they often tell me of something they want to do that doesn’t involve their career and they speak of their purpose in future tense – something they are working toward being able to fulfill “someday.”
As I speak with older people, I will get a strange blank stare, a long awkward pause, and most often stories of yesterday. Stories about what they did for a living, a great accomplishment, a spouse no longer with them, children and grandchildren and a host of other beautiful stories.
A favorite part of my work is hearing these amazing stories. But sadly, I realize the identity of purpose wrapped in most people resides with something not in the present and something that can be taken away easily.
I often hear people say, “find your purpose” and I smile and think, “does that mean you can lose your purpose?” The reason I smile is because we need not look far! It is within each one of us. We were created with purpose, on purpose, for purpose. If we have breath on this earth each of us has purpose.
It’s not something for tomorrow and not something from yesterday, it is today. So, as you go about your day, remember that you have great purpose regardless of your situation. For those of you who are serving in a caregiving capacity, be sensitive to remind those that you care for that they have great purpose that doesn’t rely on anyone else.
Live your purpose and help someone else realize they have purpose! It might be the reminder that keeps them going today.
Keep it real!
About the author
Josh Crisp is a senior living executive with over 17 years of experience in the industry. He is the founder and CEO of Solinity family of companies. Solinity has a development, management, and full-service marketing and PR agency specific to senior living and healthcare. The platform was designed to reshape the industry to better meet the needs of the aging population. Josh has also founded other companies such as Bridge the Gap, a senior living media company that delivers thought leadership across the industry. He also has a philanthropic passion and created Pedal for Alzheimer’s which is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit to raise money to support Alzheimer’s research, education, care, support and awareness. All of this and more can be found at www.JoshCrispOfficial.com.