Jerry Bellune’s November 2017 Leadership Letter

Leaders find their why
Mark Twain wisely observed that the two most important days of our lives are:
• The day we were born.
• The day we find out why.
Many never do. They live and die with their music trapped inside them.
Many of us are fortunate to find out why.
My mother bent my twig early.
My father was 700 miles away in college. We had little money and were fortunate to live with my grandparents. We had no radio or TV. Mother read to my sister and me each evening after we climbed into bed.
Her reading classic fairy tales and stories of real life heroes and heroines fired our imaginations.
My fate as a writer and storyteller was sealed. It was what I wanted to do.

Partners in business
Pat was a vivacious blonde who made you feel right at home. She attracted men like a magnet and packed them in for lunch.
In the building with my father’s office years later was a small family-owned sandwich shop. It was operated by Don and Pat, young husband-wife business partners.
Don was a handsome, All-American type, a little shy which made him even more appealing to the ladies. Between the two, they had developed a thriving business.
Months later, I was having lunch at another friend’s restaurant, when Don came in with a load of beer. Driving a beer truck probably paid well but going from operating your own business to hauling beer for someone else had to be a step down.
After college and the U.S. Army, I stopped by to see them.
A new owner said the two had sold the business and were divorced.
Don came over and slid into the booth with me. We caught up with each other briefly, his divorce, selling the sandwich shop and any number of other jobs since then.
I asked why he no longer ran his own business.
Over the next 25 years I was happy working on newspapers, doing some freelance writing and learning to become a husband and father. Raising a family and keeping the public informed should have been enough for most people. Not me.
“Jerry,” he said. “I don’t think I was cut out for it. ”
“You’re one of the lucky ones,” he said. “You always knew what you wanted to do in life. I never have. This is just another job I do for a paycheck.”

What is my why?
Don’s words have haunted me for years.
He had me pegged — and himself.
We could make a difference, help others, make our community a great place to live, work and care for a family. We could work with people we loved and respected. We could champion real values: accuracy, fairness, hard work, honesty and community service.
Why was I doing this? I wanted to know. What was my true purpose in life?
Mark Twain’s words haunted me, too.
I was happy being a journalist and writer. That was what I wanted to do. But why?
Only when MacLeod and I became newspaper owners with advertisers, readers and a community to serve did our why emerge.
Simon Sinek in his book “Start With Why” writes, “Everyone has a why, Your why is the purpose, cause or belief that inspires you.
“It is one of life’s greatest joys to wake up in the morning … every morning … with a clear sense of why that day matters, why every day matters. This is what it means to find your why. This is the start of your inspiring journey.”
I hope you are already on your journey.
If not yet, make a commitment to start.

JerryBellune’s “Your Life’s Great Purpose”will show you a road map to guide your own journey into greater purpose and meaning in life. For a copy go to JerryBellune.com and click on Riverbanks Press at the top right.
http://jerrybellune.net/jerry-bellunes-november-2017-leadership-letter/