BB Ep 69: Finding Your Purpose Through Intentional Living with Lara Casey

Some people think I help people find their calling. But I’ll be the first to tell you that’s not what I do. It’s just not my thing. The idea that there is only one purpose I was put on this Earth to do is paralyzing. I actually believe there are many things I could do that would get me excited about going to work on a Monday morning. And I think the same is probably true for you. Related: Why You Shouldn’t Worry About Finding Your Calling That’s why I don’t deal with callings. Instead, I help people discover something they’re really good at and enjoy doing, so they can turn it into a business they love. I love this because when people know what they’re passionate about, they begin to live intentionally in their purpose. They become more thoughtful and action-oriented because now they know exactly what to go after. Rather than just reacting to whatever life throws at them, they set goals and carefully evaluate the steps needed to get there. This is important because when you decide to live on purpose in your purpose, you’ll experience more fulfillment and success. Why? Because nothing will push you to work harder than whatever it is that fires you up. So let me ask you: Is this the kind of life you’re living today? I know it can be hard to feel sure, which is why I have three clues you can look for to figure this out. How Do You Know If You’re Living an Intentional Life?  1. You’re Living in Your Gifts and Strengths I believe God made you 100% unique. There’s no one else on this Earth who has your combination of voice, style, perspective, experience and interests. Understanding and utilizing the gifts God has given you in your business is critical to your success. Like I said earlier: When you’re not working in your strengths, you not only won’t enjoy your work, but you’ll also lack the motivation to push through the rough patches. And let me tell you, there are a lot of those in business. If you could use more encouragement around using your God-given gifts in business, download my free 7-Day Devotional in the Resources section below. 2. You’re Passionate About What You’re Pursuing Just like your strengths and your gifts, God also created you with unique interests, values and passions. I love dancing, but I hate details. I get really excited about adventure and being outside, but I’m not a fan of math, history or science. I’m passionate about people and relationships, but I’m not crazy about politics. But you know what’s so fascinating? There are lots of people out there who do get excited about the things I don’t like. So what gets you excited? What makes you light up and come alive? What gives you energy and joy? Take your time thinking and praying over these questions. It will help you identify whether you’re actually passionate about what you’re doing. Related: How to Find Your Passion and Grow a Business You Love 3. You’re Making a Difference God didn’t create any of us to be an island—off on our own unconcerned about the rest of the world. In fact, I believe He created us to live and work in community. It means He gave us our unique strengths, gifts and passions for the purpose of blessing other people. When you focus on the needs of the people you’re helping and serving, you’re making a difference. You’re impacting someone’s life, and that’s a clear indicator that you’re exactly where you need to be. This week, I want to challenge you to look for specific examples of each clue in your life. Are you living in your strengths? Are you passionate about what you’re doing? Are you making a difference in some way? The list you compile should tell you one of two things: You’re doing exactly what you should be doing right now. It’s time to start making small changes that will lead you where you want to be in the future. Related: How to Push Past Your Comfort Zone and Try Something New How to Cultivate a Life of Purpose with Lara Casey My guest today has built her life around intentional living, and she’s experienced a lot of success because of it. Lara Casey is the CEO of Cultivate What Matters, author of the books Cultivate and Make It Happen, creator of PowerSheets and the host of the podcast Cultivate Your Life. Lara is passionate about creating tools to help women live out their purpose right where they are. Clearly, she’s doing it in so many different ways! Her story is filled with many turns and detours. Too often, we don’t understand the winding path we’ve been on. But Lara encourages us to embrace our journey anyway because God can use all of it. I love how Lara puts it: “Sometimes we look back at our paths to where we are now and some of the pieces can feel very disconnected. But I’m so grateful to look back and see how deeply connected each one of my pieces is.” On today’s episode, we talk about: How to connect the dots in your past to discover your purpose Living with intention versus living by accident Practical ways to start living on purpose today Dealing with disappointment when you don’t meet your goals Taking the pressure to always say yes off ourselves (and others) From Intentional Living to Intentional Selling  Long before I created Business Boutique—before there was a book, a podcast, a live event and an Academy—I spent many months on the phone doing the not-so-glamorous work of gathering research. I wanted to learn everything I could about people with side businesses. Related: Market Research: How to Know What Your Customers Want I had a list of questions I asked each and every person I interviewed. One question was: “How do you feel about selling?” Every single person responded the same way. They all had negative things to say about sales. And I totally get it! Selling is uncomfortable and intimidating, even if you’ve been in business for a while. But you know what surprised me the most? After the question about selling, I would always ask, “Why do you love this business?” Y’all, I would literally hear an audible shift in the tone of their voice as each one told me the story behind their business. I remember one photographer telling me, “I love capturing these moments and memories that matter.” Another woman who sewed dresses for little girls said, “I love seeing little girls in the church lobby on Sunday morning twirling around in a dress that I sewed them.” As they shared their hearts with me, I immediately wanted to buy from them right then and there. Why? Because that kind of passion is attractive and draws you in. That is the power of story. You don’t have to feel slimy or be pushy or get on people’s nerves to sell your product or service. Instead, I want to encourage you to simply share your story. Share your why with your potential customer. When you do that, the sale will naturally follow. #AskChristyWright On today’s #AskChristyWright segment, we talk about the pros and cons of selling your products on Etsy versus launching your own website. We also talk about standing out from the competition on Etsy and how to leverage your current and past customers. I love hearing directly from you. If you have a question for me, give me a call on my toll-free line at 844.944.1074. You might hear your question on a future episode! 1:19 Intentional Living: Three Clues You're Living in Your Purpose 11:49 How to Cultivate a Life of Purpose with Lara Casey 37:55 #AskChristyWright 42:45 Challenge: Share Your "Why" with Your Customers Resources Get Christy’s 7-Day Devotional by filling out the form here! The Business Boutique Academy is OPEN!  I’m so excited to announce that enrollment to the Business Boutique Academy is open! The Academy is the only place where I get in your business with you. Stop getting stuck wondering what to do next. I’ll teach you what to focus on every week and give you the resources to help you win. You’ll also get monthly training sessions with me and access to an incredible community of like-minded women in business—because you weren’t made to do this alone. It’s only open for a few days, so get in before it’s too late. And you know I’ve got a special treat for you, my podcast listeners. When you sign up for the Academy using the promo code ACADEMYBONUS, you’ll get a free audio lesson: 3 Ninja Tricks I Use to Maximize Social Media. I’ll see you there! Sponsors Check out our friends at DesignCrowd. If you’re looking for design work for your business, anything from a logo – to business cards – to your website, DesignCrowd is offering you, my Business Boutique listeners, a special offer to save up to $100 when you start your next project. Simply enter the discount code “BB” when posting a project on DesignCrowd. Or visit DesignCrowd.com/BB. If you have a success story you would like to share with the Business Boutique community, email me at [email protected]. New podcast episodes are available every other week.