How to Intentionally Live Your Life Full of Purpose

When I penned "Facelift," little did I know it would spark the flame for Holly's Highlights, a podcast that's become a beacon for those seeking purposeful living. Today, I'm excited to express my heartfelt gratitude and share our journey's milestone with you. We're reflecting on the podcast's evolution and reaffirming our commitment to inspiring you with content rich in faith, family, and personal growth. Together, we'll explore how to intentionally live your life full of purpose.

I get candid about an unexpected detour during a New York trip, a vivid illustration of life's unpredictability, and how staying true to your path can steer you through the twists and turns. We'll also delve into the concept of flourishing right where you're planted, making the most of every role you inhabit to live out your purpose.

Wrapping up, I invite you to pause and ponder your life's alignment with your deepest values and what changes could amplify your fulfillment. To aid you in this exploration, I'm offering you some of my favorite free resources: the Get it Done Goal Planner, a selection of thought-provoking reads from our book club, and enriching episodes from Holly's Highlights podcast. These tools are designed to nourish your journey towards impactful communication, enriching home life, insightful leadership, and meaningful community contribution. Remember, every day is a fresh canvas waiting for your unique imprint—let's make it count for a great day for a great day, as we simply enjoy our journey.

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:01

Hi friends, welcome to Holly's Highlights, a podcast designed to encourage, inspire and equip you to intentionally live your life full of purpose. I'm your host, holly Kirby, motivational speaker, leadership cultivator, marketing strategist and personal cheerleader. Let's check out today's highlight. As we celebrate today on Holly's Highlights, which you'll find out the reason why coming up here very shortly, I just want to take a moment to thank you sponsors. Thank you so much for investing in Holly's Highlights, for being a part of the reason of why we are still here, and if you are listening and thinking, maybe my business should get involved. Maybe you're a business owner, an entrepreneur or even someone who can go to your business and see if this is where they'd like to have some of their advertising space. I'd like to share with you five reasons why to do so here on Holly's Highlights. Number one we cover a wide variety of subjects so that you're sure to find an episode that is perfectly fit for your ad. Number two according to an IAB study, podcasts provide, at a high degree of listenership, trust and, yes, I'm selective on my sponsorships, so not everyone is actually able to sponsor on Holly's Highlights. It is an application process and I want to make sure that I maintain the trust of you or listeners, and so I don't accept all sponsors. So again, I want to make sure that it aligns with our value and our vision. Number three according to the Nielsen Podcast Ad Effectiveness Study, podcast ads have a 71% recall rate. They are memorable and they are effective. Number four podcast sponsors have ongoing ad space, so it's not just a one and done, but the ability to be replayed and even have new listeners in the future. And then fifth is according to a report from Voices, 80% of podcast listeners don't mind or think negatively of ads, and even goes on to say that 25% of those responded said that they purchased or considered purchasing something from the ad. So if you would like to be considered as a sponsor on Holly's Highlights and help keep this show going and growing, feel free to reach out to me at hello at hollycurbycom. Again, thank you to each and every one of our sponsors. Check out the show notes so they get the credit they deserve. We appreciate you.

Speaker 1: 2:27

Hello, my friend, I am so excited to be here with you in this space, as I share with you today that Holly's Highlights podcast has hit with this episode, episode 101. And such a journey this has been over the course of the past three years and four months when we started in fall of 2020. Now I had someone say to me the other day I really like your leadership podcast and that kind of caught me off guard because I thought it's not just a leadership podcast, it's for everyone. But as I was looking at the top ranked episodes, they are balanced with both leadership development and self development, such as episodes of how to be a leader's others follow and how to start your own business, to those of four tips to have a grateful heart and three reasons to celebrate your birthday. So it has been a beautiful mesh, a beautiful blend, truly for every listener to be able to tap in and be able to hopefully be encouraged, inspired and equipped as they go about their day. Now most of you seem to be listening on your mobile device at 74%, with, of course, the majority of that being Apple podcasts, followed closely by those web browser users. But this podcast has reached across the entire world, which has been so humbling and exciting to see 90% listening in North America. But, as I mentioned, every continent across the world is listening. Now the top three countries are US, followed by Ireland and Germany, with, here in the US, the top cities, of course, being Salt Lake City, utah and Sandy, utah, but followed closely by the states of Virginia and North Carolina. So special shout out to you over there Now with that. I understand that there are so many roles. Listening as a while, it's been exciting to hear from those who are in the healthcare profession and construction and transportation and entertainment. The students stay at home, moms and dads, nonprofits, sea level suites, even the city officials who are tapping in to listen. So truly an honor to be here with you in this space.

Speaker 1: 4:35

If you'll recall, back when I started Holly's Highlights podcast in 2020, it was in preparation for my book Facelift. That was hopefully going to be picked up by a publisher, as it was, but it was while in one of those meetings with an acquisition editor and a well-known publishing company who shared with me Holly, if you truly want to get your book picked up by a traditional publisher, you need to start a podcast, and I'll never forget that day where I was kind of sweating bullets for a little bit because I thought I don't even listen to podcasts I don't even know what that looks like and so I started researching and listening to a few and I really wanted to have an intent in what this would be about Because, of course, as I shared, it was leading into the release of Facelift, which was picked up by a publisher last year Quaylor Books picked up in April actually picked up two years ago and just released in April of 2023. And it's been such a wild ride, so encouraging and just seeing where God is using it, as Facelift has received numerous awards, such as Firebird Book Award and LA Hollywood Book Festival, the Book Fest, royal Dragonfly, the Feathered Quill, and then even a five star rating on the reader's favorites, which is a huge honor and recognition. So thank you to all of them for voting for Facelift and those awards received. It truly is a humbling honor to be a part of that.

Speaker 1: 6:06

But, again, the whole purpose that I had for Holly's Highlights was truly to encourage, inspire and equip listeners to intentionally live their life full of purpose. Now, why was that? That's just my thought about How抽 pans out a nesse. My purpose that I have felt is threefold. First and foremost is my faith. Everything that I do, say and think about, I wanna honor and glorify the Lord. Second to that is my family A mom, as a daughter, as a sister, as an aunt. I take all of those roles and responsibilities with a great privilege and with a great honor, but then also such intent within those, in those relationships, in the investments and the sacrifices, the memories made and then, of course, falling close to that, as the third would be showing care to others, I really enjoy and feel like I have a passion for encouraging people. I just wanna see people lifted up and help people shine where and how they can be a part of being in their corner and rooting them on. So I really feel like Holly's Highlights podcast has been able to do that with those. We've been very honored to have come on and spend time with us, sharing their expertise and definitely investing their time with us. Thank you to every single person who has come on and shared with us as an interview here on Holly's Highlights podcast.

Speaker 1: 7:34

But I do believe that as we press into these next 100 episodes or wherever God might use and lead this podcast, I want to make sure that we're focusing on the whole point of it, from that very get go of that encouraging, inspiring and equipping to intentionally live our life full of purpose, and so today's episode we're gonna talk about that, that intentionally living life full of purpose. Now, as I mentioned, there are so many different roles and responsibilities of those we have on here. Such a great mix and being able to learn from one another, grow alongside with each other is such an awesome opportunity. But we have that job purpose that sometimes we can get stuck into of what is our title versus our life purpose, which is our overall role in life throughout, all time. Right, and the job purpose.

Speaker 1: 8:26

We've got to remind ourselves that our jobs, our roles, our responsibilities, our titles they don't define us and they're not who we are, but something that we do Now. Can we find purpose in our job? Absolutely we should, but we need to be very cautious that in our job purpose we're gonna have seasons of life, so we're gonna. Those seasons in life are going to pivot sometimes, such as when I was younger I wanted to be a school teacher and I truly wanted to be a school teacher all the way up until I was going for my bachelors. I had received my associates and was going for the bachelors and it was sitting there at orientation at the college when all of a sudden, that gut feeling of this is not what I'm supposed to do and I completely had a pivoting moment to where I went into mass communication, for broadcasting and journalism and advertising and marketing and all of that fun stuff. And so, although I enjoyed that, it was a pivotal moment. So we've got to be very careful not to get consumed in our job.

Speaker 1: 9:27

Purpose is to remind us that that does not define us. That is not who we are. We'll also have different seasons, such as maybe a move and that move doesn't open up the opportunity to do something we once did. Or when we have become empty nesters, maybe we wanna try something a little different Now that we have a little bit more time or flexibility or being able to travel, or whatever it might be. And then, of course, there's that time you hit retirement and it's so important to not just be consumed by what you were but instead of looking at that life purpose. Now, what is that life purpose? Well, the life purpose can help guide our overall life decisions. They really help influence our behaviors and shape our goals and even create meaning. And that's so important is creating that meaning in our purposeful living of our life. Now, either job or life purpose overall can motivate us. It can give us direction and we can have growth in both of those.

Speaker 1: 10:26

But many of you are probably thinking right now well, I don't know how to find my purpose, or maybe I think I know what my purpose is, but could you maybe help just confirm what my purpose should be? Now, there are three areas I would challenge you to look at and address when trying to figure out your purpose. Number one would be evaluate. What are you passionate about? You know, what fulfills you, where do you find meaning in life and what really feeds you or fills that cup of yours. And once you're able to identify what you're passionate about, again, for me I have the three my faith, my family and encouraging others. So, once you find that passion, then going on to the second evaluation of setting boundaries, because what we don't realize is to say yes to one thing is actually to say no to something else.

Speaker 1: 11:23

When I started being invited to speak at a lot of places, I had people come out of the woodworks afterward and ask if they could take me to lunch or have coffee or just spend some time with me asking questions or whatever it might be, and my initial response was yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, because I wanted to help them. I wanted to be there for them, but then I started realizing how it was pressing into other things and maybe someone wasn't showing up and so that was time wasted, or maybe it was going really long and I needed to get somewhere else or be somewhere else, or maybe it was just taking me away from my purpose of my children. So I started having the boundary of providing coaching. So that way, yes, I'd be happy to meet with you, go ahead and set up a coaching call or a coaching meeting together. This way it provided that boundary of those who truly were invested in wanting to spend that time Did so, and at the same time, I could block out that time and be able to share with my kids. Hey, tonight I'm going to have a coaching call from four to five PM and while you're cleaning your room and you're doing homework, and this one hour coaching call is actually going to help us go to that concert we wanted to next month, or go toward being able to go on that spring vacation together, or whatever it might be. And so it was a win-win scenario for both the client as well as for my children and therefore for myself as well.

Speaker 1: 12:55

So don't be afraid to set boundaries once you come upon what you're passionate about. Another example might be you're really passionate about going out and hiking every weekend. Well, if your boss is starting to ask you to work weekends, that's a boundary. Hey, I need to protect this weekend, not because I'm not willing to do my share, but because I need that boundary. This is a passion. This is an investment I need to make in myself for your health, wellness, whatever it might be, but making sure we set those clear, cut boundaries and then realizing we all have 24 hours in a day. It's just how we use them and we've got to be very careful not to judge other people how they use them because, again, we shouldn't be living someone else's purpose. We need to be living our own purpose. Therefore, we're going to have our own boundaries.

Speaker 1: 13:46

And the third thing we're going to look at is, now that we have that passion, that purpose set out and we're starting to set those boundaries, we now need to look at seeking opportunities to implement them, to live out that purpose. So a very perfect example would be a day that my son called me up for that lunch and he's asking me to come and have lunch with him, and I'm thinking you're supposed to be at school and I'm supposed to be doing my work. But then I had to stop and self reflect. Wait a second. The reason I have the job that I do is so that I can be a mom. First, I need to take the time to go and have lunch with my son when he's asking me to come have lunch. So implementing the opportunities to live out our purpose and, of course, sharing them with other people, because other people around us can hold us accountable. I have a co-worker who has shared a boundary she has with me and that way I'm able to encourage her and help her enforce it. So if I see her going across her boundary, I'm able to go oh remember, this was your purpose you set out, this was your boundary, to protect it. Then why are you offering to do XYZ? So you can actually help each other, protect your boundaries to fulfill your purpose as well as you can reach out and provide opportunities. If people don't know a purpose that you have, they don't even know an opportunity to present to you.

Speaker 1: 15:05

Now, when we do find our purpose and we start trying to live it out, setting those boundaries, this doesn't mean that we have to have drastic changes. We don't have to love animals and yet we are an accountant for a legal firm and so we quit our job and go work at the local human society. That's not what this is talking about, right? We don't have to make those big drastic changes in life. We can actually bloom where we're planted, exactly in the job that we have. We can start incorporating meaningful, intentional purpose in living out our job exactly how it is.

Speaker 1: 15:44

So, for an example, my sister and I we go on an annual girl's trip, something that my parents started for us years ago as a way to be able to come together, me and my sister, my mom and go out, go somewhere completely that we would never go as a family or with our little families, but then also spend the whole weekend doing things we enjoy and not having to accommodate our children or spouses or anything like that. And so this year, my sister and I since my mom passed away, it's something we've been intentional committing to continue to do we went to New York and it was such a whirlwind of a weekend, it was fabulous. But there was one day that we're down on the subway and we get onto one of the subway trains and we look around and, despite our map saying we're on the right train and the train being identified as the right train, there is no one on this train and it's a little sketch. So suddenly the driver comes on and says we're headed to the Bronx. And you, my sister, look at each other and say that's not where we're trying to go. So we got off. Now we got onto another train and I don't even know what number it was. We just thought, okay, this one looks packed and it's better to be with more people than no people. So we get on and as we, as well as many others aboard the train, the driver announces of the train welcome aboard.

Speaker 1: 17:05

Today there's a lot of maintenance going on on all the subway trains and so your maps aren't going to match the train. The train isn't going to match where we're actually going. This one is headed to this place, this place and this place. You can actually download this other map that will help you know the maintenance schedule for today. If these are the places you don't want to go, come see me. I'll help you find the right train you need to be on. But safe travels today. And I just thought, wow, how cool this guy is, so helpful. I just wish we could carry him around everywhere with us.

Speaker 1: 17:38

Today, and in just about the time the doors are about to close. A woman and her young son are getting ready to board the train and they get on, and obviously this train is more populated than it usually is. And so they actually step back and they're like oops, wrong train. Well, he noticed that he was observant, so he actually stepped out of his little driver station area and he asked them where you headed. And they responded and he said get on my train, I'll get you there. And so they get on, blinded trust. And as the doors close, he then proceeds to talk directly to her and let her know a lot of maintenance going on. You want to get off at the fourth stop? This is what it will say on the wall. You'll be fine, you'll get there. Have a great day.

Speaker 1: 18:19

Now this is a subway driver who didn't have to change jobs to make his job meaningful and full of intentional purpose. He was able to apply it exactly where he is and make such an impact. He was the best subway driver of the entire weekend that we were there. Such a man of intentional living. Now we're not always going to feel like living our purpose out. It doesn't mean we're going to show up to work every day and want to just nail it, bring our A game, even though we should. We're also not going to want to show up and live it out every day, even though we should.

Speaker 1: 19:02

An example of that would be a local grocery store that I go to. There is a gentleman there who is quite exuberant. There are some days I just don't have the mental capacity to go in his line. It's going to take an extra five minutes. It's going to be a lot of conversing. I know that sounds horrible because I am a people person, but there are sometimes I want to get in and get out, but I've got to tell you every single time I feel this way, I feel really convicted. I make myself go over in his line. I've got to tell you, although, yes, it does take an extra five minutes and yes, it's very intense of a conversation and it drains me of my energy, he always has a way of filling my cup and then I leave feeling really good about our conversation but feeling really bad that I was about to avoid the conversation, so intentionally living out our purpose even when we don't feel like living it out.

Speaker 1: 20:00

Now there are some cautions when we're trying to live out that purpose. One thing we need to be aware of is the comparison trap. It is so tempting to get on Facebook or Instagram or even just watch lives overall, even in person, and think, man, they have it so good. My friend, don't try to live out someone else's purpose. You have your own purpose. Live out your purpose in life, because comparison actually robs us of that joy. Don't even get involved in it. Live out your purpose, not someone else's.

Speaker 1: 20:38

The second caution I would give is controversy. No one can make you feel inferior but yourself. We actually cover this in an earlier episode I believe it was season two somewhere in there. I can't even guess which episode where it's entitled how to not feel inferior or something like that. But anyhow, we are gonna have a different purpose than someone else. So let's say that we're a working mom and there is controversy that you shouldn't be a working mom. You need to be at home. That might be for some people, that that might be their purpose. You don't have to have the controversy or live by the controversy that that is your purpose. Or maybe you just got a job promotion at work and the previous person worked through lunches and stayed till 7 o'clock every night. That doesn't mean you need to Don't live out someone's controversy of what they expect of you. You live out your purpose. Get out of your head, because keep in mind that people are not thinking about you as much as you think that they are. So get out of your head. Live your purpose. Don't try to walk in the shoes of the controversy that goes around you and your purpose and your decisions.

Speaker 1: 21:50

And the third thing is the confusion. Caution on that confusion, because when we start comparing ourselves with others, when we start giving into that controversy of expectations and how things are supposed to look or how they might look, we start creating a lot of confusion in our purpose. I know when, when I was writing Facelift, I thought this makes no sense, like I'm not an author, this is something I never wanted to even do, and yet I felt called. That was a part of my purpose was to do to write that book and to put it out in the world. When I started the podcast, I had my own controversy in my own head of I don't even I'm not as good as these other people, which goes into the comparison. But then also I'm going to be doing podcasts a little differently. I'm not living up to the expectation of how others do it or the way of podcasting. That doesn't matter, it's I had to get out of my own head and go. But this is your ministry. This is something that you can do to encourage and inspire and equip others. That's part of your purpose.

Speaker 1: 22:54

And and all of it was creating such confusion that I truly had to relinquish it to the Lord and just okay, god, if you really want me to write this book, if you really want me to do this podcast, you will open up every door, like I'm fully pressing into you and trusting you because all of this is for you. And I've got to tell you, the clarity that came was overwhelming and every time I tried to close the door, it would open, wide open. Every time I felt defeated and discouraged, something would happen to lift my own face. So avoid the comparison and the controversy that leads to that confusion and instead embrace the clarity of living your own purpose. Now, it'd be nice if we got off now and just kind of wound up this, this episode, and it was like great. I listened to another episode. She had some things to say, don't really remember what, but that wouldn't be intentional living. So we are going to live intentionally by asking you those three things right now.

Speaker 1: 23:55

My friend, stop and think about it for a moment. What is your purpose? What are you passionate about? What do you feel gives you meaning? What fills your cup? What do you enjoy pursuing? And then, what boundaries do you need to set? What do you maybe need to stop doing? What do you maybe need to stop doing? Start doing, do less of, or even do more of? What are your values, your priorities that tap into that? What boundaries do you need to start setting today? And then, what opportunities can you seek today? Maybe you are that animal lover and, although you're not going to change your job from being illegal or whatever field you're in, you actually are going to be home for a bit and you could call the Humane Society and see if you could foster an animal for a bit, give an animal a home and fill your cup with being able to love on that animal, whatever it is. What opportunities can you seek today?

Speaker 1: 25:03

Now, I'd love to give you three free resources. We all like that word free, right? So I'd love to give you three free resources to help you as you continue to intentionally press into living your purpose in life, and that is, first and foremost, go to my website, hollykerbycom. That's H-O-L-L-Y-C-U-R-B-Y dot com and if you'll sign up for my email, it's the monthly Hollies happenings. It just goes out once a month, have some great information in there, also some great recipes, and you can go ahead and there'll be a pop up that comes when you go to the website that offers you to sign up for the email and you'll get the free Get it Done Goal Planner sent to you. Now are we talking about goals today? No, not directly. We're talking about purpose, but goals definitely play into it. As we do pursue our purpose in life, they do involve goals, and so this Get it Done Goal Planner could really be a great resource for you in tapping into that purpose of your life.

Speaker 1: 26:02

The second one books. I am not a reader for being an author, I am not one that reads like 100 books in a year. I think I maybe read four in a year. I will get better at that. That is one of my goals. But I would encourage you to read some fabulous books that other amazing authors have put out there, and some of those are on my website. If you go to hollycurbycom, there is the book club. Go into the book club and I list several books that are great resources for both personal and professional development but really help us dive into our purpose. Because, just like one of my favorites 10 seconds of insane courage by Garrett Graveson he's talking about overcoming our fears, and that is so often something that can prohibit us from or prevent us from really pressing into our purpose is the fears of life. And so, whether it be that, or dealing with tough situations and conflict, or maybe even unveiling some things about ourselves to be able to really press into our purpose, there are so many different great books recommended on that site. So, again, book club on hollycurbycom has some great resources of those books and I really dive in a little bit deeper into what the book is about so you can see if it's going to be a great application for you or not.

Speaker 1: 27:21

And then, third and finally, would be Holly's Hollies podcast. There are now how many episodes? 101. So whether you are wanting to learn more in purposeful communication, whether that be conflict or healthy relationships or how to communicate with people, those episodes are there. Or if you are wanting to have more purpose at home. There is the organization and the meal planning and the family mission statements and all of those resources there. Or maybe it is in your leadership. You are wanting to have more of a purposeful living in your leadership, and so there are many of leading teams and, of course, the one of the top ones of being a leader. Others follow, but some great resources for leaders as well. So I would encourage you to check out Holly's Hollies podcast. We also have some great nonprofits scattered throughout there, so you can see where you might want to give back and make an impact in our community too.

Speaker 1: 28:18

Above all, I hope, my desire, my prayer, is that, as you come back each and every other week to listen to the new episodes here on Holly's Hollies podcast and hopefully sharing them with others, I would ask of that of you that's one of the greatest referral, is one of the greatest compliments that I can receive Also going on to Apple and other places that you listen and rating and reviewing. It's also very helpful and, of course, helps not whole algorithm things so that more people can find the show more easily. But truly, whatever season you're in, whatever role, whatever circumstances in life, wherever life might just be pivoting a little bit. I truly hope that you are feeling encouraged, inspired and equipped, and intentionally living your life full of purpose. Thank you for joining me on this journey of life.

Speaker 1: 29:12

I hope that today's highlight has been encouraging, inspiring and equipping so you can go out and live your life full of purpose. I'd be honored if you take a moment to leave a review or, better yet, subscribe. We can also stay in touch by joining my email list at hollycurbycom. That's H-O-L-L-Y-C-U-R-B-Y dot com. Until next time, make it a great day for a great day.