When I read Paulo Coelho’s The Alchemist for the first time, it changed my life. Not because it revealed some deeply kept secret, but because it put into beautiful narrative what I had understood all along: that following one’s purpose is a worthy pursuit, but not necessarily a clear or easy one.
Human beings are hard-wired to appreciate a good story. It’s the reason Hollywood is a multi-billion dollar industry and that there are (according to Google) more than 100 million known published books today. Well this, friends, was the story that hooked me. The Alchemist artfully articulated a worldview I knew I had adopted, but couldn’t quite put into words.
I won’t rehash the story for you (read it if you haven’t, it is spectacular) because any synopsis I would provide could not do it justice. Instead, please accept that it is the very best story that captures what I mean when I talk about being, “mission-driven.”
Mission-driven means that you live your life (or in the case of a company or organization, you run your business) in pursuit of your purpose. For some, that means working in the nonprofit sector, choosing a “helping” profession, or being an artist or activist. But, it is so much more than that. A corporate lawyer can be mission-driven. An oil company executive can be mission-driven. A stay-at-home parent can be mission-driven.
Mission-driven individuals make day to day choices that are aligned with their values. They seek their own path and appreciate paths that are not their own. Often, mission-driven individuals disagree but do so respectfully, from a place of openmindedness and learning. They seek to know and contribute to the world beyond themselves.
Often, a mission-driven life is challenging. The pursuit of one’s purpose is rewarding sure, but it is often fraught with struggle, confusing, and downright maddening. It is a life full of questions. Am I doing enough? Am I doing the right things? Do I actually have a purpose? What the f*ck am I even doing?
If I were to condense mission-driven living into just one word, it is to strive. Strive. A word that by definition requires an expenditure of great energy and effort. That is a mission-driven life. But, I also believe that mission-driven individuals and companies should be able to thrive.
In The Alchemist, the protagonist Santiago meets an alchemist while in pursuit of his Personal Legend (aka purpose, aka mission). They journey together for a time, and before they part, the alchemist cooks lead into gold.
“Will I learn to do that someday?” the boy asked. “This was my Personal Legend, not yours,” the alchemist answered. “But I wanted to show you that it was possible.”
Santiago goes on to fulfill his Personal Legend.
In starting Opportunity Kitchen, I seek to fill the role of that alchemist. To help you achieve your mission by showing you what’s possible and creating the resources to help make it happen.
For nonprofits and social businesses, that means having the funds and resources (including the happy, healthy, human, kind) necessary to do incredible work. For individuals, that means having the energy, clarity, focus, and soundness of body and mind to travel your own path. Yes, you will have to strive to pursue your purpose, but I would love to help you thrive along the way.
What’s your mission? Who and what has helped you discover it and move toward it?
P.S. If you’d like to work with me in a personal or professional capacity, let’s connect!