FIND THE ONE

Show Notes

In this episode, Ray Sanders explores the search for meaning and purpose in life. He highlights the common questions many people have about their purpose and the desire to make a difference. Sanders emphasizes that making a difference doesn't always require leading a massive organization but can start at home. He encourages listeners to find opportunities to make a difference everywhere they go, whether it's through a simple smile or a kind word. Sanders also introduces the Find The One Challenge, where individuals are challenged to wake up every morning looking for someone to encourage, help, or love.   Takeaways 

•  Many people wonder about their purpose and desire to make a difference in the world.
•  Making a difference can start at home and in everyday interactions with others.
•  Small acts of kindness, such as a smile or a kind word, can have a significant impact on others.
•  The Find The One Challenge encourages individuals to actively seek opportunities to make a difference in the lives of others.

Chapters   00:00 Finding Meaning and Purpose in Life 03:08 The Search for Meaning and Purpose 04:06 Making a Difference at Home 05:33 Making a Difference Everywhere 06:29 Framing Life Around the Good 07:26 The Power of Reaching Out 09:25 The Find The One Challenge 10:54 Reflecting on Making a Difference

What is Ray Sanders Leadership Podcast?

Each episode is hosted by Ray Sanders, an award-winning journalist with more than 30 years of experience in both print and broadcast media.

As a CEO, he has grown multi-million-dollar organizations, led an award-winning financial institution, served in a nonpartisan role with the United States Senate and pioneered international efforts to bring clean water to remote regions of the world.

Sanders is the founder of Coaching Leaders an executive coaching and business consulting firm that provides CEO’s with valuable input from a team of seasoned business leaders who have served at the highest level within successful multimillion-dollar organizations.

The Ray Sanders Leadership Podcast unpacks inspiring insights from inspiring people.

Audiences discover:

Powerful life-changing stories.

How to overcome adversity.

Ways to live a life full of meaning and purpose.

Common mistakes and how to avoid them.

What makes a purpose-driven business unique, different and successful?

What makes life at work fun, significant and satisfying?

What industry tips and tricks do listeners need to be aware of?

How cause-minded companies give back through Edify Leaders and other great causes?

SPECIAL OFFERS AND PROMOTIONS for Ray Sanders Leadership Podcast listeners.

To book your interview on Ray Sanders Leadership Podcast simply contact us at [e-mail]

QUESTIONS or COMMENTS? Contact us at [e-mail]

VISIT OUR WEBSITE AT www.raysanders.com

Ray: 00:00

Welcome to the Ray Sanders Leadership Podcast. I'm Ray Sanders, and it's great to have you along for the ride. As always, I had a few questions for you today. Do you ever wonder if you were meant for more? Do you wish life had more meaning and purpose?

Ray: 00:17

Have you ever asked yourself, what on earth am I here for? Why was I created? How am I making a difference? If you have questions like these, you aren't alone. On today's podcast, we will unpack a little idea I think might just have you waking up tomorrow with a whole new outlook on life.

Ray: 00:45

Hello, everyone. I'm Ray Sanders, and you're listening to the Ray Sanders Leadership Podcast. I don't know where you are today as you're listening to this podcast. Maybe you're driving down the highway or working out of the gym or busy with a long list of chores. I know I have those from time to time.

Ray: 01:03

Either way, I'm glad you're here, and I think you're going to enjoy today's podcast. As you probably know, I spent the last 25 years spending time coming alongside leaders, helping them navigate the challenges they face in life and work. And it might surprise you to learn that despite their success, many of those leaders wonder if they are doing things that they ought to be doing. Are they making a difference in the world? Are they really living a life of purpose?

Ray: 01:33

They get to the top, and they're asking, now what? They probably have a big house, maybe a second or third house, a lake house, a sea doo, a boat. Maybe they're on their 2nd or third marriage, and maybe their kids are doing great or maybe not so great. But a lot of them are standing at the top of their corporate ladder looking back with a bag of money in their hands saying, is this all there is? Is this it?

Ray: 01:57

Now what? Well, you know, Mark Twain was famous for saying the 2 most important days in our lives are the day we were born and the day we figure out why. How about you? Have you asked yourself, what on earth am I living here for? Do you wish life had more meaning and purpose?

Ray: 02:15

Do you ever wonder if you were meant for more? If you ever ask yourself these questions, let me assure you, you're in good company. Every night, millions of people lay their heads on their pillows wondering if their life is heading in the right direction. Am I making a difference? Does my life have meaning and purpose?

Ray: 02:37

Now get this. Other than the Bible, do you know what the number one selling nonfiction book is of all time? Would you believe it's The Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren? Do you know what the most watched YouTube video was recently? It was a video by Simon Sinek entitled start with why.

Ray: 02:58

You see these books and these videos all have one thing in purpose or, yeah, in purpose, and that is people are trying to find out the meaning and purpose in life, and it's something that everyone is interested in. For years, I was the CEO of an organization that provided clean water to millions of people in remote regions of the world. I've literally traveled all around the world and slept in the bush and really, by the light of the moon, thinking about all the wonderful things that we were accomplishing. It was a true it was truly an amazing opportunity for me. And while we were saving thousands of lives and impacting hundreds of communities, I was often reminded that making a difference in the world doesn't require leading a massive organization on a global scale.

Ray: 03:44

Sometimes the opportunity to make a difference was right in front of me. Allow me to explain. I'm a true believer. I really do believe this, that you are only as good of a leader as you are at home. You're really only as good as a person as you are at home.

Ray: 04:00

The whole world may see you acting and doing certain things. When it comes right down to it, you're really only as good as a leader and a person as you are at home. The greatest leader I ever worked under once told me, I never want this job to be the reason you and your wife get a divorce. What a great reminder. What he said really hit home with me.

Ray: 04:21

And so many times, we rush out the door to make a difference in the world when in reality, the opportunity to make a difference is right under our own roof. That mean my that might mean taking time to mend a heated conversation with your spouse. I know I've been there. How about you? We're discussing problems at about school with your child over a bowl of cereal.

Ray: 04:45

You see, opportunities to make a difference in the world are everywhere. Sometimes, some things are as simple as making or giving a smile to someone or making them feel valued or appreciated. After all, a smile is a smile in any language. People love to acknowledge and and be recognized. I mean, a simple smile, it doesn't matter if you speak English, doesn't matter if you speak Spanish, it doesn't matter what you speak.

Ray: 05:13

People love to be acknowledged and recognized, and a smile is a great way to do that. So whether you're making a daily stop at a gas station or a convenience store or paying your waiter at the restaurant or checking out at the grocery store, smile. Make eye contact. Use people's names. You'll be amazed at the reaction you get.

Ray: 05:33

So many people feel invisible. They feel unimportant and insignificant. But here's a fun idea. The next time you're interacting with someone at a local store, cafe, or shop, as they're checking you out, look the person in the eyes, use their name, and ask them, what's the best thing that happened to you today? Wait for it.

Ray: 05:55

There will be a pause. They'll smile. They may give you an interesting look, but don't be surprised if they just kinda look at you and struggle a bit to answer the question. Isn't that amazing? What's the best thing that happened to you today?

Ray: 06:08

Let me ask you. If I were to ask you, what's the best thing that happened to you today? It's interesting how if we begin to frame our life around what's good, how how good things actually begin to happen. So often we think about what's wrong in the world. What would happen if we started encouraging one another to look for what is good in the world, not just all the doom and the gloom?

Ray: 06:30

Here's another idea. If someone comes to mind, shoot them a text, send them an email, or give them a call. Simply let them know you were thinking about them and hoping and hoping things are going well for them. You know, one day, I was driving down the highway when a friend came to mind, and I felt the need to call them. And then I felt the need to recommend a specific book to them.

Ray: 06:56

So I called and thinking they would probably answer, but they didn't. And I got voice mail, and I was kinda chickening out. I thought, well, do I leave a voice mail, or do I hang up? I decided to leave a voice mail. So in the voice mail, I let my friend know that I was just thinking about them.

Ray: 07:11

And in fact, I had a book that I wanted them to consider reading. Now 2 or 3 days went by, and you know what happened. I got a callback, and my friend said, hey. I'm curious about something. Why did you call and recommend that book to me?

Ray: 07:28

I said, man, I don't know. I was just prompted, and I just thought maybe you should read that book. And he said, you're not gonna believe this. The very day that you called and left me that voice mail, I was driving home, got your voice mail, got home. And that night when I walked into my house, would you believe that it was late and the my wife had set a book out on the table with a note to me.

Ray: 07:53

You need to read this book. It was the exact same book that you had recommended. Now I don't know how you feel about things like that, but I think there's something going on in the universe, and I believe god even sometimes prompts us to reach out to people at very interesting times. Here's something else I know. I know of 2 people, 2 2 instances where a person felt prompted to call someone, and when they did, they later found out that the person was about to commit suicide.

Ray: 08:22

In one situation, the person actually had that cold barrel in their throat in their mouth. I mean, talk about timing. Now every call you make is probably not gonna be that dramatic, and I can't say you're gonna save lives with every call that you make. But by golly, if you feel like somebody's on your mind and you need to call them, pick up the phone, text them, email them, check on them, make sure that they're doing okay. That simple call helped these people realize that somebody cared.

Ray: 08:53

So here's my big guy my my here's my big idea. It's a simple idea, but I think it's a big idea. I would like to challenge you to take the find the one challenge. What if you woke up every morning looking for someone to encourage, help, or love? What if you did it every day?

Ray: 09:15

You will have impacted 365 people in just 1 year. I know it's simple. It seems easy, but think about if you didn't do it. But what if you did do it? You just woke up thinking, I'm gonna find someone.

Ray: 09:29

I'm gonna find at least one person to encourage, help, or love. What if you found 2, or what if you found 3? What would be the effects of that? Well, you would have reached more than a 1000 people in just 1 year. A 1000 people, you, in 1 year.

Ray: 09:48

Trust me. You'll soon realize your life has meaning and purpose when you do it. Can you imagine what would happen if you and I could get just 10 people to take the find the one challenge? In 1 year, those 10 people would have reached more than 3,650 people. That's 365.

Ray: 10:06

3 hun 3,650 points of contact. That's a lot of people. Tonight, when you lay your head on your pillow, ask yourself, how do I make a difference today? How did I make a difference today? Wouldn't it be fun to reflect on the people you made smile as you made them feel seen and important?

Ray: 10:28

You can find purpose and meaning in life when you wake up looking for someone to love, to help, and to encourage. Hey. Thanks for listening in. If you were encouraged or inspired today, why not share this podcast with a friend? And that's all we have for you today.

Ray: 10:47

Now get out there. Go find the one. And remember, we're in your corner for life in work.