What if you lived your whole life only to discover it was wrong?

Being the “HR guy” has been a blessing. It’s taught me how to see my life differently by learning through the experiences of others. Now I feel a great responsibility to share those lessons because of the impact those moments in time have positively impacted my life.

As I reflect on years past, I have had lots of people come to me and share how dissatisfied they were with their job. One of the most powerful lessons I have learned on defining who you want to be and living with purpose is from my dad.

Few people can say that their father was their high school principal. I can.

We were talking one day and he shared the moment that he decided to change his life make a change.

He grew up on a family-owned, rural dairy farm in west Texas. After graduating from high school he had no intention of furthering his education. His chosen occupation early in life was driving a truck. “Every day, day after day, he drove that truck.

“I got up every morning at 2 o’clock in the morning and drove an eight-hour route”

Finally, one day, he concluded, there had to be more to life. He quit his truck driver job and went back to school. Although he had received a scholarship to help pay for tuition, he also worked in a small hamburger shop “flipping burgers” and “preaching on Sundays”.

Fast forward, he went on to become a teacher at the high school from which he graduated. He continued to evolve his career as he was promoted to assistant principal and then principal where he served for 20 years. He retired after 40 years as an educator and impacted more lives than he will ever realize. The auditorium at that school is named Hershel Duckworth Auditorium.

Although part of the school was named after my dad, his name is indelibly etched on thousands of people's hearts and minds because of the choice he made to make a difference and live a life of purpose. He is my hero.

Tomorrow, I’ll tell you about another hero, my mom.

Remember, IT IS POSSIBLE.

It’s your life, your way, every day.

Begin here, begin now.