Maxwell Leadership Podcast

Episode: "How to Live with Purpose Every Day"

Host: Mark Cole | Featured Teacher: Dr. John Maxwell

Date: September 10, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode focuses on the transformative power of discovering, developing, and living your purpose daily. Dr. John Maxwell shares essential principles and personal stories about becoming what he calls an "everyday purpose person." Mark Cole complements the teaching with practical insights from his own leadership journey, offering listeners concrete steps, reflective questions, and memorable anecdotes to help them live intentionally and lead purposefully.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Foundation of Purpose (01:21–09:59)

• Purpose as an Anchor and North Star:
  "Purpose is essential to a person's life. It's the anchor that holds you during a storm. It's your North Star that guides you when you're just absolutely pretty well confused." – John Maxwell [01:24]

• The Two Great Days in Life:

  • The day you are born and the day you discover why (your purpose).
  • Many never experience the second day.

• John’s College Story & The Three Defining Questions:

  • As a college freshman, John was challenged to ask:
    • What do I sing about?
    • What do I cry about?
    • What do I dream about?
  • These questions unlock self-awareness and help reveal passion.

  "As I was writing these three things down on paper, these three things would be written on my heart." – John Maxwell [02:53]

• Discovery and Development:

  • Finding purpose is just the beginning; developing and maturing it is a lifelong journey.
  • Purpose is refined over time through intentional growth and discipline.

• Passion and Giftedness as Pathways:

  • Discover purpose by identifying your unique passions (what stirs you emotionally) and your giftedness (what you do well).
  • True fulfillment and effectiveness come when you align both.

  "When I can match my passion...with my giftedness...now I've not only discovered my purpose, I'm going to be able to develop that purpose." – John Maxwell [05:55]

• The Why of Life:

  • Those who haven’t discovered purpose ask, "Why is this happening?"
  • Those who have purpose ask, "Why not? How can I make a difference?"

• Purpose as Direction, Discipline, and Wings:
  "When you find your why, you find your way. When you find your why, you find your will. And when you find your why, you find your wings." – John Maxwell [08:42]

• Uphill Principle:

  • "Everything worthwhile is uphill."
  • Living with purpose gives you the drive to keep climbing.

2. Mark Cole’s Takeaways and Application (11:00–43:38)

• Personal Experience with Purpose:

  • Mark found his purpose at age 33; emphasizes the age you find it is less important than what you do after you discover it.
  • "It really doesn't matter the age you are when you find it. It matters what you do with it when you find it." – Mark Cole [11:40]

• The Importance of Intentionality:

  • Knowing your purpose is not enough; maturity and daily intentionality are crucial.

• Revisiting the Three Questions:

  • Mark encourages listeners to examine:
    1. What makes you happy (sing)?
    2. What moves you emotionally (cry)?
    3. What inspires hope and dreams (dream)?

• Mark’s Purpose Statement:

  • "My purpose is to inspire people and motivate them to reach their full potential." [14:21]
  • Talks about a period where he did tasks on "autopilot," losing alignment with purpose despite achievements.

• Living With Purpose vs. By Obligation:

  • Fulfillment is not about working hard, but about working aligned with your purpose.

• Effectiveness Through Giftedness:

  • "It's in your giftedness that you're most effective." – Mark Cole [18:25]
  • Four insights from knowing your strengths/giftedness:
    1. Insight into Purpose (rediscovery/alignment)
    2. Insight into Passion (what energizes you)
    3. Insight into People (surrounding yourself with complementary strengths)
    4. Insight into Production (sense of fulfillment and output quality)

• The Blind Side of Passion:

  • Mark shares about a leadership assessment highlighting how his passion, while motivating, could unintentionally create unrealistic expectations for his team.
  • Importance of self-awareness and feedback.

3. The Uphill Journey & Four Reflection Questions (32:30–43:38)

• Everything Worthwhile is Uphill – All the Way:

  • "You can't live on purpose for a year...and feel like you're going to arrive. You won't. You'll get to a plateau...but you're going to stop short if you don't embrace it's uphill all the way." – Mark Cole [32:40]

• Four Vital Questions to Sustain Purposeful Living:

  1. What price are you willing to pay?
     • Anything worthwhile requires repeated and often greater sacrifice than expected.
     • "Be prepared to pay double." [33:28]
  2. How long are you willing to stay?
     • Purpose is a lifetime commitment, not a passing fad or project.
  3. What payoff are you willing to delay?
     • Delayed gratification is always part of the journey.
  4. What people are you willing to slay? (i.e., What relationships are you willing to let go?)
     • Sometimes, realignment means removing unsupportive or oppositional influences.
     • "If you're not getting relationship support...your days of pursuing that purpose are short. You cannot do it as an island to yourself." – Mark Cole [41:27]

• Encouragement for Listeners:

  • Mark calls listeners to a radical commitment to live with purpose, challenging them to reflect, reset, and surround themselves with the right people for the journey.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• John Maxwell:

  • "Purpose is essential to a person's life. It's the anchor that holds you during a storm." [01:24]
  • "There are two great days in any person's life. The day they were born and the day they discovered why." [02:16]
  • "When you find your why, you find your wings." [08:42]
  • "Everything worthwhile is uphill." [09:49]

• Mark Cole:

  • "It really doesn't matter the age you are when you find it. It matters what you do with it when you find it." [11:40]
  • "Find people that will surround you, that will lift you toward your purpose, not hold you back." [41:47]
  • "You can't live on purpose for a year...and feel like you're going to arrive. You won't. You'll get to a plateau...but you're going to stop short if you don't embrace it's uphill all the way." [32:40]

Timestamps for Important Segments

• [01:21] – John Maxwell begins core lesson on purpose
• [02:16] – The two great days of a person’s life
• [03:05] – The life-changing Psych 101 class and three reflective questions
• [05:10] – Development and maturity of purpose
• [07:01] – Matching passion with giftedness
• [08:42] – Finding your "why" brings direction and discipline
• [09:49] – “Everything worthwhile is uphill”
• [11:00] – Mark Cole’s reflections and key application points
• [14:21] – Mark shares his personal purpose statement
• [18:25] – The role of giftedness in effectiveness
• [27:50] – The "blind side" of passion and 360-degree assessment anecdote
• [32:30] – The "uphill all the way" principle explained and dramatized
• [33:28] – Four reflection questions for living with purpose
• [41:47] – On community and the need to "slay" dysfunctional relationships

Actionable Takeaways & Listener Challenges

• Reflect on the three questions: What do you sing about? Cry about? Dream about? [03:05, 11:45]
• Write a purpose statement and revisit it often; don’t just find it, mature it over time.
• Assess your giftedness and align your tasks, relationships, and goals accordingly.
• Apply the "uphill all the way" mindset: regularly re-commit to the price, time, payoffs, and relationships required for a purpose-driven life.
• Audit your support system; ensure you’re surrounded by those who encourage and challenge you.
• Journal your answers to the four reflection questions and share them with accountability partners or team members.

Summary

This episode provides both profound wisdom and practical frameworks for discovering and living out one’s purpose every day. John Maxwell’s teaching anchors purpose as an essential, guiding force, while Mark Cole offers rich personal anecdotes and application strategies. Listeners are equipped with reflection questions, cautions about the ongoing “uphill” reality, and encouragement to continually challenge themselves to intentional, purpose-driven living.