Hall - Aspire : discovering your purpose through the power of words

I t all started with words. In John 1:1 we read, In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God. And the Word was God. Words are, and always have been, the creative force of the universe. The first recorded words of the Creator, Let there be light, put forth the illuminating power of words.

This masterfully written book will help you understand that words contain an inherent power, a force capable of lighting ones paths and hoped-for horizons. Used correctly and positively, words are the first building blocks for success and inner peace; they provide the vision and focus that show the way to growth and contribution. Used incorrectly and negatively, they are capable of undermining even the best of intentions. This is true in business, in personal relationships, and in every other walk of life. There is a language of success and a language of distress. There is a language of progress and a language of regress. Words sell, and words repel. Words lead, and words impede. Words heal, and words kill. By truly understanding what words mean in their purest sense, we are able to unlock their importance and divine value and put ourselves in position to develop a new leadership vocabulary that looks up, not down, and inspires, motivates, uplifts, excites, and propels. When words are used properly, they sing out to the human heart.

A BOUT Y OUR P ATHFINDER

I first met Kevin Hall over two decades ago when he was leading the sales and training division at Franklin Quest. He requested that I speak at the corporations annual retreat on the principles of communication and empathy. His passion for timeless principles and sincere desire to help others find and follow their path and purpose in life were clearly evident back then.

Kevin was also the coach for my granddaughter Laurens club soccer team, where I was able to observe his ability to motivate and encourage young people to achieve goals many of them had never dreamed of. He was as concerned with the players personal success in life as he was with their success on the soccer field. I remember one occasion in particular when we opened up our home for a personal development session for team members, and Kevin arranged for a handful of speakers to breathe life into the players dreams and aspirations. One speaker, Art Berg, shared a powerful message you will read about in Chapter 7. Many of the principles taught that night still resonate with me even today.

Over time, the company I founded, Covey Leadership Center, merged with Franklin Quest to form FranklinCovey, a leading global professional services firm of which I serve as vice chairman today.

Prior to the merger, Kevin left Franklin Quest to pursue the founding of a youth foundation and research the hidden, and often secret, meaning of words, as well as their relationship to personal growth and development.

We have since spoken together at industry conferences and worked jointly with executive teams in improving leadership performance. Just as I broke new ground in human development over twenty years ago by uncovering the habits that make for a meaningful and effective life, Kevin is breaking new ground by uncovering and revealing the true intent and meaning of the words that make up those habits.

I have been conferring with Kevin on this book over the course of the past four years and believe it to be a magnificent guide for living a life of fulfillment and integrity. Each chapter is infused with timeless principles that Kevin calls secrets. For example, in Chapter 1, you will discover the Secret Word. It is an ancient and incredibly empowering word from India that I have personally found to be amazingly potential-releasing. Discovering this word alone, and learning how to tap into its illimitable power, is more than worth the price of the book.

As you read about Kevins personal journey of discovering these secrets, youll soon come to realize the power of your own heroic journey.

P EELING THE O NION

Understanding what a common word really means and recognizing its depth and true essence can be enormously empowering. By breaking down words, layer by layer, by uncovering their pure, original meaning, by exploring their roots, we shine a new light on words and phrases, many of which weve used forever. For example, I have always taught that the first imperative of a leader is to inspire others. When you realize that inspire means to breathe life into anothers dreams, and that the opposite, expire, means to cease to breathe, those words come to life. By learning to use words that inspire, you enable others to achieve their dreams. Conversely, by using words that expire, you disable others hopes and aspirations.

Another example is opportunity. I believe that effective people are not problem-minded; theyre opportunity-minded. The root of opportunity is port, meaning the entryway by water into a city or place of business. In earlier days, when the tide and winds were right and the port opened, it allowed entry to do commerce, to visit, or to invade and conquer. But only those who recognized the opening could take advantage of the open port, or opportunity. I strongly encourage you to take advantage of the opportunity this treasure-filled book affords for enriching your life.

In addition to words commonly used in everyday English conversation, this book includes unique and profound words from other languages and cultures. The word Ollin, for example, is a word of depth from the Aztecs. It described a powerful event, like an earthquake or a great storm that shakes the earth. It conveys intense and immediate movement. Ollin means to move or act now with all your heart. To experience Ollin, you have to get All in. Global words such as this can unite people throughout the world with a common language.

F INDING Y OUR B LISS

The more you understand words and the layers within them, the more it helps you understand your path and purpose. The great mythologist Joseph Campbell coined the phrase Follow your bliss. Words are the direction signs that show the way to that bliss. Words, in concert with the actions they inspire, help you become a better leader, a better spouse, a better parent, a better salesperson, a better athlete. The list is endless. The power in words generates wealth, health, productivity, discipline, spirituality, and limitless other desirable human traits.

L AYOUT OF THE C HAPTERS

By design, the book is divided into eleven principle-based chapterseleven core wordsthat you can visit and revisit several times a year to effectively cement permanent behavioral change.

The pattern and layout of the chapters reflect the authors background and experience in human development training over the past quarter century. The first five chapters deal with personal development how to use the secret power of words to help find your personal path and purpose. The middle chapter sits by itself, deliberately set apart because its theme is central to the whole book. Its key word is humility, a powerful trait I regard as the Mother of all Virtues, for it is the key to growth and constant improvement. The last five chapters are about leading others. They comprise the language of leadership: its not about you, its about them. As in a wheel, the chapters reflect how your sphere of influence expands from an inner hub, then gets bigger and bigger and bigger as the wheel keeps growing. The final chapter on integritywhich means whole or completecompletes the development wheel.

This enlightening book can easily be read in a single sitting. You can also select a chapter theme that calls to you and explore its depths thoroughly and deliberately. Either way, it will reveal essential keys for unleashing your true potential.