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Monday, July 2, 2018

Livin’ the Dream

Today is my oldest son’s birthday. Marshall is turning 41. It is around this age that many men start getting an uneasy feeling that life is passing them by and they haven’t really lived. It’s generally called the “mid-life crisis.”

Marshall isn’t one of those men. Make no mistake. Marshall and his bride Lara have had their crisis experiences. Especially the loss of a 17-month-old child. And a job or two that didn’t quite work out as hoped. But in God’s providence, some of these experiences led him to one of his “dream” jobs several years ago.

His work is based out of Silicon Valley with the computer giant Apple. His fondness for that company began when I brought home an Apple Macintosh in 1984—the year the Mac was introduced. So easy to learn and operate. It captured my son’s interest and off he went toward a life in advancing technology.

I thought about Marshall today in light of a recent interview I had with one of those young men who is an unusual specimen of business talent. His name is Dale Partridge. His most recent book is titled Saved from Success: How God Can Free You from Culture's Distortion of Family, Work, and the Good Life. More on that in a moment.

Dale also wrote a blog type piece on “3 Critical Questions to Confirm Your Purpose.” This is where I connect his thinking to my son Marshall. As Dale notes, every soul wants to live a life of purpose. Yet many wander through their days and never find fulfillment in their dreams. What path will bring those dreams to reality?

Partridge sends those seeking purpose to look at these three questions:
  1. What are you most passionate about? Dale lays it on the line: “If your passion is not your profession, you have a problem. We spend the majority of our lives working; and if you dislike your job, you often dislike your life.”
  2. Who’s most important to you? In short form, who really matters to you? That’s the one who “makes you better, loves you fully, and brings joy to your life.” Dale’s message is that if you’re on a separate journey, perhaps a path change is in order.
  3. What is your favorite place on earth? In one sentence, “If your heart desires a destination in which you believe you can thrive, then it's time to begin planning.”

So who’s pulled off this kind of life? I think the birthday boy, Marshall, has. He’s working in his field of passion. He’s a man who values friends and makes time for important relationships. And he seems to love those cooler temperatures of the Bay Area. Note…he was born in California.

The life story of Dale Partridge certainly meets his own criteria. He’s living his dream on a farm in Oregon and his priorities in life have never been clearer. But his path to get there had a variety of crises. That’s why he wrote his latest short book on Saved from Success.

Partridge had a stunning rise to early “success.” He started his first business at 17. His ability to make an enterprise work and then sell it profitably landed him on the cover of Entrepreneur magazine. Mark Zuckerberg invited Dale to address the entire Facebook team on how he built an amazing non-profit.

But his life crashed. And spiritual renewal was what he needed most. And found. His career path now directs him to mentor others on what’s really important in life. Here are a couple of his thought starters:

  • “Culture’s distorted definition of success will leave you vacant, broken, and washing up against the rocks of an empty glass.”
  • “Is culture’s definition of success something to seek after or something to be saved from?”

I encourage you to read and share Saved from Success by Dale Partridge. Great stuff. Laden with Scripture. Read it…and start livin’ the real dream.

But here’s what bugs me. This fountain of great wisdom is all of…33. Wow.

That’s The Way WE Work. Click on the link to the right to connect via Facebook.

Let’s Talk with Mark Elfstrand can be heard weekdays from 4-6 PM Central. To listen outside the Chicago area, tune to www.1160hope.com for live streaming or podcasts, or download the AM1160 app.

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