Lecture Notes on Health and Wellness Journey

Key Theme

• Health and wellness are not destinations but ongoing processes and personal journeys.

Guest Speaker: Alexandra Cole

• Background:
  • Born in the UK, raised in the Netherlands.
  • Never intended to be an entrepreneur; followed a traditional path initially.
  • Shifted from a career in management consulting in NYC to entrepreneurship.

Journey to Entrepreneurship

• Observed peers leaving corporate jobs for startups with a sense of purpose.
• Co-founded "Purpose Generation" to help companies understand the millennial mindset.
• Developed workshops and courses about finding purpose, leading to an online course and writing a book.

Purpose and Passion

• Purpose is a balance of talents, passions, and potential to contribute.
• Difference between purpose and passion:
  • Purpose is where talents, passions, and contributions intersect.
  • Passion is an element of purpose but not the entirety.

Finding and Living Your Purpose

• Importance of living with purpose:
  • Purpose acts as a North Star, guiding life decisions.
  • Essential for personal fulfillment and contribution to the world.
• Methodology:
  • Journaling as a tool to connect with inner purpose.
  • Exercise: Identify "purpose triggers" - actions or environments that enhance purpose.

Overcoming Barriers

• Common barriers include self-criticism, comparison, and fear.
• Suggestions:
  • Practice self-acceptance and move past fear by engaging with it.
  • Integrate purpose into daily life through small, consistent actions.

Business: Purpose Playbook and Purpose Generation

• Purpose Generation: Consulting firm for corporates.
• Purpose Playbook: Individual coaching to design life around personal purpose.
• Methodology involves journaling, identifying purpose triggers, and aligning life with purpose.

Generational Shift and Impact

• Millennials and Gen Z are driving change with new tools and expectations.
• Emphasis on social entrepreneurship and accountability in businesses.
• Desire to connect work with personal values and societal impact.

Exercises and Recommendations

• Suggested exercises for individuals:
  • List talents, passions, and contributions to find intersections.
  • Reflect on childhood interests and activities that lead to "flow state."
• Importance of intentional living to break free from autopilot mode.

Conclusion

• Emphasize starting the journey towards purpose early for a fulfilling life.
• Intentional living enriches personal happiness and societal contribution.