Reach

for

the

Stars!

How You Can Find Significance and Leave a Legacy

By George P. Gundlach

Based on the GPS Life Journey curriculum by Nolen Rollins.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1

Success vs. Significance, there is a Difference.

-3-

Chapter 2

Reaching for the Stars!

-6-

Chapter 3

We Are All A Bit Pixilated.

-9-

Chapter 4

Heavy Lifting… Anyone?

-12-

Chapter 5

Your Deep Quest for Significance.

-15-

Chapter 6

The Big Finish.

-18-

Chapter 7

An Unabashed Advertisement.

-20-

Chapter 1

Success vs. Significance

There is a Difference

Did you enjoy yesterday? Did you wake up this morning excited about today? Are you enjoying yourself right now? Are you involved in an activity that satisfies you? When today is over, will you fall asleep with a conviction that you fulfilled your purpose and have a sense of excitement about tomorrow?

I hope this describes you but if it doesn’t please read on.

Unfortunately, most people can’t say an infadic“yes” to these questions. Whether itis their work, their marriage, as a parent or young person,a majority of people really aren’t that happy with their lives. They may fool you with the appearance of success, but more likely on the inside they feel unfulfilled.

My Story

I was in that very same spot a few years ago. I had worked in an industry that was demanding and financially profitable. I had developed and was leading a great team that was achieving enormous results. So, why did I begin to hate my job? Others saw me as successful, but the work and money did not overshadow a deep sense that what I was involved in was not significant. My work was empty and I was empty.

I had the good fortune to connect with a mentor and coach who specialized in helping people who he termed “half-timers”. They were people like me who wanted to move into a new stage of life where significance was the order of the day. It didn’t happen over night. My coach often jokes that I am a “little slow”because it took me several years to identify my direction in pursuing something significant. At first I was as confused as Billy Crystal in the movieCity Slickers. Remember Jack Palance, who played the cowboy Curly, held his finger in the air and declared that there was “one thing” that really mattered? I felt like Crystal, as I also had that same blank look on my face, wondering what would give my life significance.

Scaling My Brick Wall

From the time I was 18, I believed that my life had a purpose. Initially that purpose was realized in rearing seven exceptional children and doing work that allowed me to fund their development. But with that largely behind me, I felt as if I was running into a brick wall. I hadn’t a clueconcerning my purpose for this next phase of my life.

This is where the guidance of my coach made all the difference. He helped me to focus on seven outcomes:

  1. Understanding how God has uniquely created and gifted me.
  2. Discoveringmy special purpose for my life.
  3. Engaging in fulfilling that purpose.
  4. Serving others using my God-given profile.
  5. Achieving a sense of significance in my life.
  6. Making a difference in the world.
  7. Leaving a legacy of impact for others.

My Journey

My coach also explained to me that pursuing “what’s next” was a journey. Just like any journey, you start out with a plan and as you progress you make adjustments along the way. With his help I began the journey. He led me through a process of self-discovery and direction setting that tore down my brick wall. Soon I discovered my:

  • Personality
  • Strengths and abilities
  • Spiritual gifts, passions and experiences
  • God's purpose for my life and how to really hear God

Then he helped me to develop:

  • A personal mission statement
  • My vision and values
  • Margin in my life so I would have the time, financesand spiritual capacity necessary for executing my purpose
  • Goals and venues for service

At the end of the process the brick wall was gone. I knew without a doubt how I was uniquely made and uniquely talented. I also had a pretty clear idea on how to practically pursue significance.

Don’t Quit Your Day Job

I learned another critical step that is important for all who enter this process. Most people, when they discover their unique identity and purpose, want to ditch everything and run in this new direction. Generally, that is a mistake. The best advice is to begin to pursue opportunities while at the same time fulfilling your present duties. This gives you the chance to test-the-water and to try out various venues that you feel passionate about. Testing is a critical element of the process, as it is here that you refine your direction until you are in the sweet spot of what God has designed you for.

My Big Surprise

So how did this all end up for me? Not exactly as I had expected. I thought that I would find significance by focusing my management and marketing talents to benefit the not-for-profits sector. I had made enough money for the people I had worked for,so perhaps it was time to give back by serving these types of organizations. While that is still part of the plan, the big surprise is I fell in love with the work of helping other people discover what’s next for their life. Now, like my mentor did for me, I help others come to terms with God’s future purpose and passions for them.

I have been trained in two curriculums that accomplish this. The first is called “GPS (God’s Plan for Success) Life Journey”and it is designed to help anyone work through this process. The other is called “Roundtable.” Here I work with successful high-net-worth individuals whowant to move to a work that is truly significant.

Morning has Broken

My dawning of significance is turning out to be one of the most exciting timesof my life. I never wanted to retire. I just thought I would work less and travel more. But what I have found is that there is a pre-designed plan for me to live a life of significance until my strength runs out. Can you imagine waking up each day feeling purposeful and going to bed each night feeling deeply satisfied? Read on…it can happen to you too.

Chapter 2

Reaching for the Stars!

When I was a boy, my father was the marketing director of the largest pleasure boat manufacturing company in the world. Every year Dad would rehearse his lines for his annual dealer meeting in our living room. I would just sit there and watch him. The big joke in our family was that I would learn his lines before he could and I would sometimes prompt him when he got stumped. Once fully prepared, Dad would be off to places like the Waldorf Astoria and other the iconic hotels of that period where he had booked the biggest ball rooms in the biggest cities.

He held nothing back. Every year he had a new character that he played or new theme to entertain his dealers. This was the biggest event of the year in which the franchise owners would place their orders for the next model year. One year he was “Bob Flashem, the Chris Craft Wonder Boy.” Another year he was brandishing boxing gloves telling his audience to “Put more Punch in your (their) Summer Selling.” But the one I remember best was when his theme was “Reach for the Stars.” Being the “frustrated actor” that he was, he closed the meeting shouting “reach for the stars!” while being magically hoisted into the rafters of the ballroom stage.

In life, how do we “Reach for the Stars?” How do we give it our all and lead a fulfilling life?

Let’s Focus

Neil Young is one of my favorite song writers. One of his more recent creations is called “If you follow every dream, you might get lost.” I found his lyric to be profound. A lack of focus can spell disaster. It’s not unlike shooting a gun just one degree off-target. That small discrepancy given enough distance will cause the projectile to significantly miss its intended target. The same is true in life. Without focus we will miss our desired end.

What is my target?

I was meeting with a man recently who was on a search in the deeper areas of his life. He was questioning whether his life was accomplishing anything beyond satisfying his “selfish” (his word) desires. He questioned whether he was really living true to his values and making a difference in the lives of others. He looked at me and said, “George, I know what I do but I am beginning to question if I really know who I am.”

Who am I?

This question may seem elementary or the statement of an amnesiac but I find many accomplished people asking it of themselves. We are all such products of our family heritage, educational background and work experience that we can loose our identity on the road of “what we do” and “what others expect of us.” When that is the case, people like my friend, who stop to evaluate life, become concerned that they are just riding along in life instead of driving their life in the right direction.

The question of “Who am I?” is the most important question we will ever answer. One of the first times I wrestled with this question was when I was in my early 20’s. I had some life experiences, gained a degree and had found favor in my profession. However, at the same time I had this nagging unanswered question as I struggled to understand what I had been put on this earth to do. For sure I was young and idealistic but I really believed that I had a specific roll to fill and I wanted to find it.

My First Mistake

That is where I first learned the danger of pigeonholing. Initially I pigeonholed myself by looking at what others were doing and thinking I should be like them. I would try to imitate them. Then I quickly learned that others wanted to pigeonhole me so that I was doing what they were doing. People with agendas want to fit me in to their thing to strengthen their thing. To say the least, I was very dissatisfied with this experiment.

I Couldn’t Believe My Ears

As I was in the midst of this “purpose process” I shared my frustration with an older gentlemen who I trusted. As I was describing my dilemma and the pulling of others to go in their directions he calmly said to me “I want you to be the best George Gundlach you can be.” I was stunned by his words. The thought was both freeing and terrifying. If was first freeing to find someone without an agenda for me. The terrifying part was wondering how I was discover my purpose lodged deep within my DNA.

Applying Science

I discovered that the first step in answering the question “who am I” and to lead a focused, satisfying and meaningful life is to understand my personality.

Was I:

•Action-oriented?

•Enthusiastic and energetic?

•Warm and relational?

•A perfectionist?

These and other personality traits are extremely personal. We are not all made with the same personality. Understanding my personality allowed me to focus on my strengths and to work better with others.

A great resource to begin to understand your personality is a tool provided by motivational speaker Tony Robbins. Go to and take the free personality assessment. Begin by clicking “Get Started Now.” What you learn about yourself might surprise you.

Chapter 3

We Are All A Bit Pixilated

One of my favorite old movies is “Arsenic and Old Lace,” staring Cary Grant. That is where I first heard to the word “pixilated.” If you are unfamiliar with the word, pixilated describes someone who is very eccentric, whimsical, or prankish. People run the gamut between being on one extreme, deliberate and intentional, and on the other extreme, pixilated. All of us fall somewhere between these two personas.

We Are as Different as the Stars

Find a very dark spot at night where there is a clear sky. Now, look up and count the stars. Obviously you can’t do that (you will loose your place in an instant). Even with the hundreds of stars within range of your vision, there are the thousands that require magnification to see and a kazillion that no one has seen. They are just too numerous, and a closer inspection reveals that every star is different.

Author, Dr. Donald B. DeYoung tells us that, “Even though there are more than 10 to the 22nd power (1 followed by 23 zeros) of known stars in the universe, each one is unique. No two stars have exactly the same properties. A star has so many variables in its makeup that the probability of two identical stars is zero.”

Have You Ever Met Another You?

When I was a little kid growing up in the 60’s I loved the song by the “Seekers” called “I know I’ll never find another you.” You are as different from others as the stars. You possess abilities and passions but it is the subtle differences that make you a unique creation. To “reach for the stars” you have to understand who you are. So what kind of a person are you?

Assessing your strengths and abilities is a great place to start the investigation. You can begin the process by asking yourself three key questions that are part of the GPS Life Journey curriculum:

  • What things do I do well naturally, that I have a natural aptitude for, things that are very easy for me?
  • What things am I able to do well because of special training, education, and/or practice?
  • What things that I discerned from the first two questions do I also really enjoy doing and I receive a sense of fulfillment in doing?

Now Ask Yourself, “What am I Passionate About?

Passion is akin to emotion. It is an inner natural drive that causes you to give your all. When you are passionate about something you “have” to pursue it. It is as though an energy rises up in you and propels you to action. It is the opposite of the things you hate to do. For example, I have been a marketing oriented person all my life. On the other hand, I hate accounting but I have friends that love accounting. I am fortunate to have them as my friends but I do not want their job!

Ponder these questions from the GPS Life Journey curriculum and you will begin to understand your passions.

  • If you could do anything you wanted to do, what would it be?
  • What are the things that really should be done to improve life?
  • What are the things that you feel compelled to do or see done?
  • When you are dreaming about the future and what you would like to do “some day,” what is that dream?
  • What things have you done in the past that you excelled at?
  • Describe your “ideal” life. What would it look like?
  • What kind of things do you hate doing, things that drain you?

Do You Have Experience?

This question is likely the first thing an interviewer will ask you when you apply for a job. It is also one of the first questions you need to ask of yourself if you really want to understand what makes you tick and find meaningful purpose for the rest of your life.

There are things to consider such as education, training and work history. What roles have you filled in organizations where you worked or volunteered? Have you had cross-cultural experiences? What have been the difficult experiences (health issues, broken relationships, and financial problems) in your life?

Your life experiences have had a powerful affect in shaping you. Cataloging your experiences will help you discover a lot about yourself.

Wouldn’t life be really boring if we were not pixilated and unique people? Oh sure, being the same would be easier. We wouldn’t have to do the hard work of understanding who we are and the significant individual future we were designed to engage in. But that is not how our grand designer set things up. Instead we are all made differently.

Chapter 4

Heavy Lifting… Anyone?

Now that we are beginning to establish a foundation, let’s do some heavy lifting and consider several very deep and potentially difficult topics:

  • What is your unique purpose for the rest of your life?
  • How can you begin to craft your personal mission statement?
  • How do you envision the future once you start fulfilling your mission?

Why do you exist?

Remember George Bailey in “It’s a wonderful life?” That was the question he wrestled with. You’ll remember that George felt a great conflict between what he thought he wanted his life to look like and the way it actually was. He wanted to get out of BedfordFalls and do something big somewhere else. However, he learns that someone else wanted him to stay in BedfordFalls and do something big for his neighbors.