How To Gain Knowledge That Will Unlock Your Purpose (And Change The World)

Have you ever listened to someone and found yourself captured by their every word?

You’re hooked. Completely captivated.

You don’t want to leave. You want the moment to last forever.

In these moments, it feels like every word the person is saying is a gulp of cold water in the desert.

Everything they’re saying pulls your heartstrings.

You’re all in with all of it.

And when it’s over, you’re left with an adrenaline rush to go, do, change, create, build, risk, and act.

This person has changed your world. Life will never be the same again.

Why does this happen?

If you can understand why this happens, not only will you be able to find more moments like this, you’ll be able to fulfill your purpose.

And when you fulfill your purpose, you will be more likely than ever before to change the world.

Take a moment.

Think about when you’ve had these moments. Who were you listening to? What were they talking about? How were they engaging you?

John Mark Comer is a genius. Highly recommended any of his work.

I felt this way when I heard Barack Obama give his victory speech in 2008. The first time I heard Malcolm Gladwell at Leadercast years ago, he blew my mind. John Mark Comer is a revelation every time he speaks.

You probably didn’t think of the same people as me. This has to do with the knowledge these people are sharing. Let’s dig into three types of knowledge to better understand these moments and then see how this fits with our purpose.

Three Types of Knowledge

New York pizza is still undefeated.

Facts and preferences are things that I know that take up space in my mental hard drive. EG: my favourite pizza shop in my hometown was called Buon Appetito.

Applicable knowledge is something I know that I can use. EG: if I take a specific route home through the neighbourhood streets during rush hour, I can arrive home 5 minutes sooner.

Purposeful knowledge helps my purpose becomes reality every time I use it. EG: my purpose is to help inspire people to reach their potential, so finding common ground with someone quickly is important because trust precedes inspiration.

So why were my 3 people different than yours?

At some level, Obama, Gladwell, and Comer are some of the best communicators on the planet. They can engage almost anyone. But they resonated with me at a life-changing level. After I heard them speak, my world changed.

I call these people world-changers.

Why do world-changers so deeply move us?

When we hear a world-changer share knowledge that helps us fulfill our purpose, this experience resonates deeply within us. Their communication pulls at the very fabric of why we are here.

So what does this mean for me?

When you spend your time in pursuit of learning and living out your purposeful knowledge, not only will you fulfill your purpose, you will change the world.

Questions to Start Moving Toward Fulfilling Your Purpose

What is my purpose? (Michael Hyatt and Simon Sinek have some great resources on this)

What do I learn about my purpose from the moments where someone changed my world?

Where can I find more purposeful knowledge to help me fulfill my purpose?

What is one thing I can do to make my purpose into reality today?

Who do I capture with conversation, and how can I invest and partner with them to fulfill my purpose?