A Conversation with Jon Gordon

Author of THE SEED: Finding Purpose and Happiness in Life and Work

Q. What inspired you to write this book?

 I had a vision of a farmer giving a young man a Seed and saying “Find out where to plant this seed and your purpose will be revealed to you.” I think about passion and purpose a lot and was inspired to write a story about the journey and the four stages we all have to go through to find, live and share our purpose in our life and work.  

Q. What are some key lessons you hope readers will take away from Josh’s journey?

 1. You are here for a reason and the most important thing you can do in life is to find, live and share your purpose. It’s the one thing in life that truly matters and if you don’t pursue it, everything else is meaningless.

2. Follow your passion. It so often leads you to your purpose. Do what energizes you.

3. You may not know what your passion is right now. That’s ok. The important thing is to make it your life mission to find it, live it and share it. To help find your passion, seek out jobs and experiences that allow you to use your strengths and gifts.

4. So often the worst event of your life prepares you for the greatest assignment of your life. Adversity shapes us into the people we are meant to be and prepares us for the work we are meant to do. Our job is to learn and grow from the challenges we face.

5. Don't seek happiness. Instead decide to work with passion and purpose and happiness will find you.

6. Be the Seed. Seeds surrender themselves to the ground so they can be used for a greater purpose. Wherever you work, decide to plant yourself where you are and allow yourself to be used for a greater purpose. When you plant yourself and make a difference you grow into the person you were born to be and produce a harvest that will benefit others and change the world.

Q. In the book you mention that many young people are often in a rush to become the biggest and the best early on in their careers. What is some advice you would share with recent graduates or young professionals seeking ultimate success as happiness?

Don't rush the future. There is a process that seeds must go through in order to become all they are destined to become, and you must go through this same process to become the person you are meant to be and do the work you are meant to do. You may want things to happen NOW but more than likely if you got what you wanted NOW you wouldn't be ready for it. The purpose process prepares you, strengthens you, shapes you and grows you to be successful, not in your time, but in the right time. Learn from every job and experience. Every job, good or bad, prepares you for the work you were ultimately born to do.

Whatever job you have - simply decide to serve. When you serve in small ways you'll get more opportunities to serve in bigger ways.

Your dream job is likely not the one you dreamed about. So often we end up in amazing careers that have nothing to do with our college degree or childhood dreams.

Q. How can business veterans use this book to help them find a new happiness in their work?

Don’t Expect your Boss, Co-workers and Customers to Make you Happy--Realize that happiness is an inside job. Our happiness has less to do with forces outside of us and more to do with what’s inside of us. The way we think about work, feel about work and approach our work influences our happiness at work.  For instance, just by making yourself smile you produce more serotonin in the brain-which makes you feel happier.  You’ll also be happier when you focus on what you are giving instead of what you are getting.

Don’t Seek happiness--Ironically if you want to be happier don’t seek happiness. Instead share your strengths and decide to work with passion and purpose and happiness will find you. The research shows that people are most energized when they are using their strengths for a bigger purpose beyond themselves. Whatever your job, decide to bring passion to it and find purpose in it. I’ve met bus drivers, mortgage brokers, janitors and fast-food employees who are more passionate about their jobs and happier than some professional athletes making millions of dollars. Every job will get mundane and “old” if you let it but purpose and passion keep it fresh and make you happier.  

Q. You mention the importance of signs throughout the book. What are some ways readers can become open to spotting signs that can help them make tough decisions in their lives?

Signs come in many forms. Advice from mentors, teachers, and even strangers.  Magazine and newspaper articles, things we see and hear on television and the radio. Even real signs on the side of the road can often prompt us and move us in a certain direction. I believe that certain people come into our life at certain times for a reason and our job is to be open to these signs and follow them to a more positive future.  For example, a few years ago I ran into an old friend from high school at a restaurant that I hadn’t seen in 10 years.  Out of the blue I asked him if he know someone who worked at The Today show or Good Morning America. To this day I don’t know why I asked him. He said, “actually I do. I have a friend from college that is a producer for The Today Show. He gave me her information, and told her about me. That led to me being on the show 4 times and this lead to a greater awareness of my work.