I recently read Jon Acuff’s Start. His book is a manifesto on movement. An accelerator for action. With a simple premise he calls to action the legions of us that spend years sleepwalking. That idea is this: “don’t wait. Start now.” The book was fine. But one day one particular quote stood out as I read it.
The … secret about purpose is that it usually finds you. Purpose is attracted to motion. Purpose is attracted to momentum. Purpose loves to surprise you mid-stride. Very rarely will it greet you on your front doorstep. More often than not, you’ll encounter purpose in the middle of the road when you least expect it.
Acuff was talking about the purpose that drives many to succeed at what they do. And the lack of purpose that leaves many of us muddling through the work at hand. Acuff is saying that publicly riding your dreams into glory will be seen, recognized, and appreciated by those in your network. I came to a similar conclusion as Acuff. Not just that your networks would recognize your efforts and respond with opportunity. But that networks are often the reason for success. Indeed, I have noticed a common trait in highly successful people: they are highly networked.