ON TOPIC
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CHASING YOUR PERSONAL PURPOSE
With business leaders clamouring to develop purpose-led organisations , adventurer Bear Grylls talks to his BecomingX co-founder , Paul Gurney , about the power of individual purpose .
Why is it so important for people to have a sense of purpose in what they do ?
Purpose drives people to tackle the impossible and to keep going when times get tough . For me , it ’ s about helping people to find their own adventures — and supporting them to succeed .
It ’ s why we set up BecomingX , which enables people to learn lessons from the world ’ s top performers and so realise their own potential . Successful people often want to be able to share truths that have helped them shine , and these stars believe in the impact we are trying to have on people worldwide . A lot of their successes are down to their own sense of purpose . We are determined to help level the field and demystify what it takes to succeed .
What has driven you in your life and career ?
As a young boy , I always had a clear dream to one day be able to stand on the roof of the world , at the summit of Mount Everest . My late father , a climber and a commando , initially taught me to climb . He gave me an amazing picture of Everest that I kept on my wall . It became a huge dream for me . As a kid , I always felt that climbing was one of the only things I was good at . I was never the strongest or the best or the biggest or the cleverest , but I could climb well and I had a goal .
The key to success is always resilience
Many things in life tried to pull me off course , including breaking my back in a free-fall accident when I was serving with 21 SAS , but ultimately I succeeded because I was dogged and never gave up . If you strip it back , that ’ s really why I made it to the top . It ’ s why Everest is such a good metaphor for life — it shows us that life rewards the tenacious , not necessarily the talented . Schools and universities tend to teach the opposite , but so often it ’ s those people who have had to fight for everything that succeed the most in life .
What would be your advice to people chasing their own dreams ?
I ’ ve found that the first thing you encounter , as soon as you articulate a big goal or vision , is opposition . Life is never going to make it easy ! And in a way , the world is just testing you . It ’ s asking , “ are these just words out of your mouth , or do you really mean it ?”
Second , be prepared to fail . The only way you can get somewhere meaningful , the only way you ’ re going to get your dream , to your goal , is through the door of failure . There are no back doors here . But if it ’ s a goal worth achieving , hang on in there and never give up .
Life rewards the
tenacious , not necessarily the talented
Why do you think failure is so important ?
We learn so much more from our failure than from our victories ; it ’ s how we grow . We have to be able to show people it ’ s ok to fail — that the failure is only failure when we give up . I remember failing SAS selection the first time around . I learned so much from that experience — most of all to get back on my feet , to learn from what went wrong , to get better and to retry . As leaders , we need to show this in practice and reward those who keep on trying and improving , regardless of the outcome . The key to success is always resilience .
Why is your new venture BecomingX so important to you ?
BecomingX is about helping people to understand what it takes to succeed in life and giving them the confidence and skills to follow their dreams . It ’ s about helping people to realise their potential .
We ’ ve made some incredible films with some of the most inspirational and iconic people alive and they all speak to the importance of tenacity , courage , kindness , humility and building winning teams . None of these attributes are consistently taught in schools and rarely even in businesses . If we can help millions of people to understand what it really takes to succeed and get out there and achieve their goals effectively , the world is going to be a better place for everyone .