Back in the day, helmets weren’t even a part of the game. When football first kicked off, it was all about grit and toughness. No one thought about protection; the game was just rough and dangerous, and you went in with what you had.
It wasn’t until injuries started stacking up that players started slapping on leather caps to protect themselves. They weren’t perfect, but they were something—a step in the right direction.
Now, fast-forward a century, and we’ve got custom-made, high-tech helmets with in-built microphones and sensors designed to keep players safe and enhance their performance.
That evolution in helmets isn’t just about safety; it’s a reflection of how we’ve come to understand purpose, protection, and bringing the best of what we have into everything we do.
And, honestly, it’s not unlike the shift we’ve seen in the work world. More people are finding they don’t just want to “clock in” to a job that pays the bills—they want to bring their skills, gifts, and passions into what they do.
Just like today’s high-tech helmets help players do more on the field, working in line with our gifts and purpose helps us do our best in life and work.
For most of history, work was just work. You went out, you did a job, you got paid, and you went home. There wasn’t much of a focus on making sure your work aligned with what you were truly good at, passionate about, or called to do. You put food on the table and got by, and that was pretty much the extent of it.
If you think about it, it’s kind of like those early football days. Nobody was too concerned with custom-fitting equipment to each player’s strengths and weaknesses; they didn’t care if the helmet let you hear better, and they definitely didn’t know about concussion safety. Everyone just put on whatever they had, hoping it would be enough, and got through it.
The shift from no helmets to high-tech gear in football was a gradual one. At first, the leather caps were just about keeping people from the worst of the head injuries, but they weren’t effective.
Eventually, they switched to hard plastic shells in the 1940s, then started adding padding, face masks, and chin straps. The gear wasn’t just about surviving the game anymore; it became about optimizing each player’s performance and keeping them in the game longer.
Today, helmets are fully customized to fit the individual player. They’re tested for safety, performance, and even feature built-in microphones for seamless communication on the field.
These helmets are designed to play to a player’s strengths, not just protect them. They’re now crucial tools, helping them play the game to their best potential while keeping them as safe as possible. It’s not just a “one size fits all” anymore; it’s personal, and it’s powerful.
Now, think about what happens when we bring this same evolution to our careers. There’s a reason people are more fulfilled when they work in line with their gifts and skills: it’s like wearing that custom-fit helmet.
When you work within your gifts, you’re not just showing up for a paycheck. You’re bringing out the best in yourself, aligning your work with your passions, and creating a kind of protective layer that keeps you going even through the hard days.
Working outside of your gifts is like putting on an ill-fitting helmet and hoping for the best.
It’ll work for a while, but it’s not sustainable. When you find work that taps into your skills and passions, though, you’re setting yourself up for a kind of success that goes beyond just keeping your head above water—you’re thriving.
Just as football players today are equipped with helmets that not only protect but empower, working within your purpose does the same for you.
Now more than ever, people are craving purpose in their work. The world’s changed; people don’t want to just show up and get by. We want to make a difference, feel connected to what we’re doing, and bring out our best.
Purpose-driven work has become a kind of armor, protecting us from burnout and giving us a reason to push through when things get hard.
Working in line with our purpose is like having that built-in microphone in a helmet: it keeps the communication flowing between our skills, our values, and our goals. It’s a way of being fully “in the game,” knowing that what we’re doing aligns with who we are.
That’s why people say they want to “find their calling” or “work within their strengths.” It’s the difference between playing the game and thriving in it.
The journey from leather helmets to today’s high-tech gear is a reminder that we’re always evolving, improving, and finding better ways to live and work.
The lesson here isn’t just about safety in football; it’s about maximizing your potential in life. When we find work that fits with who we truly are, we’re putting on our own kind of high-tech helmet.
It protects us, empowers us, and makes it easier to go the distance, knowing that what we’re doing matters.
So, whether you’re a football player on the field or anyone out there working, don’t settle for the ill-fitting helmet. Find your purpose, align it with your gifts, and get in the game in a way that truly lets you shine.
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The Purpose Promise process provided much-needed clarity in terms of what I wanted from my life. First and foremost, about how my job and career would help me or allow me to reach that goal.