We recently connected with Joe Colavito and have shared our conversation below.
Joe, we’re thrilled to have you sharing your thoughts and lessons with our community. So, for folks who are at a stage in their life or career where they are trying to be more resilient, can you share where you get your resilience from?
I get my resilience from my faith and close relationships. Since faith is believing in advance that which will only appear logical when viewed in reverse, I can see life’s ups and downs through a more stable, objective, healthy, and productive lens. My faith allows me to look beyond the scene – what we can physically see and experience – so I can step back and search for the truth, life lessons, and growth opportunities available in every situation, conversation, and setback. By focusing my undivided attention on God’s Promises, instead of fixating on my current problems, I can navigate unexpected crisis and uncertainty without wasting energy and time. And the moment I start to feel overwhelmed or like I’m losing ground I lean into my closest relationships to tap into their resilience and support.
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
My purpose is to connect people with ways to experience life’s full capacity. That’s really hard for people to do when they lack clarity regarding who they are, what makes them unique, and how to align their purpose and passion with their paycheck.
People all around us are struggling with anxiety, doubt, depression, various addictions, and for some, suicidal ideation. Having watched this play out in my own family, with 2 of our 5 kids trying to end their lives during their college years, I spearheaded a mission to help people of all ages understand how their self-talk influences their decision-making and well-being.
Our team at Life Purpose Scan(tm) has developed an online experience followed by a Guided Discovery process that allows our certified coaches to draw out the #brightspots and #blindspots within an individual’s internal dialogue so they can accelerate their journey of discovery.
Based upon our experience the research we have gathered it’s clear that people are better at pretending to be okay than leaders are at observing changes in behavior. The LPS allows us to go upstream to report Five Leading Indicators that influence decision-making before they show up in concerning behaviors.
The LPS is different than traditional assessments that translate what you tell them about you into reports that tell you about you. Our entire experience and process is focused on asking you questions so we can ask you more questions. We believe that you already have the answers you need to lead your best life, but having someone to ask you the right questions without trying to fix or solve your problems is a valuable asset.
Our vision is to partner with leaders who really want to know the current condition of their people so they can give them the attention they need to improve their decision-making and well-being.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
1- Curiosity … Nurture your childlike sense of curiosity. Mindset: Why guess when I can know?
2- Master the art of asking questions that uncover the root cause of people’s desires, motives, decisions, and behaviors.
3- Listen closely to the meaning between and beneath people’s words to help them identify #brightspots and #blindspots.
My advice is make a decision in advance to become the person who seeks to draw out the best in others at every turn. Instead of asking questions to identify a problem, ask them to help them increase their clarity and understanding of themselves, their uniqueness, and to understand how their self-talk impacts their decision-making, performance, relationships, and well-being.
Remind people that who they seek to BECOME is the best way to achieve all the OUTCOMES they seek.
Awesome, really appreciate you opening up with us today and before we close maybe you can share a book recommendation with us. Has there been a book that’s been impactful in your growth and development?
In January 2011, I bought a paperback copy of Soulprint by Mark Batterson at a half price bookstore in Irving, TX during a business trip.
At the time, I was 11 years into my spiritual journey seeking to clarify my identity, purpose, and values so I could become a better husband, father, friend, and leader.
Thanks for asking this question. It’s been 7 years since I revisited the sentences I highlighted and the countless notes I made in the margins of this book. I now realize it played a more pivotal role in helping me understand who I am, why I am here, and the impact I want to have in other people’s lives than I remembered.
Here are three nuggets of wisdom that led to hours of prayer, journaling, and self-reflection.
1- “Most of us live our entire lives as strangers to ourselves. We know more about others than we know about ourselves. Our true identities get buried beneath he mistakes we’ve made, the insecurities we’ve acquired, and the lies we’ve believed. We are held captive by others’ expectations. We’re uncomfortable in our own skin. And we spend far too much emotional, relational, and spiritual energy trying to be who we’re not. WHY? Because it’s easier. And we think it’s safer.” This was the wake up call I needed to admit I still had a long way to go in my journey of discovery. And the hard part was still in front of me.
2- “Self-discovery is a lot like an archaeological dig. It takes a long time to uncover the hidden treasures that lie buried beneath the surface. You’ll never be sure what you will find or where you will find it. And it’s a painful process. But the failure to dig deep will result in a superficial life. If you live as a stranger to yourself, how can you find intimacy with others.” This perspective helped me shift my attention from controlling and changing those around me, to seeking to become the best version of myself. I put in the hard work of revisiting my memories, paradigms, and experiences seeking #brightspots and #blindspots that would help be see clearly, choose wisely, and act boldy, so I could live freely and better serve those within my sphere of influence.
3- “One key to fulfilling your destiny is recognizing what season you are in. If you don’t, you’ll experience high levels of frustration and disappointment. One of the biggest mistakes we make is focusing all of our energy on the next season of life instead of enjoying the season we are in.” Batterson went on to discuss seasons where we feel overlooked and underappreciated, unexpected delays and setbacks, and painful circumstances we would do anything to avoid. Then he dropped this wisdom bomb: “It’s not the resolution of circumstances, but the evolution of character, that God is after. And the worst circumstances often produce the best character and the best story line.” Looking back now, I realize this is my story line. We almost lost our oldest in May 2014 to septic shock and another daughter to suicide in September 2015. This is the season I made the decision to focus my attention on God’s Promises and not my circumstances or problems. And I’ve never looked back.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.lifepurposescan.com
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joecolavito/?lipi=urn%3Ali%3Apage%3Ad_flagship3_feed%3B3iSdwPS%2BT3OyiniA4tfSSg%3D%3D
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
