Donald Miller, CEO of Business Made Simple and author of "Hero on a Mission," emphasizes living life as a compelling story. He advocates for writing your own eulogy to reflect on personal values and legacy. The conversation explores healing through narratives, the significance of vulnerability in love, and how heroes and villains shape our paths. Miller shares insights on embracing life’s impermanence, navigating relationships, and finding purpose through storytelling, urging listeners to focus on what truly matters in life.
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insights INSIGHT
Identity and Character Roles
Your identity dictates your actions, and in stories, four primary characters exist: victim, villain, hero, and guide.
Identifying as a victim hinders your story's progress, while embodying the hero leads to transformation and growth.
volunteer_activism ADVICE
Embracing the Hero's Journey
Strive to be the hero in your life's story by accepting challenges and transforming yourself to overcome them.
Transitioning into the guide role, by helping others, brings deeper meaning and fulfillment.
question_answer ANECDOTE
Pete Carroll's Path to Meaning
Donald Miller recounts a two-hour conversation with Pete Carroll, coach of the Seattle Seahawks.
Carroll found true meaning not in personal wins, but in coaching and guiding other heroes to victory.
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In this book, Donald Miller presents the StoryBrand Framework, a proven system to help businesses effectively communicate with their customers. The framework is based on the seven universal elements of powerful stories, which include identifying the customer's desires, problems, and the role of the guide who provides a plan and calls to action. Miller emphasizes the importance of simplifying brand messages, creating clear and compelling marketing materials, and positioning the brand as a guide rather than a hero. This approach has helped numerous businesses, from small startups to large corporations, to significantly improve their customer engagement and revenue.
Procrastinate on purpose
Rory Vaden
Rory Vaden's "Procrastinate on Purpose" challenges conventional productivity wisdom. Instead of fighting procrastination, Vaden suggests strategically delaying tasks to maximize efficiency and focus. The book introduces the concept of the "Focus Funnel," a five-step process for prioritizing tasks based on their importance and the individual's unique strengths. Readers learn to eliminate, automate, delegate, procrastinate (purposefully), and concentrate on high-impact activities. The book emphasizes the importance of working in one's signature strength area and avoiding distractions.
Hero on a Mission
A Path to a Meaningful Life
Donald Miller
In 'Hero on a Mission', Donald Miller shares his personal plan that led him to transform his life. The book teaches readers how to recognize and change their roles in life from victim or villain to hero or guide. Through journaling prompts and goal-planning exercises, Miller helps readers create a simple life plan, take control of their lives, cultivate creativity, and move beyond mere productivity to experience deep meaning. The book emphasizes the importance of self-awareness and practical steps to achieve a fulfilling life.
Million Miles in a Thousand Years
Donald Miller
In this book, Donald Miller recounts his journey of transforming his life into a better story after his successful memoir 'Blue Like Jazz' was being adapted into a movie. Miller reflects on the elements of storytelling and how they can be applied to real life, leading him to engage in various challenging activities such as hiking the Inca Trail, biking across America, and forming meaningful relationships. The book challenges readers to reconsider their life goals and strive for a more purposeful and meaningful narrative[2][3][4].
Man's Search for Meaning
Viktor Frankl
The book is divided into two parts. The first part recounts Frankl's harrowing experiences as a prisoner in Nazi concentration camps, including Auschwitz, between 1942 and 1945. He describes the inhumane conditions and the psychological and emotional struggles of the prisoners. The second part introduces Frankl's theory of logotherapy, which posits that the primary human drive is the search for meaning, rather than pleasure. Frankl argues that meaning can be found through three main avenues: work (doing something significant), love (caring for another), and suffering (finding meaning in one's own suffering). The book emphasizes the importance of finding purpose and meaning in life, even in the most adverse conditions, as a key factor in survival and personal growth.
Blue Like Jazz
Nonreligious Thoughts on Christian Spirituality
Donald Miller
In 'Blue Like Jazz,' Donald Miller shares his journey of faith and spirituality in a unique and relatable way. The book is a collection of essays that reflect on various aspects of Christian life, from the author's experiences with church and community to his thoughts on God, faith, and the human condition. Miller's writing is characterized by its honesty, humor, and a willingness to challenge traditional religious narratives.
Today’s guest is Donald Miller. He’s the CEO of Business Made Simple, his company that focuses on taking the mystery out of growing a business. He is the host of the Business Made Simple podcast and is the author of several books including the bestsellers Blue Like Jazz, A Million Miles in a Thousand Years, and Building a StoryBrand. He’s written a new book called Hero on a Mission: A Path to a Meaningful Life. This episode was incredibly moving and powerful and I know you’re going to get a lot of value from it!
In this episode we discuss why it’s important to constantly think about your life as a story, the key elements to your story and living a meaningful life, why Donald believes everyone should write their own eulogy, and so much more!
The School of Greatness 
