The Power of Purpose
By Roy H. Willams, The Wizard Academy

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"...And after the fire came a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave. Then a voice said to him, ‘What are you doing here, Elijah?'" -- from the 1st book of Kings, chapter 19

When Elijah focused on his own strength, his knees got weak, his hand began to tremble and his heart melted away. But as long as he kept his vision focused on his mission, he was filled with vitality and confidence and did miraculous things.

Where is your vision focused?

I have endured much questioning about The Quixote Collection at Tuscan Hall. People say, "Wasn't Don Quixote a delusional madman and a laughingstock? Why would you be taken with such a one?"

Here is my answer. As long as Don Quixote's heart was filled with Dulcinea he overcame impossible odds. It was only after his friends convinced him Dulcinea did not exist that his heart shriveled within him.

Each of us needs Dulcinea, a sense of mission and purpose. For without it, there can be no adventure.

An itinerant preacher from Nazareth said, "If your vision is focused, your whole body will be full of light. But if your vision is unfocused, the light that is in you will be darkness. And if the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness!" One of the ways Mathew 6:22 can be interpreted is this: "If a mission consumes you, your life will be filled with optimism, creativity and stamina. But if no purpose fills your heart, the echo of its emptiness will fill your mind with a mournful song."

I believe that millions flounder and whine and are depressed because they refuse to sell their lives to something bigger than they are. They are sad because they have no purpose. Stephen Crane spoke of the power of purpose this way:

A man saw a ball of gold in the sky;
He climbed for it,
And eventually he achieved it --
It was clay.
Now this is the strange part:
When the man went to the earth
And looked again,
Lo, there was the ball of gold.
Now this is the strange part:
It was a ball of gold.
Aye, by the heavens, it was a ball of gold.

Passage 35 from The Black Riders and Other Lines (1895)

Your heart, my friend, is the size of a stadium. If you try to fill it with small things -- a new car, a vacation, a promotion at work, a bigger home, a stock portfolio-- a mournful echo will fill your life. But if you fill your stadium with all of humanity and search for ways to make their lives better each day, you will find yourself in the right place at the right time, doing the right thing in the right way. Serendipity will come to stay.

Do you have a purpose outside yourself?

Are you climbing for a ball of gold?

-- Roy H. Williams

"One man, scorned and covered with scars, still strove with his last ounce of courage to reach the unreachable stars; and the world was better for this." - Don Quixote

Who is the wizard?

Writing:
His books and Monday Morning Memos are a constant source of fascination and entertainment for his students and friends around the globe. His first book, The Wizard of Ads, was voted Business Book of the Year in 1998. His second book, Secret Formulas of the Wizard of Ads, was named the Wall Street Journal's number one Business Book in America in 1999 and became a New York Times bestseller. The third book in the trilogy, Magical Worlds of the Wizard of Ads reached bestseller status again in late 2001. His fascinating fourth book, Accidental Magic, is a tightly condensed anthology of writing tips and insights, mixed with artistic examples provided by 106 of his amazing protégés. The Wizard's first fiction book, Destinae is a powerful allegory aimed directly at the heart of the reader.

Private Consulting:
For those wishing to have the Wizard review their advertising, help them plan an ad campaign, brainstorm with him, discuss a business possibility or bounce an idea off him, we've made a very limited number of days available in Austin each month. For more information email corrine@wizardacademy.com or call Corrine Taylor at (800) 425-4769 or (512) 295-5700.

Speaking:
Once introduced as "the most magnetic and mesmerizing speaker in the world today," the Wizard has been trying to live up to those words ever since. Most attendees agree that his action-packed seminar, "Advertising in America: What Works, What Doesn't and Why" is perhaps the most entertaining and enlightening 3 hours they have ever experienced. The seminar begins with a detailed look at the architecture of the human brain, followed by the "Four Tugs-of-War," "What is Branding, Really?" and "The 12 Most Common Mistakes in Advertising. "Whatever your event requirements may be, the Wizard can tailor his presentation to fit the specific needs of your audience. The Wizard's speaking fee in the US and Canada is currently $25,000 plus airfare, provided that the trip not require him to spend more than one night away from home. For more information email corrine@wizardacademy.com or call Corrine Taylor at (800) 425-4769 or (512) 295-5700.

Teaching:
The brainchild of his wife, Pennie Williams, Wizard Academy® was founded as a way to get her husband off the road. "Instead of sending him to them for a few hours, why not let them all come here for a few days?" But not even Princess Pennie knew how well her idea would work. Since its launch in May of 2000, Wizard Academy® has attracted a roster of students that includes many of the world's most forward-thinking and successful CEOs, educators, journalists, inventors and consultants. The Wizard Academy® reunion each autumn is an event not to be missed.

Publishing:
Created to be a publishing springboard to showcase the work of Wizard Academy® students, Wizard Academy Press publishes primarily audio books with accompanying transcripts.

CEO:
A lifelong student of humanity, Roy H. Williams has spent a quarter-century asking, "What makes people do the things they do?" And he's been using the things he's learned to stimulate miraculous growth for his small business clients for more than 15 years.

With nine branch offices in the US, Canada, and Australia, Wizard of Ads®, is now serving the advertising and marketing needs of business owners around the globe. Our fees are tied to your growth. The only way for us to make more money is to increase the size of your business. How's that for confidence? If you'd like to discuss adding your company to the growing list of thriving businesses being guided by a Wizard of Ads® branch office, call Corrine Taylor at 800-425-4769 or email Corrine@WizardofAds.com.