Living life with purpose – a tribute to Scott Dinsmore

On Monday 14th September 2015 tears streamed down my face, in between bouts of disbelief, as I tried to absorb the news that Scott Dinsmore had passed away while trekking on Mount Kilimanjaro.

This man has had a profound impact on my life, despite me never actually meeting him in person. As the Founder of Live Your Legend, he led a revolution (so much more than just a business) to help people find their purpose and do work they love.

More than three years ago I signed up to his email list after an ex-work colleague who’d gone on to be an entrepreneur recommended it to me. I then absorbed Live Your Legend material (wow that 27 Questions to find your passion workbook really gets to the core), took part in the Start a Blog Challenge (leading me to start this very website), listened to the Make your first $1K from your passions and talents and Live Connection webinars late into the Aussie night, subscribed to his RAW podcasts discussing behind-the-scenes of entrepreneurial living and joined the Sydney chapter of Live Your Legend Local.

Live Your Legend is so much more than a rah rah club where inspirational messages come popping through emails on a regular basis. Scott – and the thousands of people identifying themselves as part of the global community – lived and breathed connection, support, passion and exploration.

A new world opened up to me.

While I had been quite forthright and action-oriented in earlier parts of my career, as I went on I started to feel like I lacked lustre. I wasn’t sure that my energy was going forward and creating sparks in the world and I was starting to feel frustrated.

Was I contributing my authentic self and passion in a way that could be the change I wanted to see? As I got to know more about myself, and pondered what else life could be, the tangible steps that Scott advocated — including meeting with other people that are supportive, moving into imperfect action, getting in touch with strengths and passions to realise how to help just one person, listing a service on a freelance website to start earning dollars — became more and more doable.

And boy, was it fun! I’ve met so many wonderful, interesting people! And I could see them also changing around me, lifted up by LYL and the growth it encouraged within them.

In 2015 I made a change in my work life. Scott’s vision, down-to-earth nature, practical tools combined with the in-person conversations with so many people in Sydney and then beyond online and at World Domination Summit, all contributed to a stronger feeling of being ready and able to chart my own course.

Some people may wonder why I was so upset; how could I cry for someone I’d never met?

I know that it may sound strange but I cried for myself and beyond.

• For selfish reasons: I will never get to meet him and thank him; he was due to visit Australia in October.
• For the people that knew and loved him personally including his beloved wife. I cannot imagine the pain you are going through and my heart goes out to you.
• For the rest of the world: because newcomers to Live Your Legend will not experience in real time his laugh, fervour for life and supportive spirit. He could light up a room from thousands of kilometres away. All it took to know this was true was a moment of him on video at a local LYL meetup. He inspired thousands to open their minds to a new journey. No doubt he has sparked billions of firing neurons through his TED talk: How to find work you love.

What more could he have contributed?! That really makes me sad. But I am buoyed by the community who are rallying in creative, empowered and impassioned ways to make sure that Scott’s legacy lives on. And so that thousands more can live their legends.

It is clear from the many tributes that so many people’s lives have changed already as a result of Live Your Legend.

If you haven’t come across LYL, please check out the website and particularly: the most popular articles page. Absolute gold.

Six specific things from Scott that really resonated with me:

1. Environment and the people you surround yourself is everything. Scott said in his email launching the online platform for the LYL local community: “It’s a matter of life and death: The reality is that people with supportive and inspiring peers and friends live longer, are much happier, create more, give more, get cancer and diseases less often and have a MUCH better chance at doing work they love.”

2. Rules of the revolution and The Creed.

3. How do you manufacture your own heart attack? “How would you live differently today if you knew you were going to die in exactly six months?”. What a powerful article.

4. It’s ok that things go wrong and it can still be fun for you and others! Inspired by the Live Connection webinar where Scott wrote in an email: “It NEVER happened – the damn thing blew up”. See pic below. Scott said: “how I felt after remembering how much I love and appreciate you all and that next week will be even more fun!” He ran the webinar again and it was so good it ended up going 3 hours instead of 1.5!!

5. Write a BLOG! Scott said: “When I consider everything I’ve done in the past decade to learn about myself, build a career and make a difference, nothing has been more powerful than my decision to start a blog and adopt a daily writing, reflection and discovery habit. Nothing else even comes close.”

6. The Myth of ‘Choosing the Right Path’… You can’t ever know you’re on the right path until you take a step. Only then might you get clarity. Follow the spark, Scott said: “But the worst decision you can make is none at all – spinning your wheels or wavering between one path or the next. The longer you wait, the longer you put off a chance at some clarity. The only way to know is to start experimenting. Start learning. The more you do, the more qualified you’ll be for the future decisions.”