Living with Purpose

One does not often associate heroic leadership with prison settings. Yet over the past three semesters of our Inside-Out course at a women’s prison in Cleveland, Heroic Leadership has been a central focus. Using Chris Lowney’s book Heroic Leadership and its companion 30-Day Workbook as our guides, our students spent two semesters engaging in daily reflections and collaboratively developing a model adaptable to a variety of settings, including prisons.

After drafting the initial document, we refined it in partnership with two former Inside-Out students from our first class four years ago. Drawing on their life experiences, including time spent in prison, they helped reshape the exercises to ensure they resonated with women who are incarcerated. The result is a seven-day Living with Purpose (LwP) program focused on: finding inspiration; mapping one’s life journey; clarifying core values; practicing daily self-awareness (through an Examen); embracing one’s Magis; recognizing love, gratitude, and everyday courage; and living one’s values and purpose. The document also includes a curated list of 131 core values to support participants in identifying what matters most to them.

This past fall, our students worked through the seven LwP exercises. Over several class sessions, participants first completed each exercise individually, and then discussed their reflections in small groups. The results were powerful and encouraging. One Inside student shared that the LwP document “had me do quite a bit of soul-reflecting, especially when we had to find our Magis. Those aren’t things I normally think about, and now as I learn about what matters most to me, I can help others find what matters most to them.”

Outside students echoed these sentiments. One remarked that the conversation sparked by the LwP document “was the most successful and meaningful conversation I have ever had with a group of women … It was a raw, authentic human moment.” Others observed participants tearing up as they spoke about their lives. One student reflected that the experience prompted deeper personal reflection while also strengthening her connection to others. Another described working on the LwP document as her favorite class sessions, noting, “The conversations made it clear how the prison system slowly strips away a person’s sense of identity.”

Overall, our students found the LwP program to be a powerful tool for fostering reflection on identity, values, and purpose. We are grateful to Chris Lowney for creating the original framework, and to Fr. Tom Curran for bringing it to our attention.

Of the project, Lowney said, “To be honest, when I first saw the Living with Purpose program that the Inside-Out team came up with, it took my breath away. I was so impressed with what they had done, and so touched to read what some of the learners had gotten out of going through the material. I am really excited to see what might come of this, and I feel grateful that the team has allowed me to partner with them in this way. I am a huge believer in what they and the JPEN community are trying to do, and I’m happy for any small or large ways I can be involved.”

If you are interested in using the Living with Purpose exercises, we would be glad to share the materials.

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