When Adrienne Benton invited me to join her on Transformation Station, I didn’t hesitate. The focus of her podcast on authentic leadership, purpose, and growth from the inside out fits right in with what I’ve been teaching and living for decades. I had no idea how rich our conversation would be until we got started.
You can listen to the full episode here: Transformation Station Leadership Podcast.
Adrienne opened by saying, “At Transformation Station, we don’t chase perfection. We build resilience.” That line set the tone. We spent the next hour talking about how leaders can live and give with intention instead of exhaustion, and how purpose is often found when we slow down enough to listen.
The Bumper Car Syndrome
Adrienne asked why so many leaders today wrestle with doubt, fear, and confusion about their direction. I told her that many are living what I call the “bumper car” life. When I was young, I loved riding the bumper cars at the carnival. You get in, drive around in circles, hit someone, get hit, and laugh until your neck is sore. It’s fun for a few minutes, but it’s not a way to live.
Too many people spend their lives that way. They spin in circles, reacting to the hits that come from every direction, never realizing they’ve given away control of their path. I said, “A bumper car experience does not define where you’re going. You’re just spinning and letting someone else govern your life.”
That image struck a chord. Adrienne paused and said, “That’s exactly what so many of us feel.” The truth is, a lot of leaders don’t really know their purpose. They wake up each day without a clear sense of why they’re here or what they’re meant to do. It’s like being an animal in a wheel, full of motion but lacking direction.
Finding Purpose Every Morning
When I was in my thirties, I thought purpose meant achievement. I measured my worth by the size of the project, the response of the crowd, or the results on paper. But time and experience have shown me that purpose isn’t found in accomplishment. It’s found in alignment with God, with calling, and with the people you’re meant to serve.
Even now, in my eighties, I start every morning the same way. Before I take a single step, I stretch my ankles and whisper, “This is the day the Lord has made. I will rejoice and be glad in it.” That small act centers me. It reminds me that my life still has purpose today. If I’m breathing, God isn’t finished using me.
Adrienne leaned into that and said something I’ve thought about often since: “So many leaders give from exhaustion instead of overflow.” She’s right. We can’t lead well when we’re running on empty. Living intentionally means giving from a full heart, not a drained one.
Permission to Try
During the podcast, I shared a story that goes all the way back to 1972. I had just lost my job in the music ministry of Campus Crusade for Christ. I was devastated, but that loss led to one of the greatest lessons of my life.
Not long after, I was handed thirty boxes filled with ninety thousand pledge cards from teenagers who had attended Explo ’72 at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas. Each one represented a promise to give to international ministry work. I had no experience in fundraising. There was no plan, no manual, and no team. I had one guy helping me. We had no idea as to what needed to be done. My directive was simple from the ministry’s vice president, Steve Douglass: “Do what you can.”
After carrying the last box from his office, I called my supervisor and mentor with the news. His response to me was the same as a year earlier when I faced an earlier overwhelming challenge: “Larry, you have the freedom to fail.”
His response changed my thinking. It permitted me to try, to learn, and to take bold steps without fear of falling short. I’ve lived by that principle ever since. As I told Adrienne, “The freedom to fail became the doorway to success.”
If you want to hear that story in full, you can catch it about midway through the podcast here: Transformation Station Leadership Podcast.
Living With Intentionality
Throughout our talk, Adrienne kept circling back to the same theme of intentionality. She said, “We glorify busyness in our culture. We celebrate exhaustion as if it were a badge of honor.” She’s right. Too often, we chase activity instead of impact.
I told her that intentional living begins when we recognize we’re stewards, not owners. Everything we have, including our time, resources, and influence, belongs to God. We’re simply asked to manage it well. That understanding changes how we make decisions, how we treat others, and how we define success.
In my book Intentional Living and Giving, I wrote that stewardship isn’t about money. It’s about management. It’s about living every day as if it matters, because it does. Adrienne and I talked about how generosity flows naturally when our priorities are right. When we stop living by reaction and start living by conviction, our giving becomes an act of worship rather than obligation.
From Reaction to Reflection
One of the questions Adrienne asked near the end of our conversation was, “Larry, what do you say to the person who feels stuck, who wants to live intentionally but doesn’t know where to start?”
I told her what I’ve told many others: start with gratitude. When we pause long enough to thank God for what He’s already done, perspective shifts. Gratitude clears the fog. Then, take inventory. Ask yourself, “What has God placed in my hands right now?” Your purpose is often hidden in what’s already in your care.
You don’t need to wait for the perfect plan. You just need to take the next faithful step.
If you’d like to hear that part of the conversation, it’s near the close of the episode: Transformation Station.
The Heart Behind the Message
When I left the studio that day, I felt a renewed sense of encouragement. Adrienne’s questions reminded me why I wrote Intentional Living and Giving in the first place, to help people discover freedom and joy through stewardship and generosity.
I’ve spent over five decades helping individuals and organizations understand that living with purpose is not complicated. It begins with recognizing God as the owner and ourselves as His stewards. Once you grasp that truth, everything else starts to make sense.
Every morning is another opportunity to live with intention, to give from abundance, and to trust God with the results. Whether I’m talking to leaders, families, or students, my message stays the same: You are made for more than motion. You are made for meaning.
What Stayed With Me
As I reflect on that Transformation Station conversation, I’m reminded that the most powerful transformations often come quietly. They happen when we choose purpose over performance, gratitude over grumbling, and generosity over gain.
If you haven’t yet listened to the episode, I’d encourage you to do so. Adrienne is an insightful host, and our time together was filled with lessons that go far beyond leadership.
My hope is that this conversation will challenge you the way it challenged me, to live each day intentionally, give generously, and remember that true success begins not with achievement but with alignment.
Before You Go
If this conversation spoke to you, I’d love to help you take the next step. I’m giving away the first three chapters of Intentional Living and Giving as my gift to you.
These chapters capture the heart of the book — how to find your purpose, live each day with direction, and experience the joy of generous living. They’ll give you a solid picture of what intentional stewardship looks like in everyday life.
Go here andyou can download your free chapters
Let’s keep growing together in intentional living and generous giving.