Focus on Liberation

Today marks exactly one year since the publication of my book, Focus on Why: Create a Purposeful Way of Life. It’s a milestone that invites reflection, not only on the book itself but on the themes that have shaped my life and work for as long as I can remember.

It’s no coincidence that my favourite book (The Count of Monte Cristo), my favourite film (The Shawshank Redemption) and Focus on Why, the book I wrote, all converge around the same core idea: that purpose and meaning create the path to freedom.

Look closely, they tell a remarkably similar story. Each begins with confinement and ends with liberation. Each charts a journey from darkness to light, from injustice to transformation. Each reveals an emotional truth that sits at the heart of my philosophy: true freedom doesn’t come from escaping walls but from awakening the human spirit.

In The Count of Monte Cristo, Edmond Dantès is wrongfully imprisoned, stripped of his identity and his future. Yet, in the solitude of confinement, he discovers purpose. His suffering becomes a catalyst for self-discovery and redemption. In The Shawshank Redemption, Andy Dufresne endures years of unjust imprisonment with patience, intelligence and hope. His quiet perseverance and unwavering belief become an act of freedom long before he physically escapes his cell.

Each story — my favourite book, my favourite film and my own — shares the same emotional rhythm:

• Imprisonment: a period of captivity, frustration or injustice

• Reflection: a forced stillness that leads to greater self-understanding

• Transformation and liberation: emerging renewed, with clarity, strength and purpose

Perhaps that’s why these narratives resonate so deeply. They mirror my life philosophy: even in moments of limitation, we can find meaning, resilience and the courage to change.

My grandfather George embodied this truth as a WW2 prisoner of war. Despite unimaginable hardship while held in captivity for five years, he maintained his dignity, humour and faith. His story, intertwined with my own journey and the experiences of my podcast guests and coaching clients, inspired me to create a framework that turns this symbolic journey – from imprisonment to freedom – into a practical methodology for personal transformation.

That Purpose, Plan, Focus framework is supported by nine steps, each mirroring the arc of liberation:

Step 1: Control – Regaining agency, even in captivity

Step 2: Challenge – Questioning injustice and refusing to accept victimhood

Step 3: Capture – Gathering insight, knowledge and resources for transformation

Step 4: Choose – Deciding who to become and what kind of freedom to seek

Step 5: Create – Crafting the plan and building something meaningful from hardship

Step 6: Collaborate – Forming deep, transformative relationships (Dantès and Faria; Andy and Red; George and me)

Step 7: Commit – Staying the course despite time, pain and doubt

Step 8: Contribute – Using newfound freedom to uplift others (Red’s freedom; Dantès’ acts of mercy; George’s plays)

Step 9: Change – Emerging transformed not just free but renewed in spirit and purpose

Purpose without a plan is just a dream. Purpose with a plan becomes intention. Focus, that unwavering discipline to stay aligned with your why, turns both into transformation.

A year on, I’m reminded that the story I share in Focus on Why: Create a purposeful way of life is a universal story of human transformation. It’s about finding freedom not by escaping but by transcending. Even when life locks you in, purpose, a plan and focus will always set you free.

From beyond the wire and beyond the grave, my grandfather George left us with an inspirational lesson: each of us has the choice to plan our own great escape. What’s yours?

Focus on Liberation! Focus on Why!

REFLECTION WITH ACTION: Take a moment this week to reflect on one area where you feel trapped — by circumstance, expectation or self-doubt. Ask yourself: What is my why? What step could I take this week to move closer to liberation?