My "Why" Is Expressed Through Calcutta Mercy—Where Is Yours?

Every one of us needs something bigger than ourselves—a purpose that gives meaning to our work, relationships, and everyday lives.

In this episode of The Rickshaw Journey, Bob McGurty shares why his own "why" is expressed through Calcutta Mercy. Through powerful stories of transformed lives in India, he explains the three reasons he continues to serve this mission:

• Changed lives – witnessing lives transformed through feeding, education, and medical care.
• Trusted partners – serving alongside people of integrity who faithfully carry out the work.
• A deep calling – fulfilling a purpose that began with God's call on his life decades ago.

But this episode isn't just about Bob's journey.

It's about yours.

Where is your "why" expressed? What cause, organization, ministry, business, or community allows you to live out the purpose you've been given?

Whether you're leading a nonprofit, building a business, serving your church, volunteering in your community, or raising a family, discovering where your "why" is expressed can change both your life and the lives of others.

Your purpose deserves a place to be lived.

Are You Really Stuck? Five Seasons That Can Look the Same

Have you ever felt like life has come to a standstill?

Maybe your career has stalled. Maybe a relationship isn't moving forward. Maybe you've lost sight of your next step. But what if what you're experiencing isn't actually being stuck?

In this episode of The Rickshaw Journey, Bob McGurty explores five seasons that often look the same from the outside:

• Stuck – when you need help moving forward.
• Waiting – when timing matters more than action.
• Resting – when renewal is exactly what you need.
• Preparing – when you're building for what's next.
• Transitioning – when life is leading you into a new season.

Bob also shares three practical questions to help you determine where you really are:

• Who can speak honestly into your life?
• Do you know your destination?
• Do you have a guide helping you get there?

Sometimes the greatest breakthrough isn't moving faster—it's correctly identifying the season you're in.

Your journey is too important to stay stuck... and too valuable to mistake preparation for failure.

Is work-life balance really the goal... or have we been chasing the wrong idea all along?

In this episode of The Rickshaw Journey, Bob McGurty challenges one of the most common phrases in personal development and leadership: work-life balance.

What if the problem isn't that your life is out of balance?

What if you're simply living through a season?

Whether you're navigating a demanding career, raising young children, caring for aging parents, launching a business, grieving a loss, or feeling overwhelmed by life's demands, this conversation offers a different perspective—one that replaces frustration with understanding and hope.

Drawing from personal experience, leadership coaching, and even lessons learned from growing tomatoes in North Carolina, Bob explains why every season has its own challenges and why comparing one season of life to another often leads to unnecessary discouragement.

One of the most powerful reminders in this episode comes from leadership friend Gary Sapp:

"Your season is not your story."

That simple truth changes how we view setbacks, stress, burnout, and even success.

In this episode you'll discover:

• Why work-life balance is often a symptom rather than the real issue
• How recognizing your current season can reduce stress and bring clarity
• Why difficult seasons don't define who you are
• Practical ways to honor your priorities while embracing the reality of changing seasons
• How to move through challenging chapters without believing they'll last forever

If you've been feeling overwhelmed, stretched too thin, or wondering when life will finally "get back to normal," this episode is for you.

Your season may be difficult.

But your season is not your story.

The Rickshaw Journey is a weekly podcast with Bob McGurty exploring purpose, leadership, faith, personal growth, and finding your authentic voice through stories, coaching insights, and lessons learned from a lifetime of leadership and cross-cultural experience.

If this episode encouraged you, follow the podcast, leave a review, and share it with someone who needs the reminder that every season eventually changes.

Why does Calcutta Mercy exist? The answer begins with a single question asked on a crowded street in Calcutta (Kolkata), India—a question that transformed the life and ministry of Mark and Hulda Buntain and continues to shape thousands of lives today.

In this episode of The Rickshaw Journey, Bob McGurty shares the remarkable origin story behind Calcutta Mercy and explores what it means to find your voice, discover your purpose, and lead with compassion.

You'll hear how one man's challenge—"Feed our empty bellies, then tell us about a God who loves us"—became the catalyst for a ministry that has spent more than 70 years feeding the hungry, educating children, and providing medical care throughout India.

This isn't simply the history of a nonprofit. It's a conversation about purpose. Sometimes the moments that interrupt our plans become the very moments that define our calling.

Whether you're searching for greater meaning in your own life, interested in Christian leadership, missions, humanitarian work, or simply love inspiring true stories, this episode offers practical insight into how compassion can become action.

In this episode you'll discover:

• The inspiring story behind the founding of Calcutta Mercy
• How one unexpected encounter changed a lifetime of ministry
• Why feeding, educating, and providing medical care work together to break cycles of poverty
• The connection between purpose, leadership, and serving others
• How finding your voice often begins by listening to the needs around you

If you've ever wondered how ordinary people can make an extraordinary difference, this episode is for you.

The Rickshaw Journey is a weekly podcast with Bob McGurty exploring purpose, leadership, personal growth, faith, and finding your authentic voice through stories from a lifetime of cross-cultural leadership and service.

If this episode encourages you, please follow the podcast, leave a review, and share it with someone who could use a reminder that purpose often begins with compassion.

Finding Your Voice: The Key to Living with Purpose

What does it really mean to find your voice?

In this episode of Rickshaw Journey, Bob McGurty explores one of the most important questions you'll ever ask: Who am I, and why am I here? While success is valuable, true significance comes from discovering your authentic voice and living with purpose.

Drawing from his upcoming book Rickshaw Journey: Finding Your Voice, Leading with Purpose, Bob introduces the five stages of the Guided Voice Journey—Early Voices, Confused Voices, Finding My Voice, Being My Voice, and Influencing My Voice—and explains why the "Finding" stage is the turning point for personal growth and authentic leadership.

Through personal stories, humor, and practical insight, you'll learn why your greatest contribution often lies at the intersection of what you're naturally gifted to do and what you're deeply passionate about.

In this episode, you'll discover:

• Why finding your voice is about discovering your purpose—not just your career
• The difference between success and significance
• How your early experiences shape the person you become
• Why many successful people still feel something is missing
• The connection between your gifts, your passions, and your calling
• How the Guided Voice Journey can help you live with greater clarity and intention

If you've ever felt stuck, questioned your direction, or wondered if there's something more you were created to do, this episode is for you.

Subscribe for weekly conversations on purpose, leadership, personal growth, authentic living, and finding your voice.

Learn more and receive the free Rickshaw Journey Reflection Guide at RickshawJourney.com.

What happens when writing a book changes the author before it's ever published?

In this personal update, I share the unexpected journey behind Rickshaw Journey: Finding Your Voice, Leading with Purpose. What began as an autobiography evolved into something much bigger—a coaching framework designed to help people discover their authentic voice, live with purpose, and lead with greater intention.

I explain why I decided to pause the book rather than rush it to publication, how the five-stage Guided Voice Framework emerged naturally through the writing process, and why every chapter now ends by turning the focus from my story to yours through reflection and practical action.

Whether you're navigating a career change, retirement, leadership, ministry, or simply wondering, "What's next?", this episode offers an honest look at the creative process and the importance of building something with lasting value instead of simply finishing quickly.

In this episode, you'll discover:

• Why Rickshaw Journey shifted from memoir to a coaching-centered book
• The five stages of the Guided Voice Framework: Early Voice, Confused Voice, Finding My Voice, Being My Voice, and Influencing My Voice
• Why slowing down can produce better work and deeper impact
• How reflection and intentional action create personal growth
• Ways to join the Rickshaw Journey community and follow the book's progress

If you've ever felt that your life experiences have shaped you in ways you're still discovering, this conversation is an invitation to begin finding your own voice and leading with purpose.

Visit rickshawjourney.com to receive the free reflection guide and follow the ongoing journey.

Hey Guys - just checking in to share an update as it has been awhile since we last connected here.

Join me as I share about God showing up in a trip to Iran - responding to an earthquake in Bam, Iran on December 26, 2003