At the risk of being negative for just a moment, imagine your funeral service. What will the speakers say about you? "We gather today to honor Jerry who had three beautiful homes and always drove a new Cadillac." Or, "we gather today to honor Sally who was the highest female executive at ABC Company." Or, "we gather today to honor Robert who traded in his wives and cars on a regular basis." ???
Or an even more sobering thought, who will want to be a speaker at your funeral? Oh, each of us can expect the obligatory family member and religious leader to do their duty. But, will others be volunteering to share their thoughts? Has your life really made a positive difference to anyone who will be so moved?
What would you like the short summary of your life on earth to be? In retrospect, what will have been the purpose of your life?
In recent years, there has been a plethora of books challenging us to examine the meaning of life. The fact that Rick Warren's The Purpose Driven Life has sold over ten million copies demonstrates how many of us are searching for some meaning to our life.
A general statement, which I have come to admire for its simplicity, of a positive purpose of life is summarized by Dr. Wayne Dyer in the question:
Dyer and many of the great philosophers all have come to believe that the quality of one's life improves dramatically when our focus is on doing good for others. As an example, Albert Schweitzer wrote "I do not know what your destiny will be, but of one thing I can be certain – the only ones among you who will truly be happy are those that sought and found how to serve." Peace, happiness and so much more flows from having a life of meaning, a life of purpose.
There are six keys to having passionate purpose in your life:
Choose to have a purpose in life – you have a choice. You can wander through life on earth, or you can live a live of purpose. You can choose to be driven by what Dr. Warren summarizes as the Big 4 of "driven by resentment and anger... driven by fear... driven by materialism.driven by the need for approval." Or, alternatively, you can choose to be guided through life by a purpose that nourishes you.
Be willing to be passionate about your purpose – passionate purpose is a powerful antidote to the rough spots in life. Life is not always easy, not for anyone. Who among us doesn't have to deal with illness? Loss of a loved one? But, when you choose to be passionate about your purpose, you will be filled with an optimism that will pull you through the tough times. Choosing to be passionate often requires letting go of concerns about how others will view your passion.
Make service to others the foundation of your purpose – when your purpose is serving others, you take advantage of one of the most powerful natural forces: the more we give, the more we get. Oh sure, that seems to be an oxymoron. But, it is an absolute truism. Don't believe it? Try living it for just a day and experience what a great day that it will be. Let someone slip in front of you in traffic. Look for the good in others and compliment them... both to their face and even in their absence. Or, send one of our free e-cards to someone deserving of praise or thanks. Now do not expect exactly the same thing to be returned to you. But when you open your heart and mind, you will experience returns that confirm that serving others is the highest purpose you can have for your life.
Make sure that your purpose contributes to the peace and positive energy of others – When your purpose is one that brings peace and positive energy to others, it will bring the same to you. And, that return will enable you to be even more passionate about your purpose. And, that will enable you to do even more for others.providing you yet an even higher level of return on your investment. The more we give, the more we get.
Be flexible as to how you achieve your purpose – It is fine to have goals, but try to avoid being so finite with your goals that you miss the wonderful opportunities that will manifest themselves and provide new and exciting ways to advance your purpose. Sometimes we can be so focused on a specific goal that we miss an alternative way to advance our purpose.
Choose to live "on purpose" – If you have a passionate purpose, let it guide you. Let that purpose be your compass and your scheduler. To the extent possible, prioritize your daily activities so that you spend time advancing your passionate purpose. If you let others completely "dictate" your schedule, then you are living their purpose, not your own.
When you routinely operate from a foundation of peace, and have abundant energy, then a passionate purpose will provide the direction that will enable you to achieve performance beyond that you might even believe possible. Most importantly, choose to live your life "on purpose" and you will be a contributor to peace and positive energy that will make this world a much better place.
» See Dave Carpenter's recommended readings on purpose. «
