Purpose

Some quotes & comments: 

“One needs something to believe in, something for which one can have wholehearted enthusiasm. One needs to feel that one’s life has meaning, that one is needed in the world.”
– Hannah Senesh (Hungarian-Jewish poet & hero)  

PURPOSE

Purpose is scientifically defined like this:
“Purpose is a stable and generalised intention to accomplish something both meaningful to the self and of (positive) consequence to the world beyond the self.”

While Angela Duckworth puts it this way: “In my ‘grit lexicon,’ therefore, purpose means ‘the intention to contribute to the well-being of others.“

What does it mean to “have a Purpose”? 

All individuals have their own particular callings, reflecting three realities:
(1) their own “God-given” abilities;
(2) the world’s need for the services their callings provide; and
(3) their enjoyment in serving people in their own special ways

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“The kind of work God usually calls you to do is the kind of work (a) that you need most to do and (b) that the world most needs to have done. . . . The place God calls you to is the place where your deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger meet.”
– Frederick Buechner (theologian)

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“Everyone can be great, because everyone can serve.”
– Martin Luther King, Jr.

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“The secret of success is constancy of purpose.”
– Benjamin Disraeli

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“The man without a purpose is like a ship without a rudder—waif, a nothing, a no man. Have a purpose in life, and, having it, throw such strength of mind and muscle into your work as God has given you.”
– Thomas Carlyle (author & historian) 

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“One thing I know: The only ones among you who will be really happy are those who will have sought and found how to serve.”
– Albert Schweitzer (French-German theologian, organist, writer, humanitarian, philosopher, and physician)

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“…the happiest people are those who pay little attention to the goal of becoming happy.”

“What does matter is engaging in something that you find absorbing, challenging, and compelling. A noble purpose is a prime example of something that brings great personal satisfaction by bringing us outside ourselves into activities that capture our imaginations and promote the causes we believe in.”

“Self-indulgence simply does not work. We end up feeling empty and resentful and not at all indulged, because we have failed to satisfy our truest and deepest desires: the universal yearning for a life with meaning.”
– William Damon

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How to discover & sustain your purpose? 

“Look around for mentors—‘purpose exemplars’—people who represent models of noble behaviour in service of good causes.”

“When possible, get support from like-minded individuals.”

Remind yourself of your purpose & live it daily.

Protect your Purpose.

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What happens if we don’t have a purpose?

We become either: 

1. The Disengaged
Only self-seeking. 

2. The Dreamer
Dreaming about being a hero & doing great things but without a plan of action

3. The Dabbler
Not committing to anything beyond self. 

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“The hallmark of successful individuals is that they love learning, they seek challenges, they value effort, and they persist in the face of obstacles.”
– Carol S. Dweck