Purpose

   What do you want to be remembered for? That’s a grand purpose. It’s not something we normally think about day-to-day but something that crosses our mind periodically on both a conscious and subconscious level. Yet, it frequently frames our decision making whether we realize it or not.

   For example, consider all the things you do or choose not to because of what other people will think. What have you worn to fit in or not worn so you wouldn’t feel embarrassed even though it would have been more comfortable? What chances have you not taken in life because of how you might be perceived or out of fear of failure. The grand purpose of our life impacts us daily, even if we don’t realize it.

   Then there are the smaller, more obvious purposes. We brush our teeth to avoid tooth decay, do a good job at work to get a promotion, or perform community service in order to get greater accolades in our church, mosque or synagogue. Even some of these actions, we do on auto-pilot, having them programmed into us over time. We do things without thinking or realizing that we’re doing them at all.

   Imagine the power you can harness by consciously being aware of your purpose in doing things. That’s what I mean when I discuss purpose.

   It’s time to stop and think about why you do the things you do. Take out a pen and paper or use your smartphone to log ten things you’ve done over the course of the past week. It could be something menial or something momentous. Now, think about your motivations and reasons for having taken those actions. This is how you tap into the power of purpose.

   I came to learn long ago that failure to live with purpose is purposing living to fail; that I put myself at a distinct disadvantage by not understanding the reasoning and motivation behind my actions. It helped me to more clearly prioritize my actions and better prepared me to reach my goals. By learning to focus we position ourselves to achieve our goals and live a more successful and fruitful life.