What is the Purpose of Purpose?

What Is the Purpose of Purpose? by Ken Doyle www.GettingResultsCoaching.com

How long after you die do you want your legacy to last and for whom and for what? That’s a wallop of a question! At first cut, most people respond, “I don’t know” or “I want it to be for my family.” The “I don’t know” part is a fail! But the “family” part is at least a step in the right direction. First and foremost, let me alleviate some pressure here: this is an exercise. It’s not Biblical or Koranic in nature and it will not be inscribed in the book of life. The goal of the exercise is to get you to think beyond the normal flotsam and jetsam of daily life. As you may have noticed already, it takes a tremendous amount of effort to keep a business, a family, a social life, pets, plants, etcetera alive and functioning, especially when they are in your face yelling, “Mom! I’m hungry! What are we having for dinner?”?

If you have noticed, most people do not echo through time and/or life after they are gone. Quite frankly, they are gone. Now those of us who are living can piece together some stuff about our lost relatives and say, “Wow, they did make an impact.” But was the impact they made conscious or are you just making it up? And doing so to feel better about yourself and your relatives? Ouch… not being nice today. Let's take a look at your grandfather or some dead grandparent and look at their legacy objectively. What was the purposeful impact that the individual had upon the world? You're here, so the gene’s continued, but what else do you remember about your grandfather? Now some of you had great forebearers… maybe so great that you are intimidated by who they were or what they created. Others not so much. Most of our attention is placed on staying in existence physically and psychologically. Nothing wrong with that, but what we give attention to, we get more of. The more attention you give to what is in front of you, the more you get of what is in front of you.?

A legacy is an act of consciousness, discernment, and reason –– the highest of human virtues. It is a defining act. In a world of unlimited choices, what is the major theme that ties everything together? Legacy. It is what calls attention to design and pulls forth greater amounts of our potential. If you would like your legacy to be for your family, go deeper and pull forth what that actually means to you with the defining questions of “for what” and “for how long.” If you embrace “I don’t know” or “I don’t care” or some sort of platitude like “that I was a good man or a loving father,” you are missing the gist of the exercise. Let me ask you right now: Are you a good person and a loving parent? The answer more than likely is yes, so if you are already currently being that person, there is not much you have to change now is there? How much potential do we need to call forth for you? The not nice answer = NADA. You are already there. You do not need to grow anymore. If you do not need to grow, neither does your business nor experience of life.

This is not an easy conversation. Nothing of real value is ever easy. What is not earned is not earned. What is not created is not created.?

Let's continue to play. Let's say your legacy is to make sure your children’s children get a college education. Now that is a start, and that is going to call forth some of your potential and smarts, but I am not going to let you off the hook with that. That legacy can be completed probably within six weeks, if that. It would only take a few actions by you. Number one: call your insurance agent and get a life insurance policy. Number two: set up a trust and, bingo, your legacy is met. Easy, right? Now what? If your purpose in life has been met, now what do you do? You drift. It feels good that your grandchildren will be educated by your actions, but is that the best that you can do? The hard answer is no… and you know it. How about you play a little bigger? What would you have to do and/or become if you wanted to educate your entire community for the next 10 years? 25 years? 100 years? More than likely, your mind is already saying you cannot do that. You are just a lowly financial advisor who just cares about your own kids. But what if you could? How could you educate your community for the next ten years? If you do not need to grow, neither does your business nor experience of life.

The game is about getting you to think differently. More hard stuff: Who cares about your children being educated? Probably just you and your immediate family. Who cares about the community being educated? More than likely the entire community. If you had to build a pyramid Egyptian-style, how could you build it faster? With the help of just your family or the help of the entire community? Are you beginning to smell what I am stepping in? Desire the good of all and the universe will work with you. If you want your own pleasure before desiring, deserve.