A number of years ago I had the privilege of having dinner with Tony Buzan the originator of mind maps. Tony has written over eight books on the mind and how to use more of it. He has coached olympic athletes, business people and even Governments to raise the intelligence level of a whole country. Lets just say he has had a positive influence on the lives of thousands, if not millions of people.
During the dinner we got talking about purpose and what it means. He asked me what was mine, I said “to help people”. He looked at me, paused for a second and said “sure that could mean giving them heroine!”. So I asked him what his purpose was and without hesitation he said “to raise the mental literacy of the world!”
A few weeks ago I wrote an article entitled How to Live Your Dream and the first step in the article was to create a great purpose for your life. Of course there may be many purposes in our lives depending on the different roles we play – a business purpose, a life purpose, a parents purpose, a spouses purpose and so on. For this article lets focus on your business purpose.
Take a moment and a blank sheet of paper to write down what your business purpose is. Ask yourself questions like – Why am I in business? What do I want from the business? Go on take a moment to write down your answers.
Now lets think back to Tony Buzan’s purpose. What did he say his purpose was – “to raise the mental literacy of the world!” Did he say I’m in business to earn as much as I can as quick as I can and sell the business; or to pay off my mortgage asap and retire so I can enjoy myself; or to prove to everyone that I’m the best? I don’t think so! In fact if you reflect on any of the great leaders/achievers/business people in history you’ll see the focus of their purpose was far bigger than they were, in some cases it was even impossible to achieve in their lifetimes! In many cases they have “dreamed the impossible dream”.
I remember hearing that Walt Disney’s purpose was “to make people happy”. Recently I saw a bus with a Disney advertisement no the side. I thought to myself, he’s long gone but his dream lives on. I wondered had he achieved his purpose to make people happy – I asked myself – has Disney helped make me happy? Absolutely!
So how do you create a Great Purpose?
1. Simple really – begin with the end in mind. Its your funeral. What do you want said about your life? Get a blank page and let your heart sing!
2. Still not sure – go out into nature – by the sea, a forest, a mountain. Bring your mind to rest – take in some slow deep breaths and bring yourself fully into the present. Then ask that part within yourself that knows – what is my greatest purpose? Keep asking yourself this question over a few days, weeks, even months and then almost by magic you’ll find a need in the world that you can serve – you’ll feel the call and you’ll know – YES, this is my highest calling! For example Trevor Baylis who invented the windup radio was inspired to help people in Africa when he heard about the spread of AIDS. Read his story here.
3. Once you choose your purpose you can align your business to fulfill it or at least be a step in that fulfillment. For example it may be a financial step to put money into a particular cause. It may be that in your work you help people realise a greater part of themselves. It may be to focus your business on education in some way or provide some product which will positively enhance the lives of people. Or as Anita Roddick the creator of the Body Shop says in their “Reason for Being – to dedicate our business to the pursuit of social and environmental change …”
4. Also and most importantly – Be Specific. Like Tony Buzan – “raise the mental literacy of the world” or Disney – “make people happy” or like Anita Roddick of Body Shop – the pursuit of social and environmental change …”
What difference will having a Great Purpose for your business make to you and your business? Firstly you will have a surge of energy coming through you which will keep you going when facing the toughest of challenges. You and your business will also positively touch the lives of many people and you will experience deep fulfillment in your life. Anything else?
Well I’ll let the author of the Yoga Sutras and one of the worlds greatest sages Patanjali’s (approx 200 BC) answer with his famous quote about “Purpose”:
“When you are inspired by some great purpose,
some extraordinary project,
all your thoughts break their bonds:
Your mind transcends limitations,
your consciouness expands in every direction,
and you find yourself in a new, great and wonderful world.
Dormant forces, faculties and talents come alive
and you discover yourself to be a greater person by far
than you ever dreamed yourself to be.”
My next article will be on step 2 of How to Live Your Dream – Explore Your Dreams.
Until then may your realise there is a purpose in everything!
Yours On Purpose
Sean M Kelly
What a great personal challenge Sean. Timely in a sense for me, as I had a dicussion with a client the other day over lunch where we were discussing the desire to develop a social conscience for their corporate brand. Over all they are very charitable and generous but not in a structured goal oriented way. Your article is very helpful in steering direction to that end, whether personal or corporate.
I’m looking forward to your next installment.
Cheers Ed, your comment is much appreciated.
During the 1970’s when the “troubles” were at their height in Northern Ireland a group of women got together to create a peace education center. They were absolutely dedicated to helping both sides of the conflict come together and realise they were very alike so why fight? In particular they brought young people of both sides together. However they didn’t, perhaps couldn’t, charge these people anything for the education they gave them. They got very little support from elsewhere too at the time. After a few years they had to close down and the totally amazing work they were doing stopped!
Twenty years later the same center reopened with a focus of creating a peace center and making a profit so that they could help more people and grow the center. It now does work in many conflict areas in the world and charges for its services.
Sometimes when we’re doing “social” work we think we should do it for free but as anyone who’s tried it knows its a very difficult road. So if we can create organisations which do “social” work and bring in a profit they will have the ability to grow and develop and positively touch the lives of more people.
In a nutshell, no matter what our business is the bottom line cash flow keeps the business going.
Carpe Diem
Sean M Kelly
http://www.seanMkelly.com
What does “Carpe Diem” mean?
Great article Sean. I’ve been thinking heavily about purpose for the past few weeks as well. I can’t seem to catch mine, but I can tell it’s just around the corner. As a perfectionist, I find it hard to settle for something which may not be right in a few weeks/months time.
What are your thoughts on changing your purpose, Sean? I’m hanging out for your next installment, too.
As for carpe diem Ed, it’s a Latin phrase which means “seize the day”.
Hi Robert
Great points and questions. A couple of points
1. There is a purpose in everything, every interaction, every moment of our lives is given to us to teach us more about ourselves. However if we are always caught up in doing, doing, doing without any reflection we can miss recognising these learning opportunities.
2. Absolutely we can change our purpose, indeed it will change implicitly throughout our lives anyway – for example – as kids we do what kids do and have a different purpose than when we are an adult with our own kids.
3. My own feeling is that the most important purpose we can have is one that involves serving a greater need in the world rather than having one that focuses only on satisfying what we want for ourselves. So in business we aim of satisfy the needs of our customers but we should also ask how is that serving a greater need in humanity. Its rather like a story I heard one time about two brick layers building a great cathedral:
Each day the brick layers would arrive and do their work. Within a short time one brick layer would be bored with just putting one brick on top of another and be totally fed up by lunch time. However the other brick layer would feel fulfilled with every brick he laid as he knew it would help create this totally amazing cathedral.
In short both people did the same job but one also saw the purpose behind it and one didn’t.
One final point, the Japanese have a saying Kaizen which means “to continuously improve”. So rather than delaying our progress by trying to find the “holy grail” of a purpose which is perfect in every way, choose one for a few weeks, learn from it and make it better as you go along always aiming to improve. However there is a place within us all that knows the greater purpose of our lives. How do you find it out – Be Still and Know – check out the youtube video on my home page – http://www.seanMkelly.com. Just sit back and listen.
Most importantly ASK – what is the need within the world which really resonates with you and then set about aligning your purpose/business to serve that need. This is perhaps what Patanjali was talking about in his poem in the article.
Thanks for your comment
Keep the faith!
Sean
http://www.seanMkelly.com
Thanks Sean. That’s certainly cleared up some grave questions that have been on my mind lately. It’ll definitely be going into my journal today. I’ll have to go take a look at that video, you mentioned.
Have a good one,
Rob
Your very welcome Rob.
Keep the Faith!
Sean
Some great stuff Sean
Find a higher purpose, your calling that drives you.
Concentrate on the why as opposed to the how
I love it!!
show off your website or business
Quite frankly I agree with everything you said. You have to work hard now a days to just make a a decent living. Why work at something that makes you happy.
Hi Crystal
Thanks for your comment on the How to Create Purpose article. One answer to your question “Why work at something that makes you happy” is the quote from Richard Bach author or Illusions, which is “in the path of our happiness shall we find the learning for which we have chosen this lifetime”. There is also another school of thought and that is, that no matter what we “do” we can still “be” happy, happiness is a given! Carpe Diem! Sean