What’s Your Purpose?

I recently re-read a book titled Purpose by Nikos Mourkogiannis. The subtitle of the book is The Starting Point of Great Companies. It focuses primarily on business. Using my working definition of business as “purposeful action”, I found great wisdom here for individuals, families, and all relational and interactive processes. The simplest questions for each of us are “What’s the ultimate purpose of this thought and action?” and “What does this moment ask of me?”

What’s the ultimate destination for yourself as well as those you’re involved with, serve, derive benefit from and contribute to? If Ralph Waldo Emerson is correct that ‘business is divine activity’, purpose will matter a great deal to you. If, on the other hand, business is simply about generating as much money as possible, nothing else will matter.  As we move further into the 21st century our purpose will determine what be become. It’s critical for our planetary future.

“What do you stand for?” is a very telling question. Some might say: “I stand for might makes right.” Others could say: “I stand for liberty and justice for all.” Another would say: “I stand for protecting my family and what’s mine.” The point here is that there are many ways to define a purpose and not consider the moral and ethical implications. What’s the moral compass you use for deciding? Who or what guides you to your purpose? Is it individual and collective?

My moral compass demands a purpose that can be practiced and creates a more awakened, compassionate and loving world. What I stand for is what nurtures and elevates the human spirit, feeds the hungry hearts, and revives the lost souls. It’s the sort of character that strives for greater meaning and prosperity for all. It’s the idea of building bridges rather than walls. It’s the long view that reaches out seven generations. It’s an ultimate spiritual purpose.

Seeing the meaninglessness of modern day materialistic, exploitative and warring cultures, it seems that the best way to make anything new is to grow people. This requires a movement  from extreme competitive practices to cooperative ones. It follows the ancient learning ritual of fail and try again, seek alignment with the Divine and finally succeed. We as individuals and communities of diverse people can do this. Creating a greater wholeness starts from within.

When each of us and those we live with, work and have our being with articulate our highest personal and collective purpose with contemplation and action, we serve the common good and have the beginning of something new. When we seek common ground, put our differences behind us and look to create new mutually beneficial futures together, new possibilities emerge. This requires inner awakening, alignment, forgiveness, love and mutual respect.

It’s our task to engage new actions that will serve us all; to become transformers bringing forth innate fulfillment for the whole global community. Empathy and altruism draw us to seek the best in all. Engaging our highest inner divine purpose achieves this change by creating healing actions. What’s your highest calling, your purpose for being here? What do you stand for? What small uplifting purpose can you accomplish today? Listen deeply and follow. Thank you.