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What Purpose Isn’t…



To understand more fully what something is, it's helpful to know what it isn't.


Purpose is not identity.

It's not who you are. Is it connected to your identity? Is it born out of a sense of who you are? Absolutely! The two are definitely connected, but your identity is different from your purpose, and it's your purpose that grows out of your identity.


Purpose is not values.

It's not the character-based values of how you live your life. Of course, your values are informed by your purpose. The way you live your life is certainly influenced by the reason you exist in this world, but the two are not one and the same.


Purpose is not vision.

It's not where you're going, not the preferred future you see. Purpose definitely guides you toward that; it helps you craft a vision for your life. But again, the two aren't the same.


Purpose is not mission.

If mission is what you do, purpose is why you do it. In other words, your mission is how your purpose is lived out, moment by moment and day by day.


Each of these—identity, values, vision, and mission—are important questions to answer in our lives. In this book we are going to look specifically at answering the question of, "Why do I exist?" with a strong sense of personal purpose.


Author Mark Twain understood the strength of purpose when he said:

"The two most important days in your life are the day you are born and the day you find out why." 


If we don't know why we exist, we'll never fully live a life of purpose.


I've always been one of those people who not only makes a habit out of regularly setting goals, I'm one of those people who actually enjoys it. I love sitting down with a good cup of coffee (lots of cream), grabbing my notebook and pens, and setting intentions for the coming weeks, months, and year. To think about where I am now and where I want to be next. To be thoughtful about the steps and goals I need to take to get there.

Because of this, I tend to gravitate toward people who do the same. Or, at least, to people who will encourage me to keep going on the path to my goals. People who will sharpen me, push me, and help me make sure the pursuit of my goals is something I can be proud of. That's where Christine comes in. My friend Christine is one of the most amazing women I know.


She's a great mom with a great family who runs a very successful business, takes on new challenges all the time, and is somehow able to manage it all well. So, when I thought of setting some new goals for myself this year, I naturally thought of Christine.

I shot her a quick text. "Hey! Would you be up for doing some goal setting together?"

Her reply? "Yes, absolutely!"


In preparation for our time together, I reached out to a friend who meets annually to set goals with a few others in his industry. He sent me a list of questions the group asks each year to help them shape tangible, meaningful goals for themselves. The questions cover everything from finances and faith to career and character. They give a great framework for the ways in which we can think about our goals, so I knew they'd be a helpful starting point for Christine and me as well.


I forwarded her the questions, encouraging her to think about them prior to our time together. This time, her reply was a little less enthusiastic.

"Elizabeth, these are great," she began, "but the questions about purpose are really throwing me. I think I'm going to need to spend more time on those because I'm honestly not sure how to answer."


I'm going to be honest with you: I was totally taken aback. Christine was killing it in just about every single area of her life. If there was anyone who I thought knew their purpose in this world in a real, deep way, it would've been Christine.

But she didn't. For all she'd done, all she'd achieved, all she was good at in her life, that little list of questions left her with a startling realization: She had no idea how to articulate her purpose.


This is what's at stake here! Without the work to discover why we're here on this Earth, we may end up in a pivotal moment questioning it all. Wishing we'd put more energy and effort into living the life we were called to live. Wondering why we never discovered our purpose.

This is a fate I didn't want for myself or my friend Christine. It's one I don't want for you either!


This is what I hope to help you avoid as we dive into the work of purpose.



 
 
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