Lesson 1. Your Purpose

– The foundation of your growth

‘Amid all our busyness, our impossible schedules, our frantic quests for fun and excitement, we must find time for discovery for taking that journey into true meaning.’ Richard J. Leider, Life Skills

Among our greatest needs is a sense of identity and purpose.

Richard Nixon, in his post-Watergate experience, wrote about purpose as a matter of life and death. He stated:

‘Unless a person has a reason to live other than for himself, he will die – first mentally, then emotionally, then physically.’

Helen Keller was asked what was worse than being born blind. You will be interested in her answer in the quote below.

‘To have sight and no vision.’

Solomon wrote in the Scriptures that a lack of vision is fatal.

Richard Leider, writing in his book, Life Skills, defines lack of personal purpose as a state of ‘inner kill’. He asserts that it is ‘the most insatiable killer’ in modern Western society. ‘Inner kill’ is dying without knowing it. It’s feeling like you’re coping without being fully alive.

Leider listed the following definitions of ‘inner kill’.

• Avoiding decisions

• Daydreaming about early retirement

• Talking a lot about what you’re going to do, instead of doing it.

• Seeking significance on the basis of past accomplishments

‘Inner kill’ is not growing. It’s taking the safe way; always covering for yourself instead of taking risks. It’s reacting, instead of thinking. It’s giving up control of your life to whatever or whoever is around you. ‘Inner kill’ is the death of self-respect (see the list above for Leider’s summary of the symptoms of ‘inner kill’).