The real joy in life is to be used up by your own mighty purpose. Everyone has a calling. We are on this adventure so all of us here can live ours.
Last time I discussed some of things that get in the way of each of us doing something mighty. I called these "ghosts". I appreciate Kyle H. for identifying my Army of the Dead with the idea of the "inner-voice", and inviting all of us to a relevant and worthwhile conversation.
You can share your thoughts and join the discussion here.
Satyagraha
An old colleague of mine recently shared this thought with me: "[T]he fact is that I don't know what my calling is."
Last time I discussed some of things that get in the way of each of us doing something mighty. I called these "ghosts". I appreciate Kyle H. for identifying my Army of the Dead with the idea of the "inner-voice", and inviting all of us to a relevant and worthwhile conversation.
You can share your thoughts and join the discussion here.
Satyagraha
An old colleague of mine recently shared this thought with me: "[T]he fact is that I don't know what my calling is."
Earlier this month, I offered what I called "The Measuring Test" to help folks discover their answer to this question. This is a nice test and I still endorse it. But, it can only tell you what you are not, and cannot tell you what you should be. Below, I will offer a new, more positive test.
Beth, Linda and Michael won the survey drawing and they should have their gifts by now. I gave each them a copy of Mohandas Gandhi's collection of writings called Satyagraha and asked them to share their reaction to this book and the new test I will offer below.
This is a challenging text that was essentially the playbook to some of the most notable human rights movements in the last century, including the liberation of India, the Civil Rights Movement in the U.S., and the ending of Apartheid in South Africa. You should dig into it on your own.
A literal translation of Satyagraha would mean something close to "truth force". Gandhi felt that the best expression of "truth force" was non-violent resistance towards any system that is at all unjust. If you want to see what he thought it would take to do that, check out this list of "Rules for Satyagraha Campaigns" from Wikipedia here.
When should you resort to these 19 rules? When you discover an unjust system and those responsible for that system are unwilling to reform it.
In the face of uncompromising injustice you and I must, to quote Gandhi, "be willing to undergo suffering, loss of property, and to endure the suffering that might be inflicted on family and friends" and then act in accordance with the 19 rules. Do this even if you have to do it alone and no one will ever know you acted. Better that than to be complicit, even distantly, in something that is wrong.
The Injustice Test
With Satyagraha in mind, I propose this new test. This is a draft so I hope that some of you will chime in and help me streamline it.
What injustice would upset you so much that you would be willing to physically, socially and materially suffer, accept the suffering of those around you (who you may love and may love you), and refuse to harm those causing that suffering, if it meant that injustice would stop?
This is a hard one and I wouldn't feel bad if you can't immediately come up with an answer. I find this test so cool because I am struggling with it.
But I offer this question to my old colleague, Beth, Linda and Michael and you. If you can give even a single probable answer, then you have found a mighty purpose for yourself.
Be well,
Sterling Lynk
P.S. - I want to give you all a quick update on what's next.
In less than a month I will be in a position to offer an intense two-month purpose clarifying experience, that will climax in the launch of meaningful projects that express those discovered purposes. Some of these projects may be may be connected to an opportunity to win access to up to $10,000 in startup capital, as well as mentorship from some of the best organizational thinkers in the country. While I will only be able to provide the full experience to small group from this community, and those members of this community refer, I will find way to ensure that everyone reading this can participate if they wish.
If you are interested in helping with this beta project please shoot me an email to sterlinglynk@att.net.
Beth, Linda and Michael won the survey drawing and they should have their gifts by now. I gave each them a copy of Mohandas Gandhi's collection of writings called Satyagraha and asked them to share their reaction to this book and the new test I will offer below.
This is a challenging text that was essentially the playbook to some of the most notable human rights movements in the last century, including the liberation of India, the Civil Rights Movement in the U.S., and the ending of Apartheid in South Africa. You should dig into it on your own.
A literal translation of Satyagraha would mean something close to "truth force". Gandhi felt that the best expression of "truth force" was non-violent resistance towards any system that is at all unjust. If you want to see what he thought it would take to do that, check out this list of "Rules for Satyagraha Campaigns" from Wikipedia here.
When should you resort to these 19 rules? When you discover an unjust system and those responsible for that system are unwilling to reform it.
In the face of uncompromising injustice you and I must, to quote Gandhi, "be willing to undergo suffering, loss of property, and to endure the suffering that might be inflicted on family and friends" and then act in accordance with the 19 rules. Do this even if you have to do it alone and no one will ever know you acted. Better that than to be complicit, even distantly, in something that is wrong.
The Injustice Test
With Satyagraha in mind, I propose this new test. This is a draft so I hope that some of you will chime in and help me streamline it.
What injustice would upset you so much that you would be willing to physically, socially and materially suffer, accept the suffering of those around you (who you may love and may love you), and refuse to harm those causing that suffering, if it meant that injustice would stop?
This is a hard one and I wouldn't feel bad if you can't immediately come up with an answer. I find this test so cool because I am struggling with it.
But I offer this question to my old colleague, Beth, Linda and Michael and you. If you can give even a single probable answer, then you have found a mighty purpose for yourself.
Be well,
Sterling Lynk
P.S. - I want to give you all a quick update on what's next.
In less than a month I will be in a position to offer an intense two-month purpose clarifying experience, that will climax in the launch of meaningful projects that express those discovered purposes. Some of these projects may be may be connected to an opportunity to win access to up to $10,000 in startup capital, as well as mentorship from some of the best organizational thinkers in the country. While I will only be able to provide the full experience to small group from this community, and those members of this community refer, I will find way to ensure that everyone reading this can participate if they wish.
If you are interested in helping with this beta project please shoot me an email to sterlinglynk@att.net.