Welcome. We are on an adventure. If this is your first time on Mighty Purpose, I suggest you check out how this community got started here.
Last time, I promised to discuss the ghosts that we will need to confront during our entire journey together. I will do that and share something about the gifts I sent to the survey winners. But first...
Last time, I promised to discuss the ghosts that we will need to confront during our entire journey together. I will do that and share something about the gifts I sent to the survey winners. But first...
Heads Up
My personal gratitude to goes out this growing community. Because of all of you, I have received some inspiration and I will be pursuing a couple project ideas that I believe are pretty cool. I expect to be able to share more next week.
Ghosts
Right after I closed the survey last week, I was honestly a little low on motivation. I had committed myself to this "Mighty Purpose Thing" through to the end, so I thought I would dig into the results to regain some momentum. One of the first comments I read was this:
"Let's start with the fact that I don't think that posing the previous question (whether each person has an unique and personal calling or a life-purpose they can create or discover) as a yes/no question is valid or fair. The question has a lot of problems when posed this way. I'm not sure that there is such a thing as a "unique" calling. For example, what was Benjamin Franklin's calling? He was an accomplished publisher, writer, statesman, scientist, inventor, and lover; which of these was his unique calling? Another problem with the 'unique' clause is that it presupposes that no two people can share a calling, which actually works against the community point that you and Mr. Shaw bring up. This may be a failing of the term 'calling', which when defined sufficiently narrowly would be unique for each person, but that would mean that 'being the collection of molecules called you' would qualify as a calling and rob the term of its true meaning. Strictly speaking, I would have had to answer the previous question 'no' but since the true answer was somewhere between yes and no, and I want to encourage you in this endeavor (unless you're being uncharacteristically insincere), so I rounded up to yes."
Ouch...well at least I thought "ouch" when I first read it. I have known the gentleman who wrote this for most of my life. When I was much younger he was a figure I sought approval from (he was also creative, at times frustratingly challenging and always there when I needed a true ally). This is a person that can inspire a reaction in me. This time, my reaction was to question myself.
First it was, "am I being insincere?"
Then, "was that a stupid question?"
Then, "if that was a stupid question, what was else in that survey was a waste of time?"
Then, "is this whole concept a waste of time, does this even matter?"
Then, "do I look silly jumping out there like this?"
Then, "who am I really try something like this and ask others to help me?"
You get the idea. Since you are reading this I obviously must have dealt with this ghost and gotten over my doubt. Anyway, my old mentor has a point (actually a few) and his last sentence was really a compliment - I am worth helping and I am sincere (at least he thinks so). So, not "ouch" but instead thanks to him for watching out and being honest.
Doubt is just one ghost that gets in the way of us living our purposes. In the survey you all reminded me of the number of challenges that often succeed in getting in the way of our callings.
Below is a short list of ghosts you shared with me through the survey. Many are virtues gone sideways, while others are much less noble.
My personal gratitude to goes out this growing community. Because of all of you, I have received some inspiration and I will be pursuing a couple project ideas that I believe are pretty cool. I expect to be able to share more next week.
Ghosts
Right after I closed the survey last week, I was honestly a little low on motivation. I had committed myself to this "Mighty Purpose Thing" through to the end, so I thought I would dig into the results to regain some momentum. One of the first comments I read was this:
"Let's start with the fact that I don't think that posing the previous question (whether each person has an unique and personal calling or a life-purpose they can create or discover) as a yes/no question is valid or fair. The question has a lot of problems when posed this way. I'm not sure that there is such a thing as a "unique" calling. For example, what was Benjamin Franklin's calling? He was an accomplished publisher, writer, statesman, scientist, inventor, and lover; which of these was his unique calling? Another problem with the 'unique' clause is that it presupposes that no two people can share a calling, which actually works against the community point that you and Mr. Shaw bring up. This may be a failing of the term 'calling', which when defined sufficiently narrowly would be unique for each person, but that would mean that 'being the collection of molecules called you' would qualify as a calling and rob the term of its true meaning. Strictly speaking, I would have had to answer the previous question 'no' but since the true answer was somewhere between yes and no, and I want to encourage you in this endeavor (unless you're being uncharacteristically insincere), so I rounded up to yes."
Ouch...well at least I thought "ouch" when I first read it. I have known the gentleman who wrote this for most of my life. When I was much younger he was a figure I sought approval from (he was also creative, at times frustratingly challenging and always there when I needed a true ally). This is a person that can inspire a reaction in me. This time, my reaction was to question myself.
First it was, "am I being insincere?"
Then, "was that a stupid question?"
Then, "if that was a stupid question, what was else in that survey was a waste of time?"
Then, "is this whole concept a waste of time, does this even matter?"
Then, "do I look silly jumping out there like this?"
Then, "who am I really try something like this and ask others to help me?"
You get the idea. Since you are reading this I obviously must have dealt with this ghost and gotten over my doubt. Anyway, my old mentor has a point (actually a few) and his last sentence was really a compliment - I am worth helping and I am sincere (at least he thinks so). So, not "ouch" but instead thanks to him for watching out and being honest.
Doubt is just one ghost that gets in the way of us living our purposes. In the survey you all reminded me of the number of challenges that often succeed in getting in the way of our callings.
Below is a short list of ghosts you shared with me through the survey. Many are virtues gone sideways, while others are much less noble.
- "I am afraid, what if..."
- "I have to do it all by myself...but I can't"
- "This is meaningless"
- "I don't have a job" or even "I have a job"
- "I don't have the time"
- "I have other obligations"
- "I don't have the money"
- "I'm bored"
- "I'm tired"
- "I want..."
- "Everyone is..." or "Those people are..."
- "I don't believe"
- "I don't have support"
- "I don't know what to do"
- "I am not special"
- "There is nothing better"
- "This is too hard"
- "I need to answer one more email"
- ...and more.
This is a real "Army of the Dead". And they will show up whenever you are trying to do something important and worthwhile. Respect their power, but know that they cannot help you live your purpose.
Beware Me Bearing Gifts
Congrats to Beth, Linda and Michael for being the big survey winners. I will be sending their gifts out next week.
These gifts won't be something they can just put on the shelf and admire. I am going to ask them to do something with the gifts. I will share with all of you what their gifts were and what they will be asked to do with them. You'll be invited to get involved as well.
Be well,
Sterling Lynk
Beware Me Bearing Gifts
Congrats to Beth, Linda and Michael for being the big survey winners. I will be sending their gifts out next week.
These gifts won't be something they can just put on the shelf and admire. I am going to ask them to do something with the gifts. I will share with all of you what their gifts were and what they will be asked to do with them. You'll be invited to get involved as well.
Be well,
Sterling Lynk