Living with pupose vs. living with goals?

I still remember being told by someone I’d known loosely in an academic setting, “You’re going to great things.”

I remember the look in his teacherly eyes and how they held my puzzled gaze. “What sorts of things?” I wanted to ask. I figured I should take the compliment as it was, and figure what sorts of things on my own.

Recently, the country station 98.3 turned Christian. There has been a recent surge in Christian music in Pittsburgh. Flipping through channels, I heard this song… “The Words I Would Say.”

“Be strong in the Lord.
Never give up hope.
You’re going to do great things, I already know.
God’s got his hand on you, so don’t live life in fear.
Forgive and forget, but don’t forget why you’re here.
Take your time and pray.
Thank God for each day.”

If you take out the references to God, the song is less powerful, but still works.

I got to thinking about what it means for someone to genuinely have faith in you. You can provide people with an education and tools for success, but empowering someone even in the periphery of your life to dream bigger than what exists immediately in front of them requires something more.

Living with purpose is different than living with goals.

Perhaps having faith in someone, a human connection, creates a greater sense of purpose in that individual. That sense of purpose in turn leads that person to do greater things than he or she imagined because in this case, the goal isn’t the driving force. The journey, living curious and inspired day to day, is the driving force and the goal is just the result.


http://learningfromdogs.com/2009/09/22/passion-word/#more-1166