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The Power of Purpose

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The Power of Purpose

Creating Meaning in Your Life and Work

Berrett-Koehler,

15 min read
10 take-aways
Audio & text

What's inside?

If you need a sense of mission that goes beyond profit and power, tap into your inner purpose, find your calling, and celebrate your unique gifts. Then go lie down (seriously, solitude helps too).

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Editorial Rating

5

Qualities

  • For Beginners

Recommendation

Richard J. Leider believes everyone needs to find an individual sense of unique purpose. When you have this sense of purpose, you can use it as a central core of direction to guide your life and give it meaning. The book is simply written, easy to understand and targeted to a general audience. However, it also seems quite repetitious, in that the same ideas are explained many different ways. Some of these concepts are quite familiar, echoing some basic ideas about the importance of having a sense of mission, path, and goals, much like Laurie Beth Jones’ book, The Path: Creating Your Mission Statement. Finally, while some readers may respond deeply to Leider’s spiritual and religious references, others may find them problematic, given the split in the business community about spirituality in the workplace. getAbstract recommends this book for readers who have not yet considered this mission-focused dimension of life planning and for managers who wish to understand this perspective.

Summary

Why You Need to Discover Your Purpose

You have a life purpose; everyone has a "natural reason for being." Your purpose is that "deepest dimension within" that forms your central core, the essence that helps you understand your basis for existence. It tells you who you are, why you are here, and where you are headed.

The questions you ask about your purpose shape your life. Everyone should ask these questions regularly. Generally, these issues arise about every ten years, as people go through periods of transition. That is when you are most likely to ask "Who am I?" and "What is my purpose in life?". The questions you ask about purpose will shape your life more than anything else. Ask these age-old questions: "What am I meant to do here?" "What am I trying to do with my life?" again and again. The way you answer these essential questions will shape the quality of your life.

When adults older than 65 were asked how they might live their lives differently given the chance, many said they would be more reflective and courageous. They said they would be much clearer earlier in their life about their purpose. These interviews indicate that people have a deep and natural...

About the Author

Richard J. Leider is a founding partner of the Inventure Group, a training firm in Minneapolis, Minnesota, devoted to helping individuals, leaders, and teams discover the power of purpose. He is an author, speaker, career coach, and pioneer in the field of "Life/Work Planning," who has worked with many Fortune 500 companies. His five previous books include the best selling Repacking Your Bags, The Inventurers, and Life Skills.


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