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The Power of Purpose
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The Power of Purpose

Find Meaning, Live Longer, Better

Richard J. Leider
Berrett-Koehler, 2015
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How do you lead a life that matters? Personal coach Richard J. Leider, who developed the “purpose movement,” teams up with a co-author, philosophy professor David A. Shapiro, in this fourth edition update of The Power of Purpose, a bestseller first published in 1985. Adding new material, the authors reexamine the idea of developing — and acting based on — your individual strong sense of values and elevated life purpose. The authors state that your purpose, at its most basic level, should be to help improve the world by assisting other people wherever and however possible and at whatever level. They find that having a clear purpose fulfills a spiritual dimension that is essential to leading a rewarding life.

Summary

Leading a life that matters matters.

“Why am I here?” “Why do I get up in the morning?” Thinking people occasionally ask themselves such existential questions. The answers come down to one overriding query: What is your purpose in life? Fulfilling your purpose calls for contributing to the betterment of the world and other people in a meaningful way. It means making life better for those around you. Pursuing such a purpose gives you the power to produce results.

When you combine purpose and power, you get “purpose power,” the ability to attain something significant beyond yourself, something that gives your life meaning. However, most people find that they get swept up in the mundane daily requirements of life and rarely have time to think about their purpose, much less attain it. It often takes a crisis to make people stop and think about their life’s meaning and purpose.

To find meaning in your life without first facing a calamity, deliberately try to unlock your “authentic sense of purpose.” It’s not mysterious; purpose is a fundamental, genetic, human drive. It is — or should be — an essential part of your life. In the world of business...

About the Author

Bestselling author, coach, and keynote speaker Richard J. Leider founded Inventure — The Purpose Company consultancy. David A. Shapiro, a philosophy professor at Cascadia College, leads the Philosophy Learning and Teaching Organization (PLATO).

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