Finding Purpose in a Time of Pandemic
- May 27, 2020
In thinking about purpose, I find it holds special meaning during these uncertain times. My blog article posted on the Geomic Code website last month (“Two Ways to Approach the Unknown”) touched on that notion of uncertainty. In last month’s article I had this to say, “We can all draw inspiration for finding new life directions by peeking into the unknown with the eyes of the other.”
I invite you, then, in this month’s article, to look at purpose through the lens of what I call my digital (as in the five fingers) remembering tool. The remembering tool goes like this: 1) Thumb: What is this thing I want to know more about? 2) Index Finger: What does this thing do? 3) Middle Finger: How can I use this thing? 4) Commitment Finger: When can I use this thing? 5) Pinkie Finger: What results can I expect from using this thing?
So, let’s see how the memory tool works when we use it to study purpose:
1) What is purpose?
Your purpose is, in a sense, whatever you want it to be – owner-specific and unique to you. The expression the English language has borrowed from the French – raison d’etre – points to the very essence of the meaning of purpose: It is our reason for our individual existence. It answers the existential question: Why am I here? And, by its very nature, finding what our unique purpose is constitutes the work of a lifetime as we grow and change and learn.
2) What does purpose do?
Our unique purpose motivates us to do what needs to be done to fulfill that purpose. Marketers use the expression “Call to Action”. As we respond to that Call to Action coming from our raison d’etre, we feel elated and have a sense that we are on the right track. Self-satisfaction comes from checking off our “to-do’s”. We can then sleep soundly and dream well.
3) How can we use purpose?
We can use purpose to provide meaning and direction for our lives. This is especially important in the uncertain times represented by the global pandemic the human family is experiencing right now. And, as you experience uncertainty in your unique life, no matter when that is, ask yourself gentle questions that can help you “course correct”. Purpose is not a static thing. It lives and breathes, grows and changes, with us.
4) When can we use purpose?
Purpose is the rudder on your ship and should be used at all times and in all places where you are. The rudder cuts through the waves of ups and downs, certainty and uncertainty that ebb and flow in our lives. When you check in with your “Why?”, you see who you really are in this moment under all the demands and expectations coming at you from outside yourself.
In Shakespeare’s “Hamlet”, King Claudius’ chief minister (read “advisor”), declares “To thine own self be true.” The line that follows that line tells us a lot about when our purpose acts as an effective rudder: “And it must follow, as the night the day, Thou canst not then be false to any [person].”
5) What results can we expect from having purpose in our lives?
Having purpose fills us with joy. Joy is different from happiness. We can be unhappy that we are stuck inside during a worldwide pandemic and still experience joy because we know our “Why?” – even if our “Why?” has changed (temporarily or forever as a result of current circumstances). The results of having purpose? Miracles and magic!
What does purpose have to do with the Geomic Code?
I invite you to join the conversation about purpose by providing your comments and / or questions in the box at the end of this article. At the Geomic Code Research Institute, we have been having some exciting discussions about this topic, and given recent events surrounding the pandemic, we are preparing content and a workshop focused on purpose.
Stay tuned and, in the meantime, please take a Geomic Code Assessment and let us know how we can help you take your Assessment results to the next level.