Does purpose come out of profit, or does profit come out of purpose?

I am sure each of us has experienced this quandary, when what we are doing and how we are doing it is not meeting our expectations or giving the expected rewards and profits. At these times, only the WHY we are doing it is the powerful force to help us make the needed decisions to succeed. How many times do people quit at critical points because what they were doing and how they were doing it was the only measurement of success? In most anything we do with the potential of significant rewards there will be times of significant difficulty. WHY is the driving force to push us through the difficulties. Failure is not fatal if it causes us to make decisions for change, but neither is success final when achieved, as it must sooner or later stand the test of sustainability.

I firmly believe that sustainability in anything of value is secured in the power of its purpose. The most powerful position in your life is when your purpose is so clear that it sets the course for action and initiatives. It is the true North of our internal compass.

I listened to the leadership call of Tom Trexlor and Terry Wise on this very subject of the power of purpose. They both commented it was purpose that was the number one most important key to achieving success in business and living a life that matters. Terry offered a quote: “You can tell the size or significance of your purposeful dream by what stops you from fulfilling it.” When purpose is significant, then nothing or no one can stop you from fulfilling it – It’s not over until it’s over!!!

I know this after 30+ years in business: there are critical times in our lives when what we are doing and how we are doing it is not achieving the rewards we desire. That is when the WHY we are doing it becomes the critical force to help us get through it and to make the decisions to succeed. It is the WHY that also creates the focus to look beyond ourselves, as I’ve shared in the Law of Awareness: “Somewhere around you is something or someone to help you fulfill your life purpose.”

Tom Trexlor gave the example of purpose being crucial, such as when a pilot attempts a takeoff to get the plane airborne. The pilot is not casual about it but clearly focused on one critical goal: when the plane starts down the runway, it will be airborne before the end of the runway. The pilot is not ignoring other important safety and flight issues, but is clearly focused on the takeoff. Also, if you fly a lot, you will experience inclement weather when PURPOSE is extremely important and causes the pilot to clearly focus on doing the right things or else risk a crash landing. Life is full of examples of when clear purpose must be the driving force to direct our “what” and “how.”

I think we can all agree that a life of purpose is the most rewarding and profitable way to live and enjoy life.