Quotes About Purpose

Work should, in fact, be thought of as a creative activity undertaken for the love of the work itself; and that man, made in God's image, should make things, as God made them, for the sake of doing well a thing that is well worth doing . . . Work is the natural exercise and function of man—the creature who is made in the image of his Creator. —Dorothy L. Sayers, Why Work?

The secret to creating a career that is both nurturing to the soul and the pocketbook is, as theologian Frederick Buechner said, to find where "your deep gladness and the world's deep hunger meet."1 There you will find a job, a career, a business, and a life worth living. We cannot talk ourselves into doing something we do not inherently enjoy, no matter how spiritual that something may appear to those around us.

An educational system isn't worth a great deal if it teaches young people how to make a living but doesn't teach them how to make a life." —Author Unknown

But that raises the question: What would you call your daily activity if you actually enjoyed it? Would it cease to be "work"?

The master in the art of living makes little distinction between his work and his play, his labor and his leisure, his mind and his body, his information and his recreation, his love and his religion. He hardly knows which is which. He simply pursues his vision of excellence at whatever he does, leaving others to decide whether he is working or playing. To him he is always doing both. —James Michener

The fruits of a fulfilling life—happiness, confidence, enthusiasm, purpose, and money—are mainly by-products of doing something we enjoy, with excellence, rather than things we can seek directly.

Better questions to ask regarding a career or job choice would be: What was I born to do? What would be my greatest contribution to others? What do I really love to do (and when I'm doing it, time just flies by)? What are the recurring themes that I find myself drawn to? How do I want to be remembered?

Next time you meet someone, try asking, "How are you making the world a better place?" rather than the normal, "What do you do?

As Thomas Merton put it, "A tree gives glory to God by being a tree. For in being what God means it to be it is obeying Him.

The difference between the successful and the troubled is not error-free living; it is that by discovering and implementing a life calling, the successful stand on their pile of trash while the troubled sit under theirs.

The most common mistake people make in choosing a career is to do something simply because they are good at it.

Act happy, feel happy, be happy, without a reason in the world. Then you can love, and do what you will.

The journey is what brings us happiness not the destination.

A warrior does not give up what he loves, he finds the love in what he does

Try not to get overwhelmed or lost in the question. Always begin by writing down what you want to discover.

People don't wind up in Montauk because they were just drifting through and stopped. People make a decision to come to Montauk. It's a peninsula. You are at the end of something.

I didn't want kids to think that to be happy, they had to be famous or rich or live in the big city.

If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world.7 — C. S. Lewis

In an interview on 60 Minutes, Tom Brady, the New England Patriots star quarterback, winner of three Super Bowls before turning thirty, tried to explain what was bothering him. "Why do I have three Super Bowl rings and still think there is something greater out there for me? A lot of people would say, 'This is what it is. I reached my goal, my dream. It's got to be more than this. I mean, this isn't what it's all cracked up to be."9

If greatness is your goal, it can only be achieved today.

An obvious challenge people face is that they don't know what they want. They're far too busy justifying what they think they need. They haven't learned to be brutally honest with themselves and others. They're still living in fear. Learning to clarify what you want without justification or apology is vital to going 10x since 10x is based on want, not need.

That's what real leadership is: Creating and clarifying the vision (the "what"), and giving that vision greater context and importance (the "why") for all Whos involved.

Success means that you're making bigger and better improvements that are valuable to others and satisfying to yourself. It means that you can't think of anything you'd rather be doing than what you're doing.

Relationships are how you transform as a person. Relationships are how you transcend your current limitations. Relationships are how you produce results. Relationships are the purpose of life.