Suzanne Mercier - Tuesday, May 25, 2010
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I have been so passionate about Purpose and the power it has to lift us up beyond our fears and foibles, that I was absolutely delighted to have a friend point me in the direction of Dan Buettner's TED presentation on the optimal formula for longevity. Dan Buettner is a National Geographic Explorer and Writer. He was involved in a project called Blue Zone which was dedicated to identifying areas in the world where people lived longer lives and to exploring the reasons for their longevity.
The areas the Blue Zone Team visited were Okinawa, Japan, the Highlands of Sardinia and Loma Linda, California. The video is well worth viewing
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Buettner arrives at 7 key tenets for longevity as a result of extensively studying these cultures. Finding and living our Purpose (or iki gi as the Japanese call it) was one of the principles and the Blue Zone team claim that Purpose can add up to 7 years to our lives.
My experience of Purpose goes back around 20 years when a friend, Jelena, asked me what my Purpose was. I totally surprised myself because out of my mouth came "To bring heart and soul into the corporate environment". That Purpose has guided my path in the intervening time and I have lived it to the best of my ability along the way.
When we live from Purpose, we step into possibility. We step beyond the fear and our self-imposed limitations and into being of service in some way. We think way beyond ourselves to the broader community. We give in the best way we can and while we don't do it for a return, we experience a feeling of fulfillment as a result of being of service.
I realise now that behind my Purpose is the recognition that so many of our workplaces are driven by fear which manifests in competition, winners and losers, in abuse and neglect, in manipulation and in scarcity. These conditions don't breed engaged employees making their contribution to the success of the organisation.
Taking this further, I realise that my purpose is about activating behavioural change through a mindset shift so our workplaces are more about kindness, opportunity, recognition, appreciation, support, growth, connection and community. Those are pretty big shoes and I trust I'm growing into them.
What's your Purpose? I'd love to hear.
All the very best
Suzanne
Comments
PB
Suzanne
I love your article of this one. It has always interested me why some people find it easier to identify and live out their purposes more than others.
I do think that there is a very strong need for skilled practitioners in your field to work with corporates/ business owners so they can try and help align corporate goals/ objectives a lot more with their employees goals. The corporate goal on the whole is profit maximisation, this goal if driven to the exclusion of all others rarely provides a good compass for either a business or its employees.
Steven Covey provides a good pointer to developing purpose "If you knew you were going to die tomorrow (could apply to corporate or individual)what would you want said by your loved ones (or ex employees)at your eulogy or put on your tombstone, what legacy do you want to leave behind". To Live, To Laugh, To Love and Be Loved, To Learn, To Leave a Legacy - these are the things that give purpose to life.
Suzanne your purpose of changing the business environment for the better is a very positive one.