Purpose is the key to a happy and productive life. Charles H. Perkhurst said: “Purpose is what gives life meaning.” While some search for purpose some will be satisfied to believe that there is none. There is a saying that: ‘This life is a test—it is only a test. If it had been an actual life, you would have received further instructions on where to go and what to do.’ There has to be a reason to move or the body will remain dormant. The amount of energy the body releases for any given activity is directly related to the importance of the reason or purpose inherent in the person.
An Arab proverb states that you should “dwell not upon thy weariness, thy strength shall be according to the measure of thy desire.” Desire here could be exchanged with purpose. Human energy is related to food only as a battery is related to an electrical charging unit. In order to use the energy in a battery and/or for a man to use his energy, there has to be a means of extracting it. A battery’s energy will be released as a light or a tool is properly connected to it, so that the energy may be drawn from it. The same with a man, there must be a purpose that will draw energy out of him. A man may sit on his couch all day stuffing his face with all manner of food while watching TV, and yet he may not have the energy to get up off the couch at bedtime. ‘Life’ is a verb, ‘death’ is a noun, Man must live, not merely exist. The way we get energy into our lives is to devote our self to family, to our community, to God and in creating something that gives us purpose and meaning. When we develop an action plan that gives our life purpose and meaning then as night follows day you will have the energy to follow that plan. Someone has said: “Want to live longer? Then you better have a really good idea of what you’re living for.”
Having purpose in life gives a person an edge over others who do not. Their energy level will allow them to out-perform their adversary or competition. They will demonstrate a tenacity that will make it hard for them to pull away from their task or project.
It is interesting to see some of the synonyms of purpose; backbone, courage, determination, doggedness, grit, gaudiness, heart, moxie, perseverance, persistence, spunk, starch, steadfastness, stomach, true grit, what it takes, and willfulness.
We make comments using many of these same synonyms, such as; They don’t have the stomach for a good fight, they don’t have ‘the grit’ or ‘moxie.’ Essentially saying the right thing without understanding the mechanism: They don’t have as much ‘energy,’ or ‘strength of purpose’ to win against us or our team. If the opposition were bigger or a little older we may have said something like:
“Its not the size of the dog in the fight its the size of the fight in the dog”
I have a younger cousin, whose given name was Moxie. Before knowing what it meant, I remember thinking what a strange name. His dad was a deputy sheriff on the White Earth Indian Reservation in Minnesota and he had a reputation for being a tough guy. He probably hoped that by giving his son the name ‘Moxie,’ he would grow into it.
Having purpose, or moxie, is just as likely to be related to some productive accomplishment as it is to competitive sports. I remember a period in my life when I was a driven man. I was a family man with several children, working full time, building a new home for my family (by myself), and at the same time I was finishing up a doctorate degree at the University of Utah. I have asked myself, as an old man, “where did I get all the energy,” since I was constantly on the move. At the same time, I was performing my church responsibilities and spending Sundays with my family. The answer is simple enough, my energy came from purpose. Since all of my projects were eventually completed, it is obvious that I did not deviate from my resolve; I had ‘strength of purpose’. It is interesting how dreams enter into the equation of success and accomplishment. Not just during that time but all through my life my dreams seemed to be centered around my daytime purposes. I had problem-solving dreams. Some might even refer to them as nightmares. Someone has said: “The size of your success is measured by the strength of your desire; the size of your dream; and how you handle disappointment along the way.” I experienced many disappointing moments during that time, but by then I was old enough to expect them and to understand them.
One of my granddaughters was listless after graduating from high school because she was unsure about her future. After she decided to serve a mission for the church, she wrote home and said: “I feel bad for all the time I wasted when I didn’t really have any purpose in my life. It’s kind of sad. But things will be different from now on.” She writes about how happy she is and how she is learning and making so many new friends.
Ralph Waldo Emerson has said “The high prize of life, the crowning fortune of man, is to be born with a bias to some pursuit which finds him in employment and happiness.” Or more pointedly, purpose! May God bless us to be found purposefully using our God-given talents in such a way as to be adding to them. So that on that day, He will say to us, “Well done thou good and faithful servant.”