Purpose is a force and passion is fuel

Estimated reading time: 2 minutes, 50 seconds.

TODAY’S IDEA: Purpose is a force and passion is fuel

— From Creative On Purpose: An Innovative Approach to Professional Artistry by Scott Perry

If you’ve ever wondered what is the meaning of life and what you are supposed to do with it, very likely you’ve come across the myriad articles, books, and videos offering advice and help.

“Most of it is pretty bad,” says Scott Perry, author of Creative on Purpose. “Here’s the worst advice of all: ‘Follow your passion’.”

Stop right there. Whaaaaaaat?! This is exactly what most of us have been told all our lives.

“Passion is poorly equipped to act as an inner guide or a compass for directing your work. That is because that’s not what passion is for. That job belongs to Purpose.”

Perry states that just as gravity is a force that keeps us grounded and electricity is a force that powers mechanical things, purpose is a force too. If “scientists define ‘force’ as a push or pull upon one object resulting from that object’s interaction with another object;” then purpose “is the push or pull of one object (you), resulting from your interactions with other objects (others, events, surroundings, etc.).”

To figure out your purpose is something that takes a bit of time and that is not set in stone: it will grow and change with you “as your beliefs evolve, your skills develop, and your audience grows.” You’ll want to revisit and tweak your purpose many times throughout your life. Perry provides an illustrative diagram to help understand that our purpose is the intersection of three things:

• Who you are (your core values)
• What you do (your core talents and soft skills)
• Those you serve (people who share your values and are in need of your talents).

 

And where does that leave passion?

Passion, as well as profits, recognition and influence are the results of purposeful work and living. However, by themselves, Perry says, they are “improper motivators” because they lead to compromised decisions and may take you away from your core values and beliefs. Yet none of those results are inherently bad. On the contrary, they are valuable resources “that can be used to fuel and sustain purposeful living and work. They are not the ends, they are the means!”

If your work is driven by a strong and clear purpose, passion will result; and it will become a renewable resource to fuel your life and work.

ACTION

TODAY: When faced with a decision, ask, “what’s it for?” That simple question will start you on your way to making sure that all you do is aligned with your purpose.

2nd ACTION FOR TODAY: Please join Scott Perry and I as we chat about purpose, passion, and professional and personal growth during the Creative on Purpose Live streaming via Facebook. Simply click this link (https://www.facebook.com/CreativeOnPurpose/) at 1 pm EST and join the conversation, we welcome all your questions and comments. I look forward to seeing you there!

FUTURE: When faced with an action that may have important consequences, Perry suggests taking a second to pause and ask yourself: “What’s it for? What’s the real reason? Is it unselfish? Does it align with your values? Is it generous towards others?” Once you have pondered the answers you can determine if the results will be aligned with your personal or professional purpose, and then you can decide what’s next.

Know someone who could benefit from living and working with purpose? Please share this post with them via email, Facebook or Twitter, thank you!