Purpose, a carrot or a stick!? #51 #cong22

Synopsis:

Coming soon

Total Words

682

Reading Time in Minutes

3

Key Takeaways:

Coming soon

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About Paddy Delaney:

I am a reformed Financial Advisor! Now spend my time trying to make a difference to both the Financial Services industry and also to individuals’ financial wellbeing. Do this through coaching, training and the (award winning!) Informed Decisions Blog & Podcast.

Contacting Paddy Delaney:

You can follow Paddy on Twitter or sign up for his blog/podcast.

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By Paddy Delaney

Through my work, I get to know some professionally successful individuals. Many of them will admit that their sense of purpose is firmly aligned to their professional accomplishments. They get respect and social status from their profession.

When they are asked ‘What do you do?’, they might proudly state that they are a pharmacist, engineer, executive manager, or ‘business owner’. Their role and successes from it quite often gives them purpose, and understandably so.

However, when they retire, they leave those roles. When they are now asked ‘What do you do?’, for some of them, it is a big adjustment and admission to reply that they are ‘retired’. They admit to feeling their sense of self has evaporated somewhat.

For many humans, our sense of purpose is closely linked to our chosen profession. I am no different. If I retired today, I’m not sure I’d be delighted to confess that I ‘used to run a business helping people to make better financial decisions, but now I look after the kids!’. It’s a painful admission, but it’s the truth for me right now.

In the 190,000 years that us humans have graced this fine planet, it is said that approximately 110 billion people have lived and died. Did every single one of those individuals live a life of purpose and meaning?

Perhaps they did! But I guess, it depends on what you mean by purpose! Does purpose mean that we live, survive, perhaps have some relationships, and then died? Is that a life lived with purpose?

Or does purpose mean that throughout our lives, we not only survived, but we thrived, and bettered the lives of others and the planet we live on?

I guess, that is the thing about ‘purpose’ – many of us (including yours truly) have been conditioned about what living a life of purpose should mean. It seems that it is no longer OK to just ‘be’. It has become the expectation to strive for a greater purpose.

When we are on our death-bed, will have deep regret if we can’t say that our lives were purposeful, and that we had a meaningful and positive impact on the world?! That is a high standard to meet, if so!

But perhaps having such a high bar is beneficial to us as individuals, our communities and society in general. If we have a defined and clear purpose of improving something within our control, surely that will be helpful?

Personally speaking, I tap-into purpose when I want to make a change or take on a large project. Striving to achieve that purpose is a fantastic carrot to pursue. Focusing on our purpose or our ‘why’, as Simon Sinek has made famous in the past decade, can be a great motivator.

My only reservation is that we don’t get so wrapped-up in that purpose that it creates a stick for our own backs! Life would be pretty tiring if we had to be purposeful in everything that we do, and always thinking about whether we are striving for ‘better’ all of the time.

Some of the greatest characters we meet in life are those that seem not too distracted by purpose or living a life of challenge and achievement. They seem content in simply ‘being’. Are they ‘free’ of purpose. Or perhaps their dedicated purpose is to live a life of fun, and put a smile on the faces of others! That too can be a tough act to maintain. Ultimately, like all things in life, purpose can be great, but lets do so in moderation!

December 14, 2022 2022 Purpose No comments yet

Purpose Pitfalls #50 #cong22

Synopsis:

Some things I try to keep in mind while working with a purpose.

Total Words

636

Reading Time in Minutes

3

Key Takeaways:

  1. Don’t get obsessed, keep space for other things in life
  2. Thing about the complex contexts we all operate in
  3. Try to find a group that shares your purpose
  4. It won’t be smooth sailing.

About Clare Dillon:

Clare Dillon has spent over 20 years working with developers and developer communities. Clare has been involved with InnerSource Commons since early 2019, and became Executive Director last year. InnerSource Commons focuses on creating a sharing resources to help developers do open collaboration inside their companies. Clare also works with OSPO++ to support the establishment of University and Government Open Source Program Offices and OSPOs++ globally, that can collaborate to implement public policy and trustworthy public services. Last year she co-founded Open Ireland Network to bring together people interested in advancing open source in Ireland.

Contacting Clare Dillon:

You can connect with Clare in LinkedIn.

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By Clare Dillon

So this year’s theme is about purpose. And yes, I absolutely agree that having a purpose is vital to happiness, health and vitality in life.

Since I started working with many volunteer communities in the open source ecosystem, I have had the pleasure of working with more purpose-ful people than ever before. Indeed, I have also had the pleasure of meeting so many people over the years at Congregation who inspire me with the purpose and meaning they have found in life. So, when I sat down to write this, I didn’t know what more I could add to why finding your purpose is worthwhile and valuable.

Instead, I started thinking about a few of the things I have tried to keep in my own mind as I found myself working with a purpose…

The Dangers of a Sole Purpose

We all know people whose sole purpose in life is to [insert meaningful purpose here]. Their efforts are worthy and worthwhile, and the world is hopefully a better place for their effort and focus. But sometimes, having a sole purpose can distract you from the other pleasures in life. And there are so many. Little bursts of joy and surprise that you can only find in aimless wanderings and exploring. I often find myself overwhelmed by how much there is to do, so it takes extra effort to keep space for the unexpected and unintentional.

Complex Contexts

Pure passion about a topic can sometimes be like a shining spotlight, putting things in high relief, making things seem black and white. But we’re usually all actually muddling around in the grey, without seeing many of the forces at play in any given situation. I’ve learned that no matter how clear your purpose burns within you – it is always worthwhile assuming things are not black and white and closely examining the context you and others are operating in. Listen to people who may seem set against your purpose, who may give different perspective. Understanding more and assuming less always helps.

Shared Purposes Are the Best

Nothing better than working in a team with a shared purpose! I don’t know how folks do it on their own. Collaboration helps gets things done – and it helps to have a shoulder to cry on when things don’t go well.

Speaking of which…

Lose the Battle, Win the War

It can be devasting to “lose” when you are purpose-led. The feelings of disappointment and failure when something goes wrong can be more devastating than when it’s just “the day job”. And not all battles can be won. So the final thought is – it’s ok to lose the battle, but we must all keep the hope alive that we will win the war.

November 24, 2022 2022 Purpose No comments yet

Prosperity in The Metaverse #51 #cong22

Synopsis:

How does prosperity look in The Metaverse

Total Words

576

Reading Time in Minutes

2

Key Takeaways:

  1. The Metaverse is already a huge economic force.
  2. Prosperity means different things in different cultures.
  3. The Metaverse is a sandbox to observe new behaviours.
  4. How will the new behaviours effect the real word?

About Eoghan Kidney:

I’m a creative director with a strong vertical in The Metaverse

Contacting Eoghan Kidney:

You can connect with Eoghan on Twitter

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By Eoghan Kidney

People ask me what VR is useful for apart from games and training. My usual answer would have been that there’s very few aspects of society that it won’t influence. This thought seems to have migrated to the current outlook associated with the metaverse – a term coined by Neal Stephenson in his influential novel Snowcrash and recently popularised by Mark Zuckerberg during his Meta rebranding efforts. Beyond the criticism of the latter’s recent pivot, the metaverse is a very real and powerful thing, existing not just inside the Meta Quest VR headset, but as a series of interconnected 3D virtual worlds built on gaming engines experienced concurrently by millions of users every day.
Fortnight, Roblox, Minecraft – these games are inhabited by what are now emerging as metaverse natives – Mark Zuckerberg knows this, and an increasingly aware list of corporations know this too – and they are busy positioning themselves to align with the potential profits that will emerge, readying their corporate purpose of economic prosperity to the metaverse.
However, the purpose of prosperity can be interpreted differently from culture to culture. In Buddhism, prosperity is viewed with an emphasis on collectivism and spirituality. This perspective can be at odds with capitalistic notions of prosperity, due to the latter’s association with greed. In Islam, prosperity is often tied to notions of piety and is therefore largely individualistic. Judaism has a long tradition of viewing prosperity as a communal responsibility. Christianity has a complex relationship to prosperity, with a long tradition of viewing it as a sign of God’s favour and a blessing to be shared with others. The metaverse is a powerful tool for religious groups to use in order to express their beliefs about prosperity.
Through their avatars and in the virtual spaces they create in the metaverse, religious groups can offer resources and advice to other avatars in order to help them achieve this prosperity. In Second Life, the Prosperity Project is a group of avatars who offer free resources and advice to other avatars in the game. The project is inspired by Buddhist beliefs about the importance of sharing resources and helping others to achieve prosperity. In World of Warcraft, there is a quest called “The Blessing of Wealth” which requires players to collect a number of items and then offer them up to a deity in exchange for prosperity. This quest is inspired by similar quests found in many real-world religions, such as the Jewish tradition of tzedakah (charity). In Eve Online, there is a virtual item called “The Prosperity Token” which can be traded between players. This item is inspired by the Islamic tradition of giving charity (zakat).
As we see more economic ecosystems emerge in the metaverse, it will be interesting to see how different groups attempt to engage with and influence these systems. The purpose of an organisation inside the metaverse might be a little different than outside.
November 24, 2022 2022 Purpose No comments yet

Purpose – with a lower-case p. #49 #cong22

Synopsis:

It’s ok to be useful instead of grandiose. Your purpose doesn’t have to be big or fancy, it can be the small everyday things that make someone’s life a little bit better. Don’t get paralysed by the need to be perfect, strive for excellence instead. If you’re not sure what your purpose is, ask someone who knows you well. They might have some insight that you don’t.

Total Words

717

Reading Time in Minutes

3

Key Takeaways:

  1. Your purpose doesn’t have to be big or grandiose, it can be the small everyday things that make someone’s life a little bit better.
  2. Don’t get paralysed by the need to be perfect, strive for excellence instead.
  3. It’s ok to be usefully ornamental!
  4. If you’re not sure what your purpose is, ask someone who knows you well. They might have some insight that you don’t.

About Aileen Howell:

Aileen describes herself as a mum of 4, a dedicated Geek girl, a Breastfeeding Advocate, an Aspie & ADHD mum, and a Maker of Things.

Aileen was the founder and managing director of bumpbasics.com, Ireland’s first exclusively online maternity wear start-up. Before her start-up days, she was a software engineer working in the finance sector. These days she is a director with a uniform (school & industry) supplier and a full time La Leche League Leader – a voluntary position in the area of mother-to-mother breastfeeding support.

Contacting Aileen Howell:

You can contact Aileen by email

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By Aileen Howell

One of my late grandmother’s favourite putdowns was “You’re neither use nor ornament” – this usually said in exasperation as we dodged about underfoot hoping that a freshly baked bun or slice of apple tart might happen our way. The inference being, of course, that if you weren’t decorative or helpful then you had no business being there. So, I perhaps I have internalised that belief and, as someone who’s not inclined towards being ornamental, over the years it has been my preference to be useful. It has become the running joke amongst my siblings that if there are a couple of us in the room with our mother, she will ask me to change lightbulbs, put on a wash, fix the TV remote or put out the bird food. In my extended family and friends circle I would be seen as the one to go to for help, the babysitter, the picker-upper, the errand runner. These things all bring me a sense of satisfaction, fulfil a need in me to indeed be useful.

I sometimes wonder, especially as I get older, if this serves as my purpose or if it’s a way of avoiding looking for and finding my “real” purpose. When I was younger, I never felt the need to search for a purpose. I didn’t need to climb mountains, swim oceans, run marathons or seek fame. I never “set off with a sense of purpose” to conquer the future.

The Berkeley Greater Good Science Magazine described purpose as: an abiding intention to achieve a long-term goal that is both personally meaningful and makes a positive mark on the world. Somehow this feels like it should be something bigger any more important than giving someone’s dog a lift to the vet or doing a relative’s shopping. That when people talk about purpose they really mean “Purpose” with a capital P – but what if that’s not for everyone. What if, for many of us, our purpose is to support those whose purpose does have a capital P.

A few years ago, I read Brene Brown’s book “The Gifts of Imperfection” and in it she talks about the difference between perfectionism and striving for excellence. For me, this was a light bulb moment. I realised that for years I had been paralysing myself with the need to be perfect and that, in fact, what I really needed to do was to strive for excellence instead. I didn’t need to be perfect to be useful.

So, if you’re like me and searching for your purpose, don’t forget to look for the small things, the everyday things that you can do to make someone’s life a little bit better. It might not be what you had in mind but trust me, it’s enough.

November 24, 2022 2022 Purpose No comments yet

The End of Purpose: How AI Is Making Us Rethink What It Means to Be Human #47 #cong22

Synopsis:

In recent years, AI has been increasingly presented as a threatening technology, with doomsayers talking about how it will destroy jobs, and make us obsolete. One of the key ways in which AI is said to be making us obsolete is by taking away our purpose. Once machines can do everything we can do, and do it better, faster and cheaper, what will be left for us to do? What will be our purpose?

Total Words

999

Reading Time in Minutes

4

Key Takeaways:

  1. The idea that we need to have a purpose is relatively recent
  2. The view that our worth as human beings is somehow tied up in what we do is a product of the Enlightenment
  3. AI is making us rethink what it means to be human
  4. AI is not making us obsolete, it is making us rethink our purpose

About Stephen Howell:

Stephen Howell is a geek dad of 4 neurodiverse kids. He is an advocate for ADHD and ASD awareness. Career wise, he is public speaker on cloud technologies. He has worked for companies like IBM, DCU, TU Dublin, and Microsoft. He is currently working on his PhD thesis on Inclusive Design & Creative Technology Innovation.

Contacting Stephen Howell:

You can contact Stephen by email.

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By Stephen Howell

I sat the Leaving Certificate in 1994, and while I had a career guidance councillor in the school, I don’t recall ever discussing, or thinking about the future in terms of purpose. Instead, we focused not on what course at university we might enjoy but what course would lead to a profession with jobs. As a child of the 80’s, future employment prospects were paramount. Woe betide the student who studied something just because they were good at it, or thought they might like it.

I have never been a planner, or someone who envisioned a particular future. I was good at coding, albeit self-taught, and I set up a computer club, so it was not unreasonable that I would study computer science. I did not think coding or a career in tech was my purpose. I took a parttime job teaching coding to first year students in Ballymun Comprehensive. I did not think teaching was my purpose. I just went along with whatever opportunity presented itself.

Coding and teaching ended up being all I’ve really done professionally since 1994. I graduated in 1998, went into a series of coding jobs. Then I started lecturing on coding, part time at first and eventually fulltime, and at no point did I think ‘this is my purpose, I am meant to code, or teach, and ideally teach coding’.

I just did what I enjoyed, and what I was good at. If there was a steady stream of interesting work, I would do it. I never worried that I would never find my purpose, or that my lack of purpose would somehow make me less human.

In recent years, AI has been increasingly presented as a threatening technology, with doomsayers talking about how it will destroy jobs, and make us obsolete. One of the key ways in which AI is said to be making us obsolete is by taking away our purpose. Once machines can do everything we can do, and do it better, faster and cheaper, what will be left for us to do? What will be our purpose?

The funny thing is, I’ve never worried about AI taking away my purpose. I don’t think of coding, or teaching, as my purpose. They are just things I enjoy doing, and am good at. If AI can do those things better than me, then so be it. I’ll find something else to do.

The idea that we need to have a purpose, that our worth as human beings is somehow tied up in what we do, is a relatively recent phenomenon. It is only in the last few hundred years that we have started to think of ourselves as beings with a specific purpose.

The ancient Greeks did not think of themselves as having a purpose. They thought of themselves as part of a larger whole, of being a small piece in the puzzle of the cosmos. The medieval Christians did not think of themselves as having a purpose. They thought of themselves as part of God’s plan, which might be unknowable to them. It was only with the rise of the Enlightenment, and the individualism that came with it, that the idea of the individual with a specific purpose began to take hold.

The Enlightenment view of the world was that it was knowable, and that humans could understand it if they used their reason. This view led to the belief that humans could, and should, control their own destiny. If the world was knowable, and if humans could understand it, then surely they could find a way to make it better.

This view of the world led to the belief that humans should have a specific purpose. We should not just drift through life, going with the flow, but should have a plan, a goal, a reason for being.

This view of the world has led to a lot of good. It has led to the development of science, and the belief that we can understand and control the world we live in. It has led to the belief that we can make the world a better place.

But it has also led to a lot of bad. It has led to the belief that those who do not have a specific purpose are somehow inferior, that they are not fully human. It has led to the belief that our worth as human beings is somehow tied up in what we do.

AI is making us rethink what it means to be human. It is making us rethink our purpose. AI is not making us obsolete. It is making us rethink what it means to be human.

November 24, 2022 2022 Purpose No comments yet

Finding and Losing Purposes and How That’s Ok #48 #cong22

Synopsis:

Some thoughts on where purpose comes from, how it might not be fixed through your life, and about limitations and the liberation of accepting them

Total Words

761

Reading Time in Minutes

3

Key Takeaways:

  1. Better to have more than one purpose
  2. Your body is not just a means to the end of your purpose
  3. Purposes come and go
  4. It can be liberating not to achieve a purpose

About Iain Morrow:

I run a small software company in the West of Ireland – Europe’s most westerly fintech company, as far as I know :).

I moved to Ireland in 2015 and built a house on Clifden Bay with my wife and (now) 3 kids.

Contacting Iain Morrow:

You can contact Iain by email

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By Iain Morrow

When I started to write this. I thought I would end up by writing down what my life’s purpose was. But that turned out to be too difficult, for reasons that surprised me.

First of all – why is there only one life purpose? Or even, why is there only one at a time? Having a single purpose for a whole life seems very narrow. Maybe if you define that purpose as something very general like “helping people” or “living a good life”, it might work. But that doesn’t help you day to day. Nobody wakes up and thinks “Right, I need to go and live a good life today”. So there have to be more specific purposes that might change day to day, depending on which role you have to play most that day, and how you are feeling.
Which led on to the second thought, which was that when people talk about purpose, it’s often like they’re talking about the destination of a journey. Like they are driving their vehicle – their body – towards this destination. But the vehicle is passive in this analogy. It’s just a means to an end, and doesn’t influence that end.
Is life really like that? We all live in bodies, and it’s strange to think that they don’t shape our purposes in some ways. At one level, they might limit the purposes we can aspire to. People talk about overcoming the limits of the body – or “the flesh” if they want to be dismissive. And young, idealistic, people, who live in a body that feels like it is limitless and immortal, might get away with thinking like that. But for those of us who are a bit older, and feeling our mortality and the finiteness of time, that doesn’t work. My 20-year old self would see this as the typical sell-out attitude of old people, but it’s reality. In fact, as one of this year’s popular books pointed out, we really don’t have much time at all (4,000 weeks – https://www.theguardian.com/books/2021/aug/16/four-thousand-weeks-time-and-how-to-use-it-by-oliver-burkeman-review).

But that’s not the most interesting shaping that goes on. A purpose is something that you would feel good about achieving, that makes you feel happy to think about doing. Unless you believe that feelings are purely from your spirit (if you even believe in a spirit or soul) then feelings must come – to some extent – from the body.
And if the body changes, then, as we move through life, don’t the feelings change? And wouldn’t that change your purposes? Put another way, if you were in a different body, would you have different purposes?

So, purpose is a changing thing, and your purpose today might not be your purpose tomorrow, or next year. You have to abandon old ones, sometimes. That might be because they are impossible, or no longer desirable – at least for you. And this implies not tying your sense of self entirely to one purpose. That’s setting yourself up for disaster. Even if you do everything right, you might not achieve your objective. Sometimes you’re just unlucky. Poker players have always known this, and as this book (https://www.annieduke.com/thinking-in-bets/) argues, it’s important to “..disconnect the outcomes of a decision from the quality of that decision…”. In other words, you can make the best choices, and still not get what you deserve.

This could all come across as negative, abandoning a life’s purpose, and acknowledging our limited ability to do anything. But actually, it feels freeing. Not being constrained by picking a purpose and having to stick to it forever. Not being destroyed when it stays out of reach. It’s still good to have a reason to get out of bed, but it is only a temporary guide.

November 24, 2022 2022 Purpose No comments yet

I have no idea where I am going… #46 #cong22

Synopsis:

Our purpose includes the joy of finding a nugget that could solve a problem or the frustration that it then didn’t work. Or, it could be, simpler joys akin to finding a fiver in your pocket. So, I say that I still don’t know where I am going; how many of us really do?, but read the post to see a bit more.
But I believe that our purpose in life is

Total Words

797

Reading Time in Minutes

3

Key Takeaways:

  1. Always rely on what you already know when making your way through life

  2. Always learn new things to replace or upgrade what you already know when making your way through life

  3. Never believe that your destination is your purpose

  4. Never lose sight of the joy in the journey

About Alan Tyrrell:

Alan Tyrrell – at work I’m a collaborator, a problem solver in corporate reputation, corporate purpose, vision, mission, values, and behaviours, and various other things. Outside of that, I’m still looking…read my post!

Contacting Alan Tyrrell:

You can contact Alan by email.

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By Alan Tyrrell

When I saw the theme for this year’s #Cong22, I was immediately enthused. ‘Made for me’, I thought.

I set about writing a piece on corporate purpose based on what I already knew from my work in helping clients with their corporate purpose, vision, mission, values, and behaviours. With lots of experience, I reckoned an informed piece on this topic would fit the bill.

But, as I researched, explored https://congregation.ie/ booklist, and read posts from fellow Congregationists, I realised that corporate purpose just wouldn’t cut it.

I started afresh on a new approach.

I really like music – though can’t hold a note, and looked into songs with Purpose in the name on Spotify. I reckoned a clever playlist would carry multiple messages and be a little different. I learned that there’s actually an artist called ‘Purpose’. He has 900 followers but every song fails the explicit content filter. So, no go.

Then I read some more, thought some more, gnashed my teeth.

I stumbled on some poetry. Number 72 from Palgrave’s Golden Treasury (expanded edt.). It’s very good. On topic, and I reckoned it could play a role. Alas, plagiarism ain’t my style, not to mention that I owed @eoin kennedy much more than a copycat piece. So, I was lost again.

This time, a full reboot. Grabbed the dictionary and looked up ‘purpose’. And also ‘purposeless’. Well worth doing. Just don’t read the N section of the dictionary – its full of next to nothing.

It did though point me in a direction. Back to home turf of corporate purpose. I took out Friedman’s keynote advising that the sole responsibility (or purpose) of business is to make profits. An interesting take but obviously only one facet of the reason for being for corporations. Then I went to Joan Margetta and ‘Understanding Michael Porter’. Understanding a behemoth like him had to be good for a piece on purpose. It turns out, it’s one of the best books on strategy I’ve read in a long time. It highlights the real tests of competitive advantage and why lofty statements about being ‘The best…’ at this or that, really do not make for a strategy.

Still unhappy and with my destination in mind, I went back to the well. And then my pursuit hit a spot of luck or divine guidance (you choose which). I fell into Rollo May’s ‘Man’s search for himself’. It opens by describing this modern age of anxiety and the listlessness and boredom felt by so many. [Note: check the publication date, this is not a ‘great resignation’ or ‘quiet quitting’ moment in time.]. And there, on page 67, he nails it when he says that “Joy, rather than happiness, is the goal of life, for joy is the emotion which accompanies our fulfilling our nature as human beings….”

When I reflected on that line, and my journey to write a short piece for #Cong22, I discovered a journey where I had known what I knew but also learned new things – songs, poets, strategists, prayers, and more. I realised too that joy had been my companion on the journey – the joy of finding a nugget that could work, but the frustration that it then didn’t work. Or simpler joys akin to finding a fiver in your pocket. So, yes, in one way, I still don’t know where I am going; how many of us really do?

But I believe that our purpose in life is to keep going; keep learning, keep looking; keep sharing; keep being.

That’s my take on ‘Purpose’ for #Cong22. Hope you enjoyed it. And looking forward to an epic event.

November 24, 2022 2022 Purpose No comments yet

I’ve found my special Purpose! #45 #cong22

Synopsis:

The search for purpose is difficult, convoluted and complicated – but oh, so worth it.

Total Words

821

Reading Time in Minutes

3

Key Takeaways:

  1. Ask questions of others and yourself

  2. Seek answers of others and yourself

  3. Live, laugh and love

  4. I have purpose

About Chris Reina:

Chris Reina has been involved in education since 2002, technology since 1981 and Making since 1971. (You do the maths). He is part of MakerMeet.ie – who deliver Maker-led, project-based S.T.E.A.M. workshops nationwide to primary, secondary, third-level and other institutions.

He feels passionately that education is the most important thing in the world and that teaching using Maker skills is the most rewarding job there is.

Chris loves cats, kayaking, kite-flying, steampunk, pedantic semantics and knowing the meanings of ligatures, aglets, gallibanders and lexiphanic.

Contacting Chris Reina:

You can connect with Chris on Twitter or send him an email.

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By Chris Reina

(Yes – the title is a nod to Steve Martin.)

As always when writing for Cong (or other conferences/subjects) I always return to trying to answer the 6 questions my mother gave me when I was young (and pleasingly – students are still being taught):

Who? What? How? Why? When? Where?

Purpose can be divided into many categories – self, life, others, need, passions, conscience, etc… but I think most struggle with the first as it’s the most difficult – their own purpose. It is a difficult question – one philosophers have been seeking the answer to for millennia (for themselves and others!)

I suspect most of us travel through life either:
1) Trying to find our Purpose
2) Convincing ourselves we have found our Purpose
or…
3) Not bothering to look for our Purpose

Point 1 – This is such a huge and bewildering thing – and sometimes even the task of just looking can be incredibly daunting. I mean – how do we know what to look for? Will it happen gradually, or suddenly hit like a bolt of lightning? What if we never find it? What happens if we think we find it and it’s wrong? Welcome to my life yet again Existential Dread – it’s good to have you back. Could we maybe talk less this time…?

Point 2 – I think some of us convince ourselves we have found it… in order to not have to look further. Perhaps this comes from a desire to please others or just a weariness that comes from life pushing us down and we need a, well… purpose. Once we think we’ve found it – we can stop looking and ignore it. This may stray into becoming a dangerous path of lying to ourselves.

Point 3 – Not looking for our purpose I feel is incredibly sad. Mostly because I firmly believe we all have something to offer the world we inhabit and move through… unfortunately – if we are taught to not question and just exist – to be seen and not heard – we often don’t believe we have value and lose the will to seek answers to our questions or even the desire to ask the questions in the first instance.

So – where does that leave us? For you… I don’t know. For me, I do. I’ve done many jobs in my lifetime, some better than others (of course). Some enjoyable, others not. Some I thought were right for me (and who knows – at the time, perhaps they were).

I’ve done bad things in my life – some really horrible I regret (they haven’t found the bodies) – other times, I did good. Mostly, I tried, sometimes I succeeded, sometimes I didn’t.

Therefore – is our purpose defined by who we are, or what we do, or even why/how/when/where we do things? Is it defined by the money we make, the character we present, our wishes, dreams, hopes and desires…? Probably. Or not. Again, I don’t have that answer for you… just for me.

I’ve lived on this planet for 53 years. Done the work and the play. Loved, laughed and lost. Helped and hurt. Drank the wine, ate the food (sometimes too much). I didn’t really manipulate my life to get where I am. I’ve pushed, committed and worked hard – but mostly I’ve been lucky. But, I AM here now – and happy.

I love my loved ones (you know who you are), I am fulfilled and passionate (maybe too much) about my work. (See bio) I tend to get sad more than angry and happy more than joyous – but I think I’m moving toward balance.

For me – I have my purpose – may you find yours – and if my words can help in any way, they are yours for the asking. I’m still seeking answers and asking those 6 questions of myself and all around me – thanks mum.

November 24, 2022 2022 Purpose No comments yet

Purpose and the Lady #44 #cong22

Synopsis:

What is your vocation? We often think of vocations as being something that only religious people or those in certain professions have. However, everyone can have a vocation, or a sense of purpose in their life. This might be something as simple as being a good friend, or being there for people when they need you. It could be about being honest and fair, or being a good role model. Whatever it is, try to have a sense of purpose in your life and do it with intention and compassion.

Total Words

1,284

Reading Time in Minutes

5

Key Takeaways:

  1. Try to have a sense of purpose in your life, no matter what form that may take.

  2. You don’t need to have a “noble” profession to make a difference.

  3. You can make a difference in your family, your community, and your workplace.

  4. Do it with intention and compassion.

About Maria Campbell:

Maria Campbell is a Mentor and Coach with a background in economic development. She is passionate about helping others to make a difference in their communities and make a positive impact in the world.

Contacting Maria Campbell:

You can contact Maria by email

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By Maria Campbell

When I was a girl, in a small but respectable school in the midlands, the avenues for life and careers were reasonably limited. If you weren’t marrying a farmer (preferably with good road frontage) or seducing one of those rare civil servants (it was never clear what civil servants did, but the money was apparently good) then it was nursing or teaching.

Becoming a nurse assumed you were willing to clean up gross bodily fluids, which I most certainly was not. Primary school teaching was for those students who were good at Irish, and tá brón orm, but that was out too.

So, the fallback was ‘domestic science’. How to bake a sponge, sew on a button and entertain your future husband’s boss (and his wife) for dinner. The implicit in all of this was that your future husband would, in fact, have a job. One that required entertaining. And also, that you would never, ever ‘work’. Work was for men, and the unfortunate women who had no choice. But not for girls like me.

Career guidance, or even the idea of carving out a different path, seems to have been very much a boy topic. The local lads (who had matured enough not to be banking on a career playing soccer for Man. United) would muse about studying accountancy or law in university. Universities were all hours away, and expensive. I recall one friend in the convent secondary school who was brilliant at maths. She expressed an interest in studying engineering in Galway, and the teacher suggested she consider courses more suited to women, like teaching maths perhaps. The teacher was a nun, and mostly harmless, but may have had difficulty imagining a female engineer.

The notion that there might be a job for me in Dublin, or even Cork, was laughable. My options were to marry well or teach in a school in the locality. Teaching was all very well and good, but the money was awful. So, to be honest, I had no real career plan. I’m not even sure what I did with my Leaving Cert. I know I passed, but I can’t recall what grades I got.

Vocation, or the pursuit of a career and life with a particular noble purpose, is something that seems to have been claimed by the religious clergy, (and to a lesser extent, the medical and teaching professions). I want to argue that any life be lived with purpose, and that no matter how humble your career, it can have significant positive impact on others.

Traditionally, the religious orders and the priests were expected to live a life of chastity and poverty. The former was to stop them from fathering illegitimate children and getting women into trouble. The latter was to ensure they would not be corrupted by material wealth. Interestingly, the churches have been very good at owning vast amounts of property and wealth, but that is a topic for another day. Sadly, I have failed at chastity, and would very much like to fail at impoverishment, so the religious life is out for me.

To be a good teacher, you need to care about your students, value and respect them as young people, and want to ensure they get the best possible education. A good teacher will do this whether they are religious or not. In my experience, the best teachers are the ones who are passionate and enthusiastic about their subject, and who genuinely believe that education can and will make a difference in their students’ lives. These teachers have a vocation.

What about those of us who are not religious, and not teachers (or doctors), can we live a life of purpose? Many people choose careers that they believe will make a difference in the world. Social workers, aid workers, environmentalists, and human rights lawyers are all people who have chosen to dedicate their lives to helping others and making the world a better place. These people have a vocation.

But you don’t need to have a “noble” profession to make a difference. You can make a difference in your family, your community, and your workplace. You can make a difference by being a good friend, and by being there for people when they need you. You can make a difference by being honest and fair in your dealings with others, and by being kind. You can make a difference by being a good citizen, and by voting, and by paying your taxes. You can make a difference by being a good neighbour, and by looking out for people who are vulnerable. You can make a difference by being a good role model.

For me, most people who me, a middle-aged woman with an Irish country accent, would never guess the career I’ve had and the purpose that has driven me. When I tell them of my career in the Irish public sector, in the area of economic development, they are usually surprised. I don’t think they had me pegged as a “career woman”. Which is fine. I’m not a career woman. I’m a woman with a career.

I chose my career because I wanted to make a difference. I wanted to help create jobs and improve the lives of people in my community. I wanted to make a difference in my own life, and the lives of my family and friends. I wanted to use my skills and abilities to make a difference in the world. And I’ve been very lucky that I’ve been able to do that.

I think it is important to have a sense of purpose in your life, whatever form that may take. For me, it is about using my skills and experience to help others, and making a difference in the world. What is yours? I now mentor other women who want to have an impact in their communities and make a difference in the world.

You don’t need to have a “noble” profession to make a difference. You can make a difference in your family, your community, and your workplace. You can make a difference by being a good friend, and by being there for people when they need you. You can make a difference by being honest and fair.

So, whatever you do in life, do it with purpose. Do it with intention. Do it with passion. Do it with compassion. Do it with kindness. Do it with respect. And do it with love.

November 24, 2022 2022 Purpose No comments yet

The Purpose of Learning #43 #cong22

Synopsis:

When we talk about learning we often refer to the narrow confines of the formal learning that we undertake in the school or college setting but, learning happens along a continuum that doesn’t start when we start school for the first time or end when we leave school or college. Instead, we are always learning whether to enable us to complete a task, to upskill for work or simply to expand our interests.

Total Words

882

Reading Time in Minutes

4

Key Takeaways:

  1. How do you define your learning?

  2. How do you learn informally?

  3. What has been your most powerful learning experience?

  4. The answers to above questions might help you to clarify what the purpose of learning is for you?

About Pamela O'Brien:

Pam O Brien is a lecturer in the Technological University of the Shannon. She is currently undertaking doctoral research in the area of informal learning through University College Dublin and also works on research projects across primary, secondary and third level education in the areas of digital citizenship, computer science education and the integration of technology in the classroom.

Contacting Pamela O'Brien:

You can connect with Pam  on Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn @

 

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By Pam O’Brien

When we talk about learning we are often referring to the formal learning that we have all gone through i.e., the learning that happens in the primary or secondary school classrooms or the college lecture halls that we have been in. For many people this type of learning was a positive experience where they followed a specific set of rules and performed well in the tests and examinations that punctuated their time in school and culminated in sitting the Leaving Cert.

But, for many others the process has left indelible marks that follow them as they navigate life after the Leaving Cert. As the start of the Leaving Cert draws nearer every year the talk in the media, both social and traditional, inevitably turns to how best to ‘get through’ this set of examinations that marks the end of your formal education as a child. Regardless of what happens after school, the Leaving Cert still weighs heavily on many students, while they are going through it and for many years after. The purpose of all of the learning that we have undertaken in the run up to these exams seems to distil down to how we perform in those exams and the points that we achieve. But we all know people who don’t perform well in these types of situations. The people who don’t work well under pressure but who achieve great things when given the time and space to flourish. The people who don’t see the point in learning off information, just to spew it back verbatim to score highly on an exam, but who bring a different approach when asked to come up with creative solutions to problems. The people who won’t go to college after school, for a multitude of reasons, but who still get caught up in the points race. At the end of secondary school, despite all the learning that students have undertaken, both through the taught curriculum and through the extracurricular activities and learning that they undertake. they get reduced to a number! A number that often dictates the way that the student sees themselves as well as the way that others see them.

So, what is the real purpose of learning? Is it helping a baby to communicate with their family, a toddler to take the first shaky steps that signifies the beginning of independence, a child to make friends and thrive socially, that same child to think creatively and develop good problem-solving skills, the adult who needs to complete a specific task? The truth is that learning is all of these things and it happens all of the time, often without us even knowing. As parents, we are very conscious of helping our children to develop to be able to partake in society in a meaningful way but we don’t do this formally. As educators, we are aware of helping our students to develop socially as well as academically but again this is often undertaken informally in the school environment. As managers, we are responsible for helping our staff members to develop their skills to enable them to contribute more fully in our workplace. This can happen through formal organised training events or through more informal activities such as mentoring etc. So, when we talk about learning maybe we need to broaden the lens through which we look at it and recognise that the purpose of learning is not confined to completing the Leaving Certificate and achieving the 625 points that now seems to be the gold standard against which everyone is measured. Learning does not start when we walk in the primary school classroom door and end when we walk out of the second level classroom or third level lecture hall. Learning happens all the time, from the day we are born to the day we die, and the true purpose of learning is to allow us to function fully in society, which will mean different things for different people. Somewhere along the way we may have lost sight of that point …

November 23, 2022 2022 Purpose No comments yet