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motivation Purpose

The power of purpose

If the last few months have taught us anything, it is that life is precious and fragile. We are fragile! Someone can look healthy one day, and two weeks later, they could be gone due to a tiny virus. This life is temporary.

Purpose prods us on to excellence. If all we have to work for is temporary gain, it won’t motivate us very far. Belonging to a higher purpose will keep us going when we face difficulty.

We are more than the economy. We are more than short-term gains. I encourage you to find your purpose. Strive to belong to something that is greater and more permanent that will outlast all of us. Be a person of faith and watch what is left of your life become excellent.

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motivation

How will businesses survive this pandemic?

I have learned much from my wife over the years. One of the key takeaways I have seen in her that deep meaning and purpose is a powerful motivator. I have seen it in her recent decision to resign from a great position and to pursue what she feels is next in her life.

She certainly didn’t do it for the money. There was no lucrative position waiting for her. She did it because she feels she is being called to a higher purpose. We are still working on what that looks like. Yet, I am confident she will find her next step and help many women that have seen their lives turned upside down during the coronavirus lockdown.

Working With a Purpose

This current environment has had a deep impact on businesses. We won’t fully know the impact for months to come. One effect will be is that businesses that have lost their purpose years ago will most likely die. After all, it is going to take an extreme effort to restart many businesses. If the only reason it existed before March of 2020 was to make a profit, it may not be enough of a motivator to get it running again.

Just existing for profit will not be enough to resuscitate many businesses. Mission statements will become more than just something the leadership pays lip service to. Businesses will need a mission to continue through the challenging times that are ahead. We will all need a purpose that is more than just going through the motions of profit. Because profit may not come easily. It may take time and patience to become profitable once again.

So what is the purpose of your business?

Categories
motivation productivity

Working Hard or Hardly Working

I used to believe that hard work was the only thing that makes a person or business prosper. While I believe it is still key, I have observed that hard work is only part of the formula.

Hard work can only get a person so far if they are not kind and empathetic towards coworkers and clients. A person can do superior work, but nobody wants to do business with them because they are a bear to be around. Our emotional intelligence, or EQ, is as important as our IQ.

Hard work doesn’t mean much if a person is working hard at the wrong things. Anyone can work hard at digging a hole, but is the hole good for anything? Does it have a purpose? Is the action in line with the company’s goals?

Hard, good work is essential. It is the fuel that powers creation. It creates value. But hard work without vital relationships and purposeful focus is like the Myth of Sisyphus. A person can roll that boulder up a hill, only to see it roll down and repeat the action.

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Sermon Notes Sketch notes

He Holds the Future | Sketch Notes

On Sunday, April 30, Pastor Nathanael Lyon (Twitter: @nolyon) preached on Because He Lives, He Holds the Future.  at Salem Church of God. Here are my sketch notes from his sermon.

My big takeaway was purpose must be connected with love. He did a great job combining the spiritual gifts chapter of 1 Corinthians 12 with the love chapter of 1 Corintians 13. The hinge of the two chapters is found in 1 Corintians 12:31
Now eagerly desire the greater gifts. And yet I will show you the most excellent way.
1 Corintians 12:31 (NIV)

Sermon Notes
Copyright ©2017 Kevin Spear. | Sermon Copyrighted ©2017 Nathanael Lyon

Thank you, Pastor Lyon, for Sunday’s sermon!

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motivation

Second thoughts are inevitable. Know your Why!

Three boys are posing. The second one has a "messy middle" sign. The third boy thinks, "Why?"Sooner or later, you will have second thoughts about an action. Maybe things aren’t going as smoothly as you hoped. Maybe the excitement of a new idea wears out and the hard work continues.