2010 – the year of ‘your one thing’

Posted: January 5th, 2010 | Filed under: insights, life purpose | Tags: personal mastery | No Comments »

2009 was a tough year.  I was made redundant and haven’t secured full-time paid employment yet.  Despite appearing negative, all times of change are an opportunity for growth and I, like a great many others have been reassessing how to make a living.

Recently I came across the story of R. Buckminster Fuller, the inventor of the geodesic dome, inventor of the word “synergy”, and general modern-day Renaissance Man.  In 1927 He was facing tough times; really tough times; a daughter dead at four, five businesses failed, bankruptcy was imminent and his wife had just given birth.  He had decided he couldn’t take it any more and went to the shores of Lake Michigan to drown himself.  Before doing so he sat on the bank and asked himself a question: was there a God, a greater intelligence operating in the Universe?  Yes, he decided, on the basis of “the exquisite design of everything, from the microcosm of atoms to the macromagnitudes of the galaxies”.

Given there must be a God, some form of higher intelligence, he then asked “Do I know best or does God know best whether I may be of any value to the universe?” He concluded that his very existence meant that he had some purpose in life, some value to bring.  But what?  He asked a third question:

“What does my experience tell me needs to be attended to, which if attended to completely will bring advantage to all humanity, and which if left unattended can very readily have all of humanity in great trouble?”

He didn’t drown himself that day, instead he decided to dedicate his life to answering that question; to focusing all of his energies on his one thing that would change the world for the better.

Nearly 50 years later R. Buckminster Fuller had earned the description of ‘a twentieth-century DaVinci’, and it was estimated that one-quarter of a billion people had come into contact with some aspect of his work.

This story brought home to me again the vital importance of discovering and living your purpose in life – ‘your one thing’.  Everyone has a purpose, a unique contribution to the world.  We are all utterly unique, and what also makes us unique also mean that we can all have our own individual profound impact on the world that enriches it every day.  There are three jobs we all have in life: 1. Find your unique purpose 2. Live it every day 3. Enrich the world with your unique talents.

Your life purpose is the reason why you are here in the world.  It’s the impact that the uniqueness that is you can have on the world.  Your life purpose is ongoing and a way of being.  Your life purpose informs every area of your life.  It gives you direction. Because your life purpose is unique to you, it is your source of power.

There are as many different types of life purpose as there are definitions of success.  Some people’s purpose will be centred on the achievement of something physical – winning, buying or building something – which in effect amounts to having.  Others will be centred on their work, project or career – or what they are doing.  Our prime or first purpose, however, is always who we are being. It is who we are being that leads to achieving our life purpose. Your life purpose may not be directly centred on your work but you can always be passionate about your work because it is a vehicle to help you live your life purpose.

Finding your life purpose is about finding the answer to a simple, yet powerful question:
What is the one way of your being that makes you special, that you will be known for, and will be the legacy you leave?

2009 personally was a tough year but I have realised that the way to thrive in 2010 is by adding my unique value to the world in all aspects for my life – my career, family, relationships everything.  My unique purpose is my source of value and power.  And what is it?

My life purpose is to enrich the world by empowering its creativity.  I help create personal and business change for creative people.  I do this as a personal mentor and communications strategist. As a personal mentor I help people to create balance in their lives and achieve their dreams. As a strategist I inspire creativity that generates business results.

I intend to make 2010 the ‘year of my one thing’.  What is your unique contribution to the world and how will that manifest itself in 2010?