I believe it now. I guess I "knew" it before. But believing always trumps knowing. It took me a while and, frankly, I'm a little embarrassed.
I kept peeling back the layers, looking for the core. I spent a long time hanging on the "culture" floor then a while with "passion" but they weren't where it was at.
Purpose is fuel, it is focus, it is a lens that changes how the world looks. It informs lives, products, companies... really any "thing" we do. Without it organizations are full of archers aiming at their own targets.
Purpose leaves a huge void when absent. It slowly rusts businesses and lives. It degrades energy to persistence and erodes love to tolerance.
Purposes joined can form a powerful river. Organizations and individuals that change the world have tapped into this raw power. The rest wait on the sides, held back by fear and probably some ignorance.
Realizing my own purpose statement has been incredibly powerful. Now I have a wall to throw ideas and opportunities against to see if they stick. What is that purpose statement? To orchestrate creativity.
For most of my life I have felt uncomfortable around religious believers. I never really understood how they could believe in something so intangible. But now I kind of get it. Even if I may not share their specific beliefs, I understand how believing in something abstract can be transformative. No doubt in my mind- purpose is king.\
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related note: about 6 months ago I attended a ThriveMap session put together by my business coach CJ McClanahan which included a worksheet that helped me reach my purpose statement. There is another ThriveMap session on June 29th. You can sign up here and I can't recommend it enough.