#4 How do you find your purpose?

Alright folks, we are trying now to keep both feet on solid ground like our resilient friends but just standing around won't get the job done, especially in tough seasons. We need a reason to keep pushing forward, especially when the going gets tough. And that's where purpose comes in - it's like the fuel that keeps our engines running. For many, family provides the horsepower. Looking after our little ones gives strength to lift whole mountains! But your purpose can be more modest. No matter the size, having a strong sense of purpose is like carrying a reliable compass that guides us through the fog of uncertainty.

Take Viktor E. Frankl, for example, a survivor of the Auschwitz concentration camp. He imagined himself giving a lecture after the war on the psychology of the camp, and that gave him a reason to fight for his life. He survived, wrote a beautiful "Man's Search for Meaning," and founded Logotherapy, a therapy that's all about finding meaning in life.

Diane Coutu notes successful folks and groups largely share a solid foundation - values. The Catholic church stands over two millennia as proof! That's partly because they've got a rock-solid set of values to steer by. For organisations, having strong values might just be more important for resilience than having a bunch of tough cookies on board.

But here's the thing, our purposes and values can be questionable, and still, we can be resilient. Resilience is all about survival, not being a good person. So, we shouldn't get confused between the two. You can meet resilient angels but also resilient devils.

So, what's your purpose? What gets you up every day and keeps you going? What are your values? It's time to reflect, my friend!

On the picture: Frankl mountain climbing in the Alps, 1960.

Sources:

Harvard Business Review, Goleman D., Sonnenfeld J.A., Achor S. -Resilience (HBR Emotional Intelligence Series), Harvard Business Review Press, Boston, 2017. Frankl V. - Man's Search for Meaning. Rider, 2011.