In
my previous post on resilience, I noted the importance of purpose in empowering
anyone to successfully emerge from any change. Purpose gives us power to
“focus beyond our immediate circumstances or feelings.” The good news is that purpose not only calls us
outside of our immediate context, but there are habits that can improve our
ability to stay in the path of purpose. One of those habits is that of
self-reflection.
We are in danger of wasting our change, if don’t give ourselves space to reflect on how the change is impacting us personally.
This
doesn’t require going on a two-day private retreat in the woods, but can simply
be daily habits of journaling and quiet meditation – regularly giving ourselves
a few minutes to pause and reflect. The importance of purpose came home to me
as I rolled away from our home in Minnesota this past summer of 2016.
Our
two years in Minnesota had not only been rich in relationships, but also
surprisingly short. God has been very clear that there were many good
reasons He was calling us to a global popcorn adventure in China, more
details on that here. However, there was real grief from leaving the
intimacy of our known communities in Minnesota for numerous unknowns in
China.
As
the moving truck rolled down the road to leave Minneapolis, I said a silent
prayer. I asked God for equal parts grief and faith – “Help me to
mourn the loss of a season that was so sweet with countless evidences of your
care for our family.” I also asked for God’s practical help - “Help
me also to see how to take what I’ve learned in Minnesota and carry it with me
to where you are calling our family next.”
As
I jotted this prayer down in my personal journal I began to realize that there
were habits I had cultivated in Minnesota that I want to carry with me to
China, including:
- 1)
Having “off-line” time each morning and evening for daily meditation and
reflection
- 2)
Making time every month for consistent "Daddy Dates" with each
of our four kids
- 3)
Regularly connecting with men who want to better lead their families and
communities
Not
surprisingly, I quickly noted that each of these three habits were connected to
three key areas of my purpose – personal development, family relationships and
community impact. As I began to reflect on this connection, I realized
that
purpose fuels habits
In
other words, our ability to focus beyond our immediate circumstances or
emotions doesn’t just happen by accident; it must be cultivated in our daily
lives. At the same time these habits can’t survive on their own – as
though I could simply will myself to a commitment of 30 minutes in “off-line”
meditation every day. This habit of meditation will cease to be meaningful,
if it is not connected to a larger purpose.
In
the next post, I will further explore this connection between purpose and
habits, especially as it relates to practical matters like how we spend our
time. In the meantime, I am curious to hear the perspective of
others.
Do
habits help fuel your larger purpose? If so, which habits are most
important?
What
practical steps have helped you to form habits connected to your purpose?
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