I have been a fan of The Golden State Warriors NBA team for over 3 decades. As talented as they are, what impresses me about them now is how they hold their team purpose above all else to win a championship, over any personal glory or stats.
All for one and one for all meant that veteran all-star starters took seats on the bench, keeping the purpose of winning first. It also meant adopting a new team strategy of constantly moving on the floor and passing the ball to the person who has the best look at the basket, rather then forcing any shots. Staying on purpose no matter what, took them all the way to reaping the ultimate reward, the NBA champion title last year.
This year, even with their head coach out the first 43 games, they stayed focused and broke several NBA records. Nothing distracted or pulled them in any other direction. They stayed on purpose to play as a team, follow their game plan and have fun, no matter how many minutes they each got on the floor.
Like the Warriors, we too can stay on track driven by purpose in our personal and professional lives. Clarifying and committing to your purpose also reminds you where to put your focus and energy to reach your goals.
Walking on a Straight Line - How Purpose Keeps You On Track
I once heard a story about elephants in the open-air markets of India whose huge trunks wag back and forth, knocking fruit and vegetables off the stands. One morning a young animal trainer arrived at the market with his elephant. The two walked right down the central corridor without knocking so much as a single apple off a cart. When asked how he'd trained the massive elephant to walk a straight line, the animal trainer smiled and held up his staff. The elephant trainer's secret was this: by carefully placing a staff inside the elephant's trunk, the animal naturally walked straight instead of wagging from side to side.
Like the staff in the elephant's trunk, purpose can keep you from wavering around and getting buffeted about. Your purpose can infuse your life with meaning and guide you through each turn making the best decisions straight towards your "championship rings".
10 Questions To Help You Discover Or Reclaim Purpose As Your Staff In Life.
You can choose to read the questions or go to to be guided by audio with soothing accompanying music. After you read or hear each question, wait a few seconds and listen inwardly for an answer. Then, say aloud or write down the first thought, symbol or picture that comes to mind. Stay open and curious. Repeat this process for each question, one at a time.
- What is my purpose for being alive right now?
- What is uniquely valuable about me?
- What do I do that serves and helps others?
- What am I most passionate about in my life?
- How, when and where do I express my purpose through my health?
- How, when and where do I express my purpose in my relationships?
- How, when and where do I best express my purpose in my career?
- Where in my life am I aligned with my purpose?
- Where in my life am I not aligned with my purpose?
- What actions can I take to be more aligned with my purpose?
What did you discover? Perhaps you felt a place in yourself that wants to make a deeper commitment to your career or relationships? Or maybe you received a clear message to make a big change in your life? As you move through your day today, maintain an awareness of your answers to these very important questions and let purpose take you all the way to where you deserve to go.