A Framework for Purpose: Tapping your most powerful emotion
Acronyms are an effective way to help us retain what we learn and can be created from different starting points. One is to start with the ideas you want to talk about and list them. From there you find a word they can create.
For example, one of the programs we teach uses the acronym RISE. It highlights four terms that are pivotal to the task of finding your core purpose and integrating it into your business. Those terms are Reconnect, Impact, Storify, and Elevate. Those are the steps to follow, and together, they formed a natural acronym.
The other way is to begin with a single concept word, as in this article series. In that case, you take the word and use it as the framework to create an acronym that allows you to present the message within a carefully crafted context.
The first method can sometimes be the most straightforward because you aren't forced to find all the right words to fit. Especially when dozens of words could work! How do you choose the right ones?
That was my dilemma when I came to the O of our PURPOSE framework. Some possibilities were Opportunity, Openness, Observation, or Originality. Of course, you could make a case for those, but in the end, the right word was clear: OPTIMISM.
What does OPTIMISM have to do with PURPOSE? More than you might think. PURPOSE is essentially about belief. It's what we believe we are meant to do and the difference we are here to make. But an essential part of that belief is hope. Hope is a powerful emotion. It is what moves us into action and keeps us motivated. OPTIMISM is all about hope.
When we believe in the good of our purpose, we can have an inner well spring of inspiration that can sustain us when we encounter doubt and fear. We know that whether we think we can or can't, we prove ourselves right. So, OPTIMISM is a key element. We must be hopeful for the outcome and allow that to drive us in a positive way.
If you've missed any of the previous articles, you can find them through the links below. The review can also help us see how, progressively, PURPOSE is unfolding as a path we can all follow and what brought us to the vital element of OPTIMISM.
P – PERSONAL: What matters most is that you have a clear reason for the business that is personal to you. Then, you can use that reason as a proving ground for all decisions about moving forward and know that the spark that started it all is being fanned into a flame that is lighting the path ahead.
U – UNIFYING: PURPOSE is not just about you and what you want. It is so much more. Your customers, team, investors, and even society as a whole are all impacted and influenced by your PURPOSE. It is the most vital point of connection you will have in developing and nurturing all your relationships.
R – RESILIENCE: PURPOSE is both the foundation and fuel for RESILIENCE.
RESILIENCE is where we find what we need to remain flexible and adaptable as we pursue our PURPOSE. When we stay focused on our PURPOSE, we embrace the importance of keeping on. In the end, that's the essence of RESILIENCE.
P – POTENTIAL: Your PURPOSE is about recognizing, developing, and delivering on some form of POTENTIAL. This element is where mission, vision, and PURPOSE converge. Your mission and vision are not enough. PURPOSE is what creates the underlying context for them all. What do you make possible?
We’ve now added OPTIMISM to the frame!
In our next article, we will wind up our series with the last two elements of PURPOSE: SACRED, and ENRICHING. These are the capstone and keystone of what we are building when we set out to create a PURPOSE-driven business.
And yes, in this case, we just may have saved the best for last.
