Les Brown - The Power of Purpose

HOW TO CREATE THE LIFE YOU ALWAYS WANTED

LES BROWN

Published 2021 by Gildan Media LLC

aka G&D Media

www.GandDmedia.com

Copyright 2021 by Empowerment Products

No part of this book may be used, reproduced or transmitted in any manner whatsoever, by any means (electronic, photocopying, recording, or otherwise), without the prior written permission of the author, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews. No liability is assumed with respect to the use of the information contained within. Although every precaution has been taken, the author and publisher assume no liability for errors or omissions. Neither is any liability assumed for damages resulting from the use of the information contained herein.

First Edition: 2021

Front cover design by David Rheinhardt of Pyrographx

Interior design by Meghan Day Healey of Story Horse, LLC.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available upon request

eISBN: 978-1-7225-2433-3

10987654321

Whats going on here? Where is all of this leading? These are the questions we are all asking. We are experiencing a time of great uncertainty and great change taking place around the world. A time when people are feeling a great deal of anxiety, fear, and reservations about the future. A time when people are going to work and dont know whether or not they will have a job tomorrownot necessarily because of their performance but because of whats happening in the economy. And a time when there are more challenges than ever before in personal relationships.

Now more than ever, we must begin to look at what we can do to get on a firm footing in life. We must begin to ask ourselves what powers we have. What is our purpose? Many of us go through life never discovering these innate things we have going for us.

Part of knowing your purpose is knowing what your life work is. What is it that gives your life a sense of meaning and purpose? Once you find that, it puts you in your power place. If you do know what your life work is, then I encourage you to start working on it. You dont have to do it all at once, do just a little bit at a time. If you dont know why you are here, if you dont know what it is that you showed up to do, I encourage you to find out what your purpose is here.

What is the meaning of your life? What will be different? Have you ever asked yourself that question? Ive done that. I was coming from a funeral, and reflecting on my friend whose life was so promising. I thought about all of the things he had planned and never got a chance to do. I started thinking about my own life and how much time I had left to do the things that I would like to do. At that time, I wasnt sure what my life purpose was, what my lifes work was. I thought about it quite a lot and though I had some idea I wasnt convinced. I didnt feel worthy. I didnt believe that I could do this work that Im doing right now. I had to make a conscious effort to find my life purpose. I believe that taking the time to ask these questions and find the answers can literally save your life.

Dr. Larry Dossey, author of Recovering the Soul, reports that human beings are the only species that have achieved the dubious distinction of dying on a certain date. In this country, most heart attacks take place on Monday mornings between 8:00 and 9:00 a.m. Most would say the primary cause of heart attack or stroke is smoking, high cholesterol, stress, or obesity. But all of those things are contributing factors.

Now lets consider why the majority of people have their first heart attacks on Monday mornings. After the Sunday football game or 60 Minutes, the anxiety begins to build, and come Monday, they drop dead of a broken heart. According to recent studies eighty-five percent of the American public are going to jobs that they hate, and that do not challenge them. They get sick thinking about going to work. People are literally dying to go to work! If you are going to a job and you already know how far you can go, how much youre going to make, youre in a dead-end position. You can already see that proverbial glass ceiling. Its like going to a movie youve already seen, but starting in the middle. Youve seen the end and you sit there all over again. Something is missing. You know what the outcome is going to be. You cant get excited about going through that movie all over again. It erodes your self-esteem. It lowers your sense of yourself. It creates some inner turmoil. It creates a feeling of emptiness.

It is worth finding what it is that youre supposed to do, discovering your purpose. Im not saying quit your job. I am saying to find your purpose and do just a little bit of it. Just start working at it a little bit. Find out what your work is, hold on to it, and dont let your dream go. When I wanted to become involved in public speaking, I started little by little, going to seminars and workshops, listening to other peoples recordings, learning quotes, and asking other people to help me.

Why is it that most people dont pursue their dreams or uncover their potential? I think that many of us dont know what to do yet. We dont even explore the possibility of what to do because subconsciously, we dont believe that we deserve it.

How much time do you spend working on you? How much time do you spend every day working on your dream? In the last ninety days, how many books have you read? In the last year, what new skill or knowledge have you acquired? What kind of investment have you made in you? As you begin to look at where you want to go, youve got to make some conscious effort to begin to work to develop you.

Most people are not living their dreams because of fear. At a recent speaking engagement in Ohio, I met Karen, the young woman who expertly planned and carried out the event. She was talented, organized, and skillful, and we talked about her desire to go into consulting. I asked, Why arent you doing it? You have the abilities. Youre not here because they like you. Youre here because youre doing the job. Youre making things happen. She came up with all kinds of ideas but finally said, I guess I cant see myself doing it. I guess Im afraid. Fear, limited vision, and lack of self-esteem can keep many of us from going for our dreams.

I went to Denver, Colorado to speak at a major communications company. The person that picked me up at the airport told me the company was planning a major downsizing and had offered some of their employees early retirement and a payout of $300,000. The company said, This is the last time you can take this offer. If you dont do it now, as part of the downsizing, you might be among those whose jobs get cut and all you will get is your severance pay.

Only fifty percent of the people who were eligible to take the $300,000 took it! Those remaining couldnt see themselves beyond that company. They were afraid to take a chance on themselves. They couldnt see life after that situation. It is the same reason that people stay in relationships where theyre abused, unhappy, or unfulfilled. They just cant see themselves beyond that relationship or enjoying life without that person. They think this is all they can do and all they deserve. This is all theyve ever known. Its been passed on to them. They think that this is it for them. Im here to say NO! to that.