Purpose and Passion
“Where there is a will, there is a way. If there is a chance in a million that you can do something, anything, to keep what you want from ending, do it. Pry the door open or, if need be, wedge your foot in that door and keep it open.” — Pauline Kael
History has shown there are people who overcame insurmountable odds to succeed. For example, there are many successful entrepreneurs diagnosed with a developmental reading disorder like dyslexia, including well-known Virgin founder, Richard Branson. Daniel Pink author of A Whole New Mindcites Sally Shaywitz, a Yale neuroscientist and specialist in dyslexia who says: “Dyslexics think differently. They are intuitive and excel at problem-solving, seeing the big picture and simplifying… They are poor rote reciters, but inspired visionaries.” Dyslexics have to overcome enormous odds to succeed which indicates a strong will to thrive. It is estimated that several leading international CEO’s past and present are dyslexic. How about you? What have you overcome in your life?
The human will is undeniably powerful. Once a stern commitment is made to carry through with a project or goal, there’s little to stop a person. You may have heard it said that the human will can move any mountain. As long as one’s will is resolute and fuelled with the right intentions, a person can overcome most obstacles on their road to victory. Will power becomes man’s greatest ally for success. Will and intent become powerful factors required to realise one’s goal. The other essential attribute is purpose and passion. Purpose is defined as understanding our role within the framework of life. It is the ability to harness our skills, talents and genius with direct focussed attention to a pursuit. A purposeful vision is an extension of this faculty since it coincides with a common goal that benefits humanity. We might conclude that merging a strong will with purpose creates a purposeful vision, clothed with honourable intentions. Many pioneers have achieved enormous success in spite of prevailing external circumstances. For example, Albert Einstein once stated: “Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds.”
The Determination To Succeed
“Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will.” — Mahatma Gandhi
Vision is the foresight to envisage an outcome without external proof. It is the ability to venture into the unknown — an inner knowing beyond the call of reason. Irving Stone’s classical biographical novel, The Agony and The Ecstasydepicts Michelangelo having an undeniable vision to paint and sculpt masterpieces. He overcame many impediments to include the political agendas of the papacy entrusted to power at the time. A strong vision, matched with a sense of purpose opens many roads to achieve one’s goal. Is this something you can relate to? Do you have a strong vision or purpose for your life? Are you pursuing it? Those with vision stop at nothing to see their project come to life. In an earlier article, I referred to visionary Tony Hseih’s commitment to build the largest and successful online footwear retailer Zappos. The company sold to Amazon for over one billion dollars. Tony’s executive team faced numerous obstacles and setbacks along the way to build a global business. I’m reminded of the quote: “The bigger the goal, the harder the climb” which is fitting in this case.
Having established that purpose and will are vital ingredients toward success, the other component common to connecting purpose and will is to know our why? Our WHY is the motivating force behind why we pursue our goal. When the road ahead is challenging as it no doubt will, our WHY is an inner reassurance that reminds us why we embarked upon our pursuit. Without a WHY our project lacks passion and the stamina to sustain us in the long run. The final component necessary for achieving success is determination. This faculty matched with will and purpose is strong enough to overcome any obstacle life presents us. Our determination when matched with our WHY becomes the ignition which flames the fire toward lasting success. Nothing can stop a person aligned with the formula below. They align with their purpose and through determination, connect to their WHY to achieve unthinkable success.
Wilful Purpose + Determination (WHY?) = Inspired Success
Those with a strong will and undeniable purpose rise to reframe failure. They see it as an opportunity to draw closer to their goal. It becomes a signpost rather than a dead-end. The cause and effect model many people subscribe to dictates that if a venture does not work, one should abandon it. Yet there’s something powerful about the person who labours on despite the obstacles life throws at them. I draw your attention once more to Thomas Edison, having failed one thousand times before creating the electric light bulb. A strong will matched with a powerful vision means failure takes a backseat toward greatness. Knowing this, I leave you with the following questions to ponder: How can you reframe a current goal to infuse it with purpose, will and determination? How can you bring more of yourself to your goal, instead of leaving it to chance? Are you willing to fail in order to succeed? There is no absolute way or path towards success other than to create your own.
Call To Action
Do you want to lead a remarkable life? Are you committed to taking action despite your fears and doubts? Have you had enough of not achieving the success you seek? If so, download your FREE copy of my eBook NAVIGATE LIFE right now, and start your amazing journey of greatness today!
Originally published at Medium