What is your Purpose?

I have spent most of August traveling with my family enjoying the summer and trying to relax in advance of a busy and exciting fall. My travels ranged from a house building project for two very poor families in the Baja region of Mexico; being a tourist in San Diego and house boating with close friends on Shuswap Lake in beautiful British Columbia. What all these experiences reminded me of is that regardless of where we live, our education, income, ethnic background or beliefs, we all share a common goal of wanting to succeed and improve our position in life.
With that as the backdrop, I encourage you to reflect on where you are in your life in terms of your purpose, passion and goals. What is driving you and the decisions you make and actions you take? Before you dash back into the activities of fall, which may include a busy family schedule, children’s commitments, business travel, preparing 2014 budgets plans, etc., consider your purpose.  Are you doing what you have always done, essentially running on “autopilot”, or are you making wise and intentional decisions as to where you will spend your time, money, energy and talents.
Reviewing my calendar and commitments for the fall, I am asking myself this same question. I know that my trip to Mexico has made me look at everything from a fresh perspective. I am blessed more than I even realize. Having running water and electricity is something I take for granted; not so for those families we met in the Baja. 
If you are reading this blog you are likely a goal-oriented individual that takes his or her career very seriously and works hard to improve your quality of life, income and lifestyle. Keep doing that! We need people like you. However, do one more thing before you accelerate into the fast lane. Select one thing that you can do this fall that is not focused on you. Select a community activity, fundraising event, or local charity that will benefit from your talents, assistance and support. Doing things for others that do not have the ability to reciprocate is a powerful thing. Most of us do a good deed to those that can return the favor. That’s easy! Find something that motivates or inspires you at a deeper level and add that to your list for this fall.
“We are not here merely to make a living. We are here to enrich the world.” — Woodrow Wilson