For those of you in search of purpose, look no further than within yourselves. Here are 8 questions (that only you can answer) which can help you create a purpose statement for your life. Your purpose is not a destination; it is more of a guiding compass that helps you make decisions. Our ultimate destination will be determined by the small decisions we make every day, therefore, it is important to make sure that our choices are in line with where we want to go. Take a moment to answer these questions for yourself and see what you come up with.

Part 1: Where am I?
1. Principles: What do I value? What beliefs govern my life?
2. Passions: What do I love doing and why?
3. Problems & Pain: What social, scientific, technical, and/or personal question or pain do I want to solve?
4. People & Place: Who do I want to serve and where?

Part 2: Where am I going?
5. Picture: What's my vision for myself and the world?
6. Pioneers: Who are my models? Mentors? Guides?
7. Positioning & Potential: What do I want to master? What do I want to be #1 in the world at? And why do I believe that I can do it? Why am I the one?
8. Possibility: How will people experience life differently because of me?

You can read other people's responses below and/or
submit your responses here & scroll down

Sunday, March 16, 2008

Bob Marley's 8 Principles of Purpose

Part 1: Where am I?

1. Principles: What beliefs do I believe will equate to success for me?

Truth, peaces, love, music, and liberty.

Life is stronger than death.

I believe in freedom for everyone, not just the black man. I don't stand for the black man's side, I don' t stand for the white man's side. I stand for God's side.

Life is one big road with lots of signs. So when you riding through the ruts, don't complicate your mind. Flee from hate, mischief and jealousy. Don't bury your thoughts, put your vision to reality . Wake Up and Live!

Don't forget your history nor your destiny…Every man gotta right to decide his own destiny.

You have to be someone…We're Jah-Men…Man is a universe within himself.

Wisdom is better than silver or gold...Tell the children the truth… The only truth is Rastafari.

2. Passions: What do I love doing and why?

Growing spiritually
Reggae music because “when it hits you feel no pain”. Reggae music…carries Earth force. Me use music? [Bob laughs] Music uses me.

3. Problems & Pain: What social, science, technical, and/or personal question or pain do I want to solve?

“If puss and dog can get together, why can’t we love one another?”

“My music fights against the system that teaches to live and die.”

We really can’t solve a problem with a war. To really solve we can’t really solve a problem if I kill some. Whose problem am I gonna solve when I kill someone? So I figure peace is the best thing and that why I go head and work with it. It’s a spiritual that happen.

4. People & Place: Who do I want to serve and where?

We don't really want the island to change. We want to the world to change.

Part 2: Where am I going?

5. Picture: What's my vision for myself and the world?

My future is righteousness.

6. Pioneers: Who are my models? Mentors? Guides? And why?

No man can lead man, we have to have unity.

7. Positioning: What do I want to be #1 in the world at?

I pledged to work for righteousness. God's given me inspiration. God's the boss, he tell me what to do.

8. Possibility: How will people experience life differently because of me?

Me only have one ambition, y'know. I only have one thing I really like to see happen. I like to see mankind live together - black, white, Chinese, everyone - that's all.

Saturday, March 8, 2008

Purposefinder #15

  1. I value equal opportunity, I am most comfortable in instances where people have equal access to the tools necessary to succeed. I value fairness and decency. I want to be someone who impacts peoples lives. I want to be someone who is known for helping others and helping myself. I want to be someone who is successful by many of societies standards (wealth, beauty, lifestyle) and my own (fun, impact, legacy).

  1. I enjoy speaking with people. I am fascinated by new ideas and peoples personal perspectives on (X). In many cases I like to analyze there thoughts to check for soundness in there thinking. If I find a fault, I do not seek to crush them, but instead I prefer to bring it to there attention so that they can continue down there road to success. I enjoy anticipating how someone is going to react to something. Empathy come naturally for me in many instances and I like to check to see how I am doing with empathizing.

  1. The social problems that I am most interested in is giving black males in particular a fair shot at the “big leagues” I have seen first hand how a lack of exposure, limits you potential and your scope. If this in combination with equal access to the success toolbox is offered to black males, I believe that a sizable number of them will rise to the challenge.

  1. I want to make impact for the black males that I mentioned above. I want to make impact in my world as well. I want to be able to create a legacy that is arouses admiration and awe.

  1. I want to impact those in the inner cities, because it is they who have the most to gain from more exposure. The need it the most.

  1. I am motivated by personal experience. I know what it is like to not offered opportunities even thought you have all the right assets. With this knowledge in mind I can just imagine what it is like to not have those assets, not have the proper presentation and presence. You are well on your way to failing. I am inspired by those who make a goal and pursue it with everything that they have. Whether the fail or succeed, being a beast and chasing your dreams are the total inspiration.

  1. I envision an environment that equips all with equal access to the tools they need, and watch them go at it. May the best win.

  1. My models are the people who have been successful by societal norms as well as by their own terms. “I can’t help the poor if I am one of them, so I got rich and gave back now that is the win win.”



  1. I would like to positively impact those that need it the most, without having to sacrifice myself. I do not believe that I have to live the life of a sufferer in order to accomplish my goals.



  1. Short term goal is to make myself more marketable, through extra curricular activities (school, orgs etc.). Figure out what and who I am designed to be professionally. My long term goal is to be an expert. I am not sure in what or in what capacity, but I would like the opportunity to be a SME (subject matter expert) on a topic or issue of importance to me. The steps that I need to get to my short and long term goals really revolve around me discovering what type of life/ career I want to pursue. Without that, I am just out there searching and moving forward in the dark. I am waiting for that “lightblub” moment.

  1. The internal forces that are affecting me the most right now is the idea that I am not living up to my full potential. I have this gut wrenching feeling that I am behind where I want to and should be. I feel a bit aimless, which as a structured thinker is scary. I would say that the external forces are having just as much of an impact on me on a day to day basis. I see many of my classmates entering there third year of law school or at various stages of med school and I can’t help but wonder “man these used to be my peers” and now I am lagging behind. In addition because I want to be able to maintain a comfortable lifestyle of course the money thing comes in play as well. I feel like I should have a higher level of well being where money is concerned, but because of some of the decisions that I have made, I am not.

  1. Positioning? ? ? ? NO CLUE (This is my biggest problem)

  1. I believe that everyone has a purpose on this earth. There is nothing more interesting and pleasing to me, to see a master at work or watching someone discover what they were put on this earth to do. I feel like there is such a purpose for me and my immediate task is to find out what that is.

Purposefinder #14

What do I value?
I value personal relationships with other people. I value listening and offering advice/support/encouragement to help people make decisions - both big and small. I value making ordinary things/ideas/situations revolutionary steps for the person making/thinking/living them.

Jullien's Feedback:
  • Question: All of the -ing verbs above are the things you love doing. What nouns do you value (ie personal relationships)? I'm just trying to get a sense of what matters to you most and why.
___________

What beliefs govern my life?
I believe that Jesus is the Savior and that God is the author of all that happens on the Earth and beyond. I believe that the purpose of my life is to make a direct, meaningful, life-changing impact on other people in a way that not only gives them the faith to believe that their thoughts, ideas, hopes and dreams are valid but empowers them to move in a way that makes them attainable.

Jullien's Feedback:
  • Affirmation: What a powerful statement. Well articulated.
  • Question: How much do you think you co-author your life with Jesus? 50%? 30%?0%?
  • Question: What beliefs did Jesus hold that you embrace whole-heartedly? (ie Love thy neighbor as thyself)
  • Question: What beliefs do you believe governed Jesus' life?
  • Recommendation: Check out one of my other blogs on Jesus' Purpose. I found all of the scriptures in the New Testament where Jesus references his purpose.
  • Recommendation: Read The Way of Essenes and The Gospel of the Holy Twelve for deeper insight into Jesus' life and growth
___________

What do I love doing and why?
I love meeting strangers. I love striking up conversations with people and brightening their day. I love when, after one of these 'chance' meetings, others thank me for making their day, tell me I'm different and that taking the time to acknowledge or get to know them is a welcome refresher. I love this because I fundamentally believe that more than most things, people just want to be loved on. I love being able to give that love.

Jullien's Feedback:
  • Affirmation: It seems that your strong positive energy brightens people day and makes them feel loved
  • Affirmation: You are very clear on what you love doing
  • Question: When and where do these random encounters happen?
  • Idea: It seems like conferences is a good place to meet random people passionate about the same thing
___________

What question or pain do I want to solve?
I think I want to help answer the question that so many young - teenage and twenty-something - women ask: "When will I be enough?" Of course, the answer is - you already are. I want to help close the gap between what society/families/groups/organizations/the media project to define women's worth with what it really is and to help women live out their God-given femininity and expose their hearts in a way that doesn't lessen their credibility but allows them to feel confident in saying what they think AND feel.

Jullien's Feedback
  • Clarification: So the question that wakes you up every morning is "What makes women feel insecure/empty and how can we overcome this feeling? That's a BIG question...but you're a woman with a BIG heart and BIG vision.
______

Who do I want to serve and where?
I thought it was teenagers, but while I love kids, I don't know that it's there or that it's in schools. I know I want to serve women, but I haven't a clue what the setting, how it will play out, what it will look like...

Jullien's Feedback
  • Affirmation: Women and youth is very clear.
  • Question: What age group do you think is most crucial to impact? or is it women of all ages?
  • Idea: When the space isn't there you have to create it yourself. Food has been a great uniter of people all throughout history. I've co-organized many potlucks and they have created the space naturally to have the conversations you are talking about.
____________

What's my vision for myself and the world?
I want to be ordinarily revolutionary. I don't see myself as starting a Teach For America, being on national television, or having some insanely glamorous career. I see myself being in the thick of it with real people, working side by side them in a way that makes them feel human, whole, valued, and that develops their confidence so that they can soar on their own. I think that equipping others with that kind of hope in their future (you know, the one GOD authored, and whose details we try to change a bit :)) will make the world a place that reflects the kingdom God wants it to be. It will be a place where those who are voiceless or whose voices are muffled out by insecurities and fears will be leaders. It will be a place where people care about each other because they know how others feel. It will be a place we can reconcile our differences much more easily.

Jullien's Feedback:
  • Question: Ask yourself, "Am I limiting my good from God by saying 'I don't see myself as starting a Teach For America'"? Wend Kopp, founder of TFA, was and still is an ordinary person like you
  • Recommendation: Read my song Extraordinary People. It's a remix to John Legend's 'Ordinary People' . Hopefully it inspires you.
  • Clarification: What I'm hearing is that you want a world where people 1. talk to each other openly 2. empathize with each other 3. are able to overcome difference through conversation/storytelling. Is that correct?
___________

Who are my mentors, models or guides?
Cyndi Harrison. She is the definition of graceful to me.

Jullien's Feedback:
___________

What do I want to master? What do I want to be #1 in the world at? And why do I believe that I can do it? Why am I the one?
I have NO idea!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Jullien's Feedback:
  • Question: If you could be in the Guiness Book of World Records for 1 thing, what would it be?
  • Recommendation: I haven't read it, but you may want to check out this book on the sacred feminine. The Goddess in the Gospels: Reclaiming the Sacred Feminine. Exploring the sacred feminine may help you find when and how women's divinity began to fade (ie Adam & Eve story) and divinity became seen as only masculine (ie our Father...).
___________

How will people experience life differently because of me?
People won't be afraid of their bright futures. They will have the confidence to pursue them, in turn allowing them to change the world the way they were designed to.

Jullien's Feedback:
  • Affirmation: Removal of fear. I agree 100%.
  • Recommendation: I have a blog post called the 5 Facades of Fear that may benefit you on your journey.

Purposefinder #13

Stage of Purpose
1. Inquiring 2. Investigating 3. Invoking 4. Investing 5. Inspiring
____________________________________________________________

Part 1: Where am I?

1. Principles:
What do I value? What beliefs govern my life?


I want to make the most relatable, uplifting, and moving movies ever.

2. Passions:
What do I love doing and why?


Getting into writing, storyboarding stories that I create, reading/watching well written stories

3. Problems & Pain:
What social, scientific, technical, and/or personal question or pain do I want to solve?

I'd like to get over my own problems by immersing myself into someone's story, one that I create. In the process I hope others will be able torelate and feel themselves in the situations I create.

4. People & Place:
Who do I want to serve and where?


Any one, any age, that is going through unbearable pain. Everywhere people have a chance to see my films.

____________________________________________________________

Part 2: Where am I going?

5. Picture:
What's my vision for myself and the world?


I want my films to be rich enough such that people don't just watch once, but watch multiple times the way they play a good song over and over.


6. Pioneers:
Who are my models? Mentors? Guides?


Steve Conrad (Weather Man and Pursuit of Happyness writer) and Ki-duk Kim (3-Iron director)

7. Positioning & Potential:
What do I want to master? What do I want to be #1 in the world at? And why do I believe that I can do it? Why am I the one?


I want to be #1 director of uplifting and realistic dramas.


8. Possibility:
How will people experience life differently because of me?


By breaking old barriers of film storytelling (The Matrix, 3-Iron(all silent drama)) and creating the most visually riveting films/TV shows that drive people to tears, I believe I can move people through moving stories and characters that they can relate to and hopefully heal through.
____________________________________________________________

Part 3: How do I get there?

This PurposeFinder is looking for
advice, ideas, feedback, questions, resources, and contacts that will help them advance in their pursuit of purpose. Some ways that may help him:
  1. Send this to other filmmakers by clicking on the envelope below
  2. Recommend some movies that moved you to tears and action
  3. Give advice on how to invest in one's own vision instead of always investing in other's
Comment below or participate by taking the anonymous survey here.

Purposefinder #12

1. Person: What do I value? Who do I want to be?
I value TRUTH, beauty, and love. I highly value thinking for oneself. I value having and maintaining values/standards. I value relativity- therefore I value birth, life, death, and life after death equivalently.
2. Passions: What do I love doing and why?
I love making connections. Whether they be human, spiritual,/metaphysical, with nature, with history, with literature, music, dance, or any and every other art form. I love making these connections because it reminds me that we are here to wonder, to discover, to contemplate, and finally, because I believe that we are here just to immerse ourselves in it all.

3. Problems: What social, science, technical, and/or personal question do I want to answer?
How can I be of aid to those I cannot understand morally or intellectually? I am impatient and I can become significantly impatient with shallow people. At this time in my life, I have been cutting ties because it is the only way I currently know how to ensure that other people's negativity and immorality will not effect me in any physiological way. Is it worth it for me, to attempt to be there for those who want to hurt me (even if it's only because they themselves, are hurting)??
4. People: Who do I want to serve?
I want to serve/help those who are honest and ready, within themselves, to be helped.
5. Place: Where do I want to impact?
I am hoping to impact and touch areas and regions belonging to all those who are seeking inspiration and even those who were unaware that they needed to be inspired. In short, the world.
6. Pain: What am I trying to heal or positively impact?
I am trying to heal the human conditioning of a society that has restricted the definition of "success" to strangulating limitations of synthetic, false icons of what "happiness" is and should be, therefore generating a population of individuals who are either too lost in their sadness and/or confusion to contribute to positive change within themselves and others. I am hoping to positively impact, those who are ready to think and act beyond societal confinements in order to enrich our life on earth now, until the end.
7. Power: What motivates/inspires me?
Witnessing integrity, generosity, and compassion gives me hope- soul-feeding music, righteous and delectable usage of language, and gracious, innovative, and diligent energy/action inspires me.
8. Picture: What's my vision?
Me, sitting on top of a far-off peak, after accomplishing "the impossible", taking in a sunset and being at genuine peace within myself to last me the rest of my days...
9. Pioneers: Who are my models? Mentors? Guides?
Humble educators. Avid, sincere listeners. Souful linguists. My Mom. Salma Hayek.
10. Path: What are the steps? What are my short and long term goals?
Steps: Seek out myself (self-knowledge). Appreciate every breath. (perspective). Conscious TLC of MBS. (mind, body, soul.) Dream. Act. Accomplish. Love. Live. Learn.
Short-term: Obtain my damn undergrad degree!! ;-) Hold down a dope internship. Contemplate business school, Consistantly volunteer, travel, write, learn.
Long-term: Run/own/found a for-prof business AND non-prof business, Educate Youth, Uplift people through the arts as my career, consistantly volunteer, travel, write, learn, and thoroughly enjoy.

11. Pressures: What internal and external life forces are affecting me right now?
External: School. Internships. The pressure to succeed. Unethical, limited-thinking, selfish, sociopathic PEOPLE.
Internal: Impatiently trying to find the answers to all my questions at once. An incontrovertible sadness within, that I just can't shake... I feel like I'm in a constant state of being heartbroken.. hoping to figure out how to channel this in the most conducive way.

12. Positioning: What do I want to master? What do I want to be #1 in the world at?
I want to master the art of LISTENING and having patience. I want to be #1 in the world at reaching my highest potential.
13. Potential: Why do I believe that I can do it? Why am I the one?
I believe that I can do it because I am an incredibly fast learner, a young, alarmingly eager soul with a deeply compassionate heart. I am in an unrelenting search of goodness and I am fascinated with the beauty of the unknown- I'm hoping that this will keep me going... :)

Purposefinder #11

Part 1: Where I am

1. Principles: What do I value? Social development of the community;
information and using it for the good; creativity; intelligence;
spirituality,

What beliefs govern my life? work smart, support system (social
capitol), creative capital (intelligence and ideas), spiritual
journey, mastering my revolution from within

2. Passions: What do I love doing and why? reading to gain knowledge
from others, collecting and sharing my young wisdom, mentoring,
arts/writing and creativity, humanitarian work

3. Problems & Pain: What social, science, technical, and/or personal
question or pain do I want to solve? how to use my creativity for
good, how to fulfill my spiritual mission, how to inspire others along
my path, how to enjoy the riches of my work

4. People & Place: Who do I want to serve and where? my God within,
starting with people of color, young people in DC, nationally then
globally

Part 2: Where I'm going

5. Picture: What's my vision for myself and the world? To inspire
others through arts, to inform others through media, to empower others
through speaking and writing, and for the world to be better than it
was because i tried to make a difference

6. Pioneers: Who are my models? Mentors? Guides? Mom, Dad,
Arthuretta Martin, Oprah Winfrey, Septima Poinsette Clark, Niambi
Jarvis, Lula Christopher, they change along the way and add up over
time


7. Positioning & Potential: What do I want to master? What do I want
to be #1 in the world at? And why do I believe that I can do it? Why
am I the one? I want to master my own revolution from within in order
to address the one around me. I want to be the number one - (still in
progress) - social reformer in the creative world....Images and words
have been powerful and how we internalize them can move and shape our
direction. Just analyzing the preacher to the teacher, we know that we
they say and how we internalize who we care about can be profound in
our direction starting in our childhood. Consequently children should
master their creativity, value it, use in a positive way to be
citizens and leaders that strive to be better for themselves and for
others everyday. It's challenging but the seed must be planted and
nurtured throughout our journey called life. I am the one to do this
because of my own desire to master my creativity, waking up wondering
why i don't see and feel the passion within me because i was focused
on mastering a weakness versus my strength. I have no regrets just
refocus and retooling myself to get on the road and champion my own
cause to express in a creative way (inspiring way) to plant more seeds
of hope then weeds of dope in my community (universe) and starting
with myself.


8. Possibility: If you knew that success was guaranteed, what would
you attempt to accomplish? wow, my art, reshaping and capturing
history in the present to inspire future generations. tell the story
of the great changemakers (social entrepreneurs) who area striving to
make a better place and have others champion their own cause and make
a better place in this world. i think about the song reach out and
touch somebody's hand and make this a better place if you can. i would
want my own happiness in the form of good friends, family, faith,
focus, no regrets. I stated as a kid that my theory for success is
faith,focus, prioritize and patience. And stays true to this day for
me.

Purposefinder #10

Part 1: Where I am

1. Principles: What do I value? What beliefs govern my life?

I value being a good person, treating people with respect and optimism and extending myself to help in all situations when possible. I love being the type of friend, sister, daughter and contributor who makes people feel that what I do to help is genuine and sincere. I believe in creating an environment (physically and within my "aura" {don't know what other word to use to explain this}) that is positive and productive (that is, when confronted with a problem, don't mire in it, look for a solution and be proactive)


2. Passions: What do I love doing and why?

This is a difficult question for me because I feel that living in NYC doesn't put me that close to what I really love to do. For now, I live here for practicality to build wealth so I can pursue my long term goal(s). What I truly love doing is working with people, may it be working with high school kids at the Red Hook Farm or building homes in Mexico for Habitat for Humanity, in a forward thinking fashion that help them also build purpose and a sense of the world. I love this because to me, life is about effecting other people no matter how great or small.


3. Problems & Pain: What social, science, technical, and/or personal question or pain do I want to solve?

Inequities that stop people from developing confidence and finding some thing(s) that make them happy or able to lead a fulfilled life. Having been raised in within a privileged "class structure" in Bangkok, I grew up believing that any pursuit in life is try-able or attainable. In my long term (when I'm approximately 50), I want to go back to Thailand and work with women and children to help them steer away from professions that stunt their emotional and financial lives.


4. People & Place: Who do I want to serve and where?

There are 2 groups I'd like to serve. In the states, I enjoy working with youths to help them learn and grow – youths whose parents or guardian may not have as much time because they have to work multiple jobs, manage their house, etc. In Thailand, I want to help women – especially those along the borders (which I've done before) who have very little access and societal value.

Part 2: Where I'm going

5. Picture: What's my vision for myself and the world?

My vision for myself and the world are intertwined. I hardly ever/more like never think of myself going through life by myself. Even within the most inanimate ways, I feel that my actions, what I throw away impact my environment (I compost, recycle, bike, etc). I think treating people around you and creating an environment of respect is important – and this is what I envision for myself and the world. I also believe that by treating people around you and the environment this way, it has domino and exponential effects.


6. Pioneers: Who are my models? Mentors? Guides?

This was my father but he is no longer physically present. My role models currently are made of my friends and professional peers whose individual great qualities add up to a set of values I aspire for myself. I don't have one role model or mentor.


7. Positioning & Potential: What do I want to master? What do I want to be #1 in the world at? And why do I believe that I can do it? Why am I the one?

I don't really want to be #1 in the world at any thing specific. This concept doesn't resonate for me. What I want to be able to do is to make my long term goal possible.


8. Possibility: If you knew that success was guaranteed, what would you attempt to accomplish?

Doing away with inequity and judgment in this world. I feel that without those two things, humans would lead a more peaceful, productive and supportive lives.