Today I spoke to a group of about 40 undergrads at the University of Michigan on the topic of Purpose + Passions + Profession: How to align your life, work, & goals. The event was sponsored by the University of Michigan Ross School of Business Women's Initiative. Feel free to watch the speech at the link below and see pictures here.

Get out a notepad and pen and
Watch Now!

This morning I read a powerful article in YES Magazine called "Blessing Revealed" by Puanani Burgess. In it she tells the true story of special ed student whose gift is speaking to the animals of the ocean. In the article she poses the question "What would his life have been like if this curriculum were gift-based? If we were able to see the gift in each of our children and taught around that gift?"

I ask myself a similar question. What would our lives be like if our education was purpose-based? If we were able to discover the purpose in each of ourselves and learned accordingly? I believe it can be done by mass-customizing education and adopting the principle that every student is also a teacher of self and other students. Professor Richard Boyatzi's of doing a lot of great work on self-directed learning (SDL) and you can find some of his work here. I'm certain that the world would be a better place if this was so.



What do you think? Comment below...

How are you? is probably the most frustrating question in the world. It has become a greeting instead of true question, therefore, people tend to give an equally unthoughtful answer. I want to take a second to evaluate some of the most common responses and then propose a new one.

I'm not doing bad
I'm not doing bad doesn't necessarily mean one is doing good. It sounds like it comes from a dark expectation that one is supposed to be doing bad and the fact that aren't doing bad is a good thing. It is a comparison between self and others rather than a direct statement of how one is doing. Granted poverty, starvation, and war are pervasive throughout the world, relatively speaking almost anyone who has the internet and can read this blog is not doing bad. The words 'not' and 'bad' make the short sentence a double-negative and two negatives have the potential to make a positive. Anytime we have a choice to choose positivity over negativity in our language or life we should.

I'm doing good
From a feeling standpoint, it means that one is well, healthy, alright, but if we were talking about feelings the appropriate question would be 'How do you feel?' and the response would be 'I feel good'. From an action standpoint, to do good means to help old ladies across the street, to donate old clothes during the holidays, to volunteer, or to work for a nonprofit. While those things are needed and nice and good to do, they beg the question what/how are we doing the other 98% of our lives. A lot of people escape their highest calling to do GOD by settling for doing good.

I'm doing GOD
Whereas doing good is usually a part-time thing, doing GOD is full-time. It means asking yourself 'What would GOD do in this/every moment?' GOD creates, loves, forgives, heals, serves constantly. Imagine if GOD was like, "Hey MAN, I'm really busy this week with work. With economy trippin' and everything, I'm putting in overtime at the office. I've got to keep my job you know. I really want to help out, but things are tough right now. I hope you understand MAN." Doing GOD is the highest form of living. Everyone is capable of doing GOD - it is what we were created to do. I used to think you had to be a priest to do GOD full-time, but I realize now that you just have to faithfully walking in alignment with your GOD-given purpose daily.

How are you doing today?

Below is a self-addressed letter I wrote to myself exactly one year ago as an assignment in Debra Meyerson's Leading Social Change class at Stanford.

It couldn't have returned to me at a more perfect time as I prepare for this major life change to commit more time to Mylinia and the You Can't Google Purpose book!
_____________________________________
My Mountain
by Jullien Gordon
05.20.2007

“My food is to do the will of the one who sent me and to finish his work.”
John 4:34

Hey Jullien,

My name is Nia. I am your purpose and I’m writing to remind you of who you are and why you are here. Your purpose is to help as many people as possible reach their full potential and in the process of doing so reach your own.

I have strategically placed certain people in your life to remind you of your light. In high school, I placed in you in Father Malo’s Living and Dying class where you read Victor Frankl’s Man’s Search for Meaning. Victor Frankl said “A man who knows his why can bear almost any how.” I did because I want you to help people find their why, their reason, their purpose.

In college, I introduced you to Chip Anderson. Good old Chip took you under his wing and was available for you at 6am every day he taught. Chip’s purpose was to initiate the strengths-based revolution with Don Clifton of the Gallup Organization. His research showed that people were happier and more fulfilled when their life was centered around their strengths. Through their online assessment, StrengthsFinder, Chip and Don have impacted the lives of over a quarter-million people. I want you to go one step further and take what you learned from Chip and create the PurposeFinder. It’s one thing to know your strengths for yourself, but it is another thing to apply your strengths in a way that helps improve the world.

Father Malo and Chip were your academic teachers, but your best teacher has been the life of your mom. Your mom was a successful anesthesiologist. Her career afforded her the luxury of buying a 3-story house and a nice Mercedes Benz. Despite all that, she was missing the most important ingredient to life…purpose. Your mom wanted to be an abstract artists all of her life. I gave her the talent to be the best, but she let fear, her parent’s perceptions, and money take her off that path. She said “I was afraid that I would starve.” She didn’t’ trust me. As a result of suppressing her passion, a canyon was created with her profession (what she did to make money) on one side and her purpose (what she was created to do) on the other. She tried to fill that emptiness with alcohol until she became an alcoholic and her whole world crumbled.

Since that 5-year period, she has made a remarkable recovery. It’s never too late. Now she uses her passion for medicine to fight alcoholism (the banana peel that made her slip) as an addictionologist. She is great at what she does because she knows her patients better than anyone. She has lived through her patients’ problems, whereas most doctors only know in theory. This is her new purpose. Always remember that you can’t run from purpose; either you seek it or it will seek you.

The millennial generation has been born into a critical time. Your brother and sisters have a huge responsibility to positively change the course of the world. Franz Fanon said "Each generation must discover its mission, fulfill it or betray it, in relative opacity." You have been given an simple insight to help them discover and fulfill their mission. The Passions + Problems = Purpose equation has been embraced by many that have come before you, but now everyone should be aware of it. The world is suffering from wasted potential, unhappiness, and lack of meaning. Help people reach their full potential, find meaning, and be happy by achieving the following goals:

1. Mass customize education
2. Align people’s passions, purpose, and professions
3. Integrate social change into people’s daily lives

As a young man, you will face some challenges on your journey. The post-academic world is at your doorstep, marriage is on the horizon, and your mother is aging. Upon graduating from Stanford, you will be highly valued by many. Remember that your true value can never be measured in dollars; it is measured by how much love you give. This should be your measure of success. You will have the desire to get married and start a family. For many, this new responsibility leads them to become more selfish and protective. But remember that family is not just biological; all life is part of your family and you must extend yourself to embrace it. Lastly, you mother is aging and will likely become financially dependent on you. Love her, spend time with her, and support her, but grow the unconditional love that she modeled for you by sharing it with the world.

Most people wait for the elusive perfect time to pursue their calling. The time is now. You are who you’ve been waiting for. You have all of the gifts and talents that you need to accomplish your mission. You are a renaissance man; you are a thinker, strategist, writer, poet, artists, teacher, coach, consultant, counselor, and entrepreneur. Multiply these talents any way you can. Create. Build businesses. Organize information. Write books. Lecture. Design curriculum. Empower people. Teach. Manifest all of the ideas that have been give to you. In case you forget, they include: Mylinia.com, the Ghetto Gospel, Youth Ministry, the Purposefinder Book, The Life I Want To Live movie, Black Male Retreat Center, popular spiritual songs, Jesus’ Purpose book, Video affirmations, Churchlink.com, Sermons for the Millennia, Collective Call Prayer Group, African-American Microfinance, and Membership & Employee Development Services. These are the various avenues by which you can and will fulfill your purpose. All of your life experiences have prepared you for your path.

May this letter serve as a beacon of light in your life. I hope that when you receive it and read it, you find yourself accomplishing many of the things mentioned.

Have faith. I believe in you!

Sincerely,

Nia (means purpose in Ki-Swahili)

A lot of people come into this world and do a lot of stuff...great things...but if they failed to do the one thing that Spirit sent them to do, then they've essentially done nothing at all.

The 5 Forces that Unite People Most

1. Spiritual Exploration
Last Monday, Oprah and Eckhart Tolle united over 700,000 from 139 countries to discuss spirituality and purpose. This was arguably the most diverse spiritual conversation ever to take place with the exception of life itself. Whereas Sunday morning may be one of the most segregated times in the wold as people pursue their difference branches religion, Oprah is going straight to the root through exploring spirituality for the next few Mondays at www.oprah.com.

2. Emotional Movements
I am not a concert goer, but I know that hip hop has transcend culture and speaks to the hearts and souls of many. The way artists weave words together to speak directly to our personal life experiences and emotions is amazing. Books (ie The Alchemist, The Secret) and films (ie The Matrix) have had the same kind of impact by telling a single story that millions identify as their own.

3. Physical Nourishment
We've all got to eat, so food is a great way to unite people. I just went to a Thai restaurant called Song in New York. It was a great vibe. The food was great, the price was right, and the crowd was diverse. They has a DJ that played old school hip hop while you ate. And of course, you know I host monthly potlucks at my home which bring together people from all walks of life to share and learn from one another by seeking to nourish people physically, emotionally, and spiritually.

4. Goals in Groups
Alcoholics Anonymous is perhaps the world's best personal development organization, helping over 2 million alcoholics heal worldwide. Last November, I attending an AA Thanksgiving celebration at one of their meeting places and it was amazing to see people of different classes, cultures, ages, genders, and sexual orientation come together to heal one another. AA and its sister organizations like Gambler's Anonymous show me that personal development is not personal.

5. Life & Death Situations
Though they aren't the healthiest circumstances to unite around, life and death situations bring people together. The impending threat of global warming is requiring that the everyone work together to change our consumption patterns and lifestyles. If we don't, we die. Whether we like it or not, the Universe will always push us toward unity, for unity is programmed into its design.

Do you have any other ideas...

6. Soccer 7. Higher Education 8. The internet 9....?

I pray for the United State of the World.

Answering the Call of a Lifetime

Voice Mail from God:

"What's up Man. It's me…God. I know you hear me calling you. Ay....Yo...I've called you like 3 times. Pick up the phone...How you gonna screen my calls when I'm the one who gave you your first dial-tone in the form of a heart beat. Don’t you know I created cells?

I’m tired of all the excuses. Don’t try to blame it on your battery. I told you to stay power-full and in-charge. And don’t try to tell me that you’ve got to save your minutes. Didn’t I tell you that AT&T meant Appreciate Today & Time. This Lifetime Cell Plan doesn’t have roll-over minutes, so I don’t know what you’re saving for. The only things rolling over are the hands of the clock, one second at a time. On top of that, you and I have the Global Family Plan meaning we have free mobile-to-mobile and global coverage. You can connect with Me whenever and wherever you want to.

Anyway, I don’t know how many more messages I have to send you before you get it but your bill is getting kind of high. Eternal life costs life and you haven’t been making your payments. I don’t know who you’re spending all that time talking to every month without calling me, but I it’s cool…I still have love for you.

I have some Good News to tell you so holler at me. I’m always here.

One.”

The In-Sight

There is a calling on our lives. We get three rings in life; the quarter life crisis, the mid-life crisis, and death. If you’ve ever been in financial debt, you know that money costs (more) money. In the same way, life costs life. May we always remember to pay our greatest debt to our Creator first and answer the important calls before it’s too late.

Shadow Boxing With SelfShadowboxing is a training exercise used boxers mainly to prepare the muscles before the person training engages in stronger physical activity. The main purpose of this exercise, apart from getting the muscles ready for other activity, is usually to maintain a fighter's rhythm and help them envision how they would look at that stage of training against a certain opponent. In shadowboxing, only one person is required to participate; the participant throws punches at no one in particular. Muhammad Ali, one of the greatest boxers in the world used this technique a lot. It made me consider whether fights are won in the ring or in the mind and if life is a 1-player game or multi-player game.

When I think of 1-player games, I think of sports like running, bowling, swimming, and golf. The soul characteristic that differentiates most 1-player games from multi-player games is that you are only competing with your best self. If a swimmer swam the world record in practice, they know that they are capable, and the challenge becomes replicating that experience whenever they want to (ie during a competition). A lot of unofficial world records have been broken during practice. When we considering having to replicate an event, we are challenged to understanding why and how we did so well. Understanding the 'why' and 'how' differentiates the greats from the luckies.

Multi-player games are a lot more dynamic because there are so many moving parts. There is no turn taking; I play as you play. Because of this some would say that multi-player games are closer reflection of the world than a 1-player game. In multi-player games, you can capitalize off of other people's weaknesses and mistakes as opposed to building your strengths and personal definition of success. In a multi-player game, someone can win because of someone else's unforced error instead of winning because they performed to the best of their ability that day.

Does a swimmer watch video of another swimmer or do they just swim? Does Tiger Woods study other golfers at all or does he just practice on his game? If I was a golfer today, I wouldn't compare myself to Tiger Woods; I would compare myself to me (so that I don't get discouraged). As much as I would like to win, I would focus on beating my personal best score. If his best is a 10 under par and mine is a 4 and I shoot a 6, then I've beaten my best self though it may not have been better than Tiger Woods' personal best.

When we think we're playing other people, it's extremely easy to externalize loss (ie The referee cheated. He had a head start.) and take credit for victory (ie We were just the better team). At the end of the day, whether 1-player or multi-player, all we can do is our best. If we truly hone in on our unique purpose and define what we want to be and were created to be #1 at in the world, no one can or will compete with us and the competition will only be between us and our best selves. We need to let go of the underdog mentality and start thinking like champs; underdogs don't think like underdogs. We are our best coach and competitor, so we need to stop playing ourselves, and really...play ourselves. We define the game by how great we want to be, not by other people.

75 Reminders To Follow Your Passions

This is a tribute to some of my entrepreneurial friends (mostly) under 30 who are self-employing themselves full-time or part-time with their passions. Thank you for reminding and inspiring me with your bold examples.

CLOTHING & APPAREL

Olatunde of Esface
Dania of Fluffy Jo
Tracy of Dangerous Negro Apparel
Andy of Bonobos Pants
Olu of Lambano Shoe Company
Ras of Saxidat
Michael Cox of E3 Clothes

MUSICIANS

Jidenna the Chief, artist for DarkWater Productions
Daniel Farris, pianist, drummer, songwriter, & producer for Woodworks Records
Nasambu, singer and songwriter for Streets the the Hill
Honey Larochelle, singer and songwriter for Honey Larochelle
Felica Khong of Jazmin
Manghoba, Shibanmbo South African Drumming
Shani Kulture of Planet Ubiquity
Sara Araya aka Cia Moon, singer, pianist, movie scores
Novena of Baby Stone, performing artist, song writer, pianist
Clifford Worley of Livemyhustle.com

THE ARTS (Film, Photography, Writing, Etc)

M.K. Asante Jr., Director and Producer
Daniel Davila of Momentum Cinema
Nakia of 7/8 Productions
Lesha Patterson Photography
Jody of King Rucks Productions
Babatunde Akinloye of Tunde Productions
Sallome Hralima of the Re:Construction Period
Alicia Boone of So Live Arts Movement
Alixa & Naima of Climbing Poetree
Arcelie Reyes Photography

PERSONAL CARE

Tiffany Wheeler Day Care Services
Sean & Kumi of Mr. Barber Shop

CAREER & LIFE COACHING

Allah Jesus of Talking4Real.com
Rob Ryan of Center for Health, life coach
Ruth of Ruth Littlejohn Consulting
Cindy of Less Drama, life coach
Mareza of Doostang.com

EDUCATION

Mandla of New World Education Consulting Group
Chris Balme of the Spark Program
Scott of Transformative Action Institute
Michael Del Ponte of ConsciousLifestyle.org
Katrina Scott George of None But Ourselves
Adam of Learning Enterprises

HEALING & MEDICINE

Dr. Toni Daniels, pain & addiction alleviation
Larissa, dietician and living consultant
Nasambu, massage therapist
Sophia, massage therapist
Julie Brown, Healing/Nutrition/Detox, & Colon Hydrotherapy

FINANCE & BUSINESS

Wil of Wil Ash & Associates Tax Services
Kimberly of New Venture Consulting Group
Rolando Brown of Parallel Movement
Jessica of Kiva.org
Inman of Finfo.com

REAL ESTATE

Keidrick Cole
Gerren Bennett

FOOD & DINING

Carmen of Carmen & Family BBQ Restaurants
Mark of Karibbean City Jamaican Food
Abezero of Vital Ital Calabash
Nader of Foodspa.com Online Catering
Jenny Park of Adele's Frozen Custard
Robyn Goldman Ice Cream
Mark Karimi of the Meridian Hooka Lounge

PUBLICATIONS

Tom of Newsiasm.com

ELECTRONICS & TOOLS

Sam Goldman of Dlight Designs
Andre of MDG Tools

TECHNOLOGY

Harland Gaston Seedplay.com
Will of Cre8object.com

JEWELRY

Monique of Monique Pean Jewelry
Mia Watson
Kimiko Boyd

GAMING

Erik of Chess.com
Nick of NP Games
Adam Tolnay Games

MODELS & ACTORS

Mia Franco
Juan Session

OTHER

Billy Parish of the Energy Action Coalition
Simon of Speededate.com

Sound like the Jullien Gordon you know?

Naming has huge significance, especially in indigenous cultures. To see how significant it is, I decided to explore some historical figures in wikipedia that shared my first and/or last name. I found George William Gordon (who is probably my great great great great grandfather considering our common Jamaican heritage), Judah Gordon, Juliette Gordon, and Julian of Norwich. What I discovered is that there life paths are very similar to mine!

Read below and see if you see the Jullien Gordon you know in their stories...

George William Gordon

George William Gordon...a gifted child...quick-witted, handsome and a great orator. He took part in religious debates from an early age. Though brought up as an Anglican, Gordon joined the Presbyterians, was baptised by the Baptists, and soon set about organising his own church...Gordon’s absorption with religion never waned. He started an independent Baptist organisation and erected a tabernacle in Kingston, the Kingston Tabernacle, where he often preached. Gordon helped his followers open chapels in the country-side. He ordained deacons, Paul Bogle of Stony Gut being one of them...He entered politics as an advocate of the poverty-stricken Negro peasants. This displeased many of his coloured, middle-class counterparts. He was elected to the Kingston Common Council and more than once deputised as mayor. Gordon concentrated on buying and leasing lands which he cut up and sold or sublet cheaply to the negro peasants who, at the time, had great difficulty obtaining land.

Judah Leib Gordon (1831, Vilna - 1892, St. Petersburg) (Hebrew: יהודה לייב גורדון)

Judah Leib Gordon was among the most important Hebrew poets of the Jewish Enlightenment...Gordon was born to well-to-do Jewish parents who owned a hotel in Vilnius. As a privileged child, he was able to study Torah with some of the great educators of the city, and soon proved to be an exceptional student. He had already mastered the entire Bible by the age of eleven, and was fluent in hundreds of pages of Talmud... In just three years, he had mastered almost the entire Talmud and dozens of other religious texts. By that time, however, he was also drawn by the spirit of the Enlightenment that was sweeping across the city. He began reading secular literature and learning foreign languages, and he befriended some of the leading Enlightenment figures of the time, including Kalman Shulman and his son Michel...Much of Gordon's poetry revolves around biblical and historical themes. These include The Love of David and Michal (1857), King Zedekiah in Prison (1879), Judah's Parables (1859), David and Barzilai, Osenath, Daughter of Potiphera, From between the Lion's Teeth, and From the Depths of the Sea. The works were intended to disseminate Enlightenment values and had a profound impact on Jewish life.

Juliette Gordon-Low

Juliette Gordon-Low (aka Daisy) , founder of Girl Scouts of the USA, was born Juliette Magill Kinzie Gordon on October 31, 1860, in Savannah, Georgia...A sensitive and talented youngster, Daisy Gordon spent a happy childhood in her large Savannah home...Young Daisy Gordon developed what was to become a lifetime interest in the arts. She wrote poems; sketched, wrote and acted in plays; and later became a skilled painter and sculptor...Juliette Gordon Low spent several years searching for something useful to do with her life. Her search ended in 1911, when she met Sir Robert Baden-Powell, founder of the Boy Scouts and Girl Guides, and became interested in the new youth movement. Afterwards, she channeled all her considerable energies into the fledgling movement...Less than a year later, she returned to the United States and made her historic telephone call to a friend (a distant cousin), saying, "I've got something for the girls of Savannah, and all of America, and all the world, and we're going to start it tonight!" On March 12, 1912, Juliette Low gathered 18 girls to register the first troop of American Girl Guides. Margaret "Daisy Doots" Gordon, her niece and namesake, was the first registered member. The name of the organization was changed to Girl Scouts the following year...In developing the Girl Scout movement in the United States, Juliette brought girls of all backgrounds into the out-of-doors, giving them the opportunity to develop self-reliance and resourcefulness. She encouraged girls to prepare not only for traditional homemaking, but also for possible future roles as professional women—in the arts, sciences and business—and for active citizenship outside the home. Girl Scouting welcomed disabled girls at a time when they were excluded from many other activities. This idea seemed quite natural to Juliette, who never let deafness, back problems or cancer keep her from full participation in life...From the original 18 girls, Girl Scouting has grown to 3.7 million members. Girl Scouts is the largest educational organization for girls in the world and has influenced the more than 50 million girls, women and men who have belonged to it.

Julian of Norwich (c. November 8, 1342 – c. 1416)

Julian of Norwich is considered to be one of the greatest English mystics. Little is known of her life aside from her writings... Julian had a series of intense visions...She recorded these visions soon after having them, and then again twenty years later in far more theological depth. They are the source of her major work, called Sixteen Revelations of Divine Love (circa 1393). This is believed to be the first book written by a woman in the English language.^[2] Julian became well known throughout England as a spiritual authority: Margery Kempe mentions going to Norwich to speak with Julian.^[3]...Although she lived in a time of turmoil, Julian's theology was optimistic, speaking of God's love in terms of joy and compassion as opposed to law and duty. For Julian, suffering was not a punishment that God inflicted, as was the common understanding. Julian's ground-breaking theology was that God loved and saved us all. Popular theology magnified by current events including the Black Death and a series of Peasant Revolts assumed that God was punishing the wicked. In response, Julian suggested a far more optimistic theology, universal salvation. Because she believed that beyond the reality of hell is yet a greater mystery of God's love, she has also been referred to in modern times as a proto-universalist.^{[citation needed]}..As part of her differing view of God as compassionate and loving, she wrote of the trinity in domestic terms and compares Jesus to a mother who is wise, loving, and merciful. (See Jesus as Mother by Carolyn Walker Bynum.) Similarly, she connects God with motherhood in terms of 1) "the foundation of our nature's creation, 2) "the taking of our nature, where the motherhood of grace begins" and 3) "the motherhood at work" and speaks metaphorically of Jesus in connection with conception, nursing, labor, and upbringing. She, like many other great mystics, used female language for God as well as the more traditional male pronouns. Even though her views were not typical, local authorities did not challenge either her theology or her authority to make such faith claims because of her status as an anchoress.

Prayer for Purpose

If I'm to find purpose
can't keep living on the surface
if my body is a temple
then my body's where the church is
I may not always be certain
but as long as I know I'm searching
if we are who we're waiting for
then our search is really urgent

Lost in this matrix
I must find the oracle
in hopes of discovering what I can do
that'd be a pure outpour of soul
purpose is priceless
one can still be poor with gold
help me answer my inner questions
so they don't sound rhetorical

When I think I've gone miles
God says there's more to go
please just help me say yes
when the flesh tells me no
may my inner compass guide me
as I approach my godly goals
one only grows to holy
when they realize that they're whole

Ashe. Amen. And so it is.

The 8Ps of Purpose

The 8 Principles of Purpose have been consolidate from the original 13P of Purpose and grouped into two parts; 1. Where am I? and 2. Where am I going? If I am lost in a major city and I call a friend who lives here, these are the first two questions that they will ask me. If I don't answer BOTH of these questions, no matter how much my friend loves me and wants to see me reach my destination, they can't help me answer the third question...3. How do I get there? Below you will find the 8Ps and my answers to the questions.

Part 1: Where am I?

1. Principles: How do I measure success?
2. Passions: What activities do I love doing?
3. Problems: What social, science, 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 my life?
6. Pioneers: Who are my models? Mentors? Guides?
7. Positioning: What do I want to be #1 in the world at?
8. Possibility: How will people experience life differently because of me?
_____________________________________________________
Jullien's 8Ps

Part 1: Where am I?

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

I value love, life, and energy which is Spirit. I believe that these elements are cultivated in the context of community, where people feel free to live on purpose, and seek the Creator within themselves. We all have a purpose. Personal development isn't personal. The purpose of life is to find and fulfill our purpose, love God, love self, and love others. We are all divine expressions of one Creator. Words have power. Thoughts held in mind produce after their kind.

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

I love building community, counseling, coaching, developing self, playing soccer, eating with friends, organizing information, planning events, public speaking, writing. They all involve facilitating some sort of conversation between individuals, institutions, and/or information.

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

How do people discover their purpose and reach their full potential? I want to cure wasted potential and purposelessness.

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

The millennial generation, anywhere I feel called.

Part 2: Where am I going?

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

I envision a world where people have the freedom to live purposefully, love unconditionally, and learn freely. In that world, I envision myself writing books, poetry, and music, speaking, learning, teaching, coaching, consulting, creating organizations, financing ideas, employing people, and developing tools and curriculum.

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

• Alcoholics Anonymous for its owner-member model and cultivation of 1. community 2. meaning, and 3. spiritual intimacy
  
• Oprah Winfrey for her use of media to empower women of all cultures and backgrounds
  
• Jesus for his conviction and use of simple metaphors to communicate spiritual principles
• Bob Marley for his commitment to spread the universal messages of love, peace, and unity
• Bill Drayton of Ashoka for his vision and commitment to the development of people
• Rick Warren for his work with Purpose Driven Life
• Michael Beckwith for his manifestation of Agape Spiritual Center
• Marcus Buckingham for his work in aligning career with strengths
• Chip Anderson for mentoring me on the importance of strengths based living while at UCLA
  

5 Phases of the Pursuit of Purpose

1. Inquiring = starting to question

2. Investigating = starting to explore

3. Invoking = starting to voice it to others

4. Investing = starting to put energy (time, money, etc) into it

5. Inspiring = starting to move others to pursue their purpose

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Maslow had it all wrong. His hierarchy of needs suggest that we must advance through the levels of physiological, safety, social, and ego in order to even consider self-actualization. That is false. Does not even the poorest of the poor contemplate their purpose? Self-actualization is not something restricted to the rich. As a matter of fact, it is our pursuit of the lower four levels that ultimately prevents us actualizing our full self! Many work so hard in search of security and social acceptance that by the time they retire, they have no energy left to contemplate who they could have been.

The higher always includes the lower. If you have a gold membership at a health club, you get all of the privileges of the silver and bronze members. Therefore, we should seek self-actualization first, and everything below it will come. Consider all of the people who have had huge impact on the world - Gandhi, King, Jesus, Mother Theresa, etc. By seeking self-actualization first, everything below came to them. Did you know that today, the Nobel Prize comes with a cash grant of of $1.4 million? The ironic thing is that none of these enlightened beings were seeking a monetary prize, security, or to fulfill their own ego. They all recognized that their eternal reward was spiritual.

May we all flip our pyramids upside down and make certain that we are seeking the highest reward first and not the lowest reward because it is first. The higher always includes the lower.

"But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." - Matthew 6:33

Inspired by Sophia, Ernest, & CJ

For those of you in search of purpose, look no further than within yourselves. Here are 13 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.

1. Person: What do I value? Who do I want to be?
2. Passions: What do I love doing and why?
3. Problems: What social, science, technical, and/or personal question do I want to answer?
4. People: Who do I want to serve?
5. Place: Where do I want to impact?
6. Pain: What am I trying to heal or positively impact?
7. Power: What motivates/inspires me?
8. Picture: What's my vision?
9. Pioneers: Who are my models? Mentors? Guides?
10. Path: What are the steps? What are my short and long term goals?
11. Pressures: What internal and external life forces are affecting me right now?
12. Positioning: What do I want to master? What do I want to be #1 in the world at?
13. Potential: Why do I believe that I can do it? Why am I the one?

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Jullien's 13 Ps

1. Person: What do I value? Who do I want to be?

The foremost thinker and implementer of self education (passions + problems = purpose) as a means for personal and social transformation.

Building community, counseling, coaching, developing self, playing soccer, eating with friends, organizing information, planning events, public speaking, writing

The millennial generation

• The Spirit in You
  
• My mother and her story
• My mentees
• My mentors
  
• Spiritual texts
• All creation
  

• Bill Drayton of Ashoka
  
• Ernest Holmes of the Religious Science Movement
  
• Oprah Winfrey & Harpo Networks
• Jesus
  
• John Rice of Management Leadership for Tomorrow
  

• Build Mylinia.com, an online personal transformation platform
  
• Write a book on purpose-finding
• Continue blogging at www.julliengordon.blogspot.com
  

• Extending my definition of family beyond people of African descent and those who already love me
• Overcoming my fear of huge success
• Learning how to ask for help
  

I believe that my purpose is to help as many people as possible reach their full potential by helping them identify their purpose and progress toward it and in the process of doing so reach my own.

Today, my purpose was confirmed. While on campus, I saw a woman looking at a campus map. Without thinking twice, I approached her and asked her if she needed help. She said “No thank you” and proceeded on her way. Moments later another woman approached me and asked me if I knew where a particular event was taking place. I asked her if she knew the building name and she said “No”, so I called a friend who I thought would know about an event of that nature. Sure enough, not only did he know about the event, he helped organize it! I found where she was supposed to be and then pointed her in the right direction.

As I contemplated these two back-to-back events, I realized that whenever people are lost on campus, for some reason, they always ask me for help. I also have a tendency to offer my service whenever I see someone standing at a campus map or holding one in their hands. What’s even more ironic is that I actually keep maps in my backpack for those times when people come up to me ask for directions!

Our purposes manifest in our daily behaviors. Hints are hidden everywhere and in every moment. Below are three places to look for purpose:

1. Compliments: Oftentimes because certain things come so naturally to us, we don’t think twice about them. But other people notice; they usually compliment us on those very things. “You’re good at this.” “How did you do that?” “Who is the world does that!”

2. Childhood: If we take time to reflect, we can also find instances in our childhood that reveal our purpose. For instance, my friends used to call me “Navigator Newt” because I knew how to find anything, even when we didn’t have directions.

3. Confidence: Have you ever been in the zone/flow? We typically think of being in the zone as a sports thing. Think about your personal highlight reel and try to find common patterns during those moments.

Live purposefully!

Inspired by Sobonfu Some