The Two Universal Values

Purpose

The other, and in my mind much more significant, universal value is purpose. We talk about our “place in the world”, “the meaning of life”, etc. If our foundation is security, the structure we want to build on top of it is purpose.

We all want to do something that matters. We want to be a part of something significant. We want to be remembered and acknowledged and valued.

Purpose is the quintessential human value.

But purpose is a bit of an enigma. It seems as though the best we can do is participate in it. We never feel as though we have got it perfectly figured out/executed. Again, we slip into power, control, and comfort in an attempt to master our need for purpose and to bend everyone to our will.

Once we understand that purpose is our main driver, we can structure our lives accordingly. We need to start with purpose, be intentional about it. We need to figure out how to communicate purposes within our relationships and organizations – even within our own self.

Purpose is the thing you long for. All roads lead to this ultimate value. The good news is you can find it. The bad news is it may not look like what you imagine. But the first step is acknowledging that we are people hungry for purpose, desperate for meaning.