Life’s Meaning and Purpose

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Do we really believe that life has meaning and purpose?

The Powerful Question process is ultimately an intentional way to find purpose. However, that can make some people uncomfortable. Why? Because a purpose driven life makes us accountable. It means “walking the talk.” That knowing and that accountability is the ultimate form of acceptance.

The good news is that being accountable to a purpose also frees us up. I will explore this acceptance and his freedom over the course of the next few weeks.

Holy Week

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A palm waving parade ushers in the last act of the incarnation story, an act that culminates on Golgotha and a tomb-like cave nearby.

It wasn’t a new story. Some experts say Isaiah foretold it. And, Plato wrote about it 400 yearsearlier in The Allegory of the Cave. But, Jesus the Christ added a new act, a curtain call if you will.

Martin Luther King Jr. knew the cave story. In fact, he referenced Plato by name in his “I Have A Dream Speech.” He knew what waited for him as he entered the cave and tried to tell those chained there about the light and truth that existed outside.

Abraham Lincoln, John F. Kennedy and Robert Kennedy all knew the cave story. Most recently Alexei Navalny looked into the cameras and gave a heart shaped gesture with his hands as he descended into the Russian cave they called a “corrective colony.”

As we pray, worship and relive this Holy Week, it is appropriate to ask whether we have left thecave or are still residing there ourselves. Jesus showed us there is another act for those witheyes to see and ears to hear.

Authenticity

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The theme of authenticity surfaces for people as they search for their Powerful Question. “What is it to be authentic?”

We can substitute the words “real” or “true” for authentic, as it refers to our naked, unvarnished self. Most of us prefer not to expose ourselves to that level of scrutiny, but a Powerful Question calls us to that task.

Socrates said it point-blank, “An unexamined life is not worth living.” He was referencing our need to live a purposeful life.

Once found, our Powerful Question begins to strip away and free ourselves from the layers of self-image and illusion we construct to “fit in,” and at times, hide. What is left is the naked child God brought into the world, perfectly vulnerable, perfectly beautiful, and perfectly loving.

I think that is what the season of Lent is calling us to do, be authentic.

Brokenness

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Continuing to explore the life-changing impact of a Powerful Question, I note that the theme of“brokenness” appears from time to time. “Must I be broken?” and “Why must I be broken?”

The answer, to the first question is, of course, yes. In order to become a person who can fulfill God’s plan, we must be “broken” enough that God’s grace can pour in and glue us back together from the inside out. What we must not do is accept this as being powerless. This is power derived from a deep connection with Christ’s own suffering.

Jesus Christ submitted himself to the most demeaning and tortuous brokenness imaginable. It was his testament to what love requires and does.

As a theme that emerges in your life, reflect on whether you are resisting or embracing brokenness. If you have been resisting brokenness, what is it costing you? What fear is holding you back?

Your Thoughts?

Life Changing Benefits

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Second installment of the life-changing benefits of a Powerful Question.

Boundary has surfaced as a theme for a few people in the Powerful Question process. “What is boundary?” and, “What are my boundaries?” can indicate an inability to fully feel one’s own life, both its limits, and its possibilities.

Poor attachment experiences during early childhood can diminish the emotional skin needed for a healthy level of boundary and self-worth. That makes genuine connection with others difficult. Relationships become more like looking in a mirror than connecting. “I see you, but only as I see myself reflected in you,” and, “Your expression of affection means I have an obligation I will have to figure out.”

Connecting in meaningful relationship is seeing ourselves and others as more than just reflections. It is accepting that we need others, not because they can give us what we want, but because we cannot create a purposeful life without them. This is letting go of false pride and embracing true humility.

Boundary, the space we occupy as “us” is co-created!

The Next Phase -Thoughts?

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Does a Powerful Question have practical value? What does it do for you in real life?

Saying it gives you a path to purpose can sound vague and kind of cliché. In an attempt to bring it down to practical terms, let’s look at the kinds of questions people have discovered in their life story and narrative.

Having been at this for over ten years I have noticed certain themes tend to repeat. One of those themes is the concept of belonging. “What does it mean to belong?” has surfaced in different ways for a number of people. Does that Question bring some new understanding or awareness to the person asking it? Does it generate a plan of action that leads to purpose?

I would suggest that belonging is a basic human need, as basic as foods and water. Asking that Question empowers a person to seek, ask, and expect to belong, not just with a certain group or persons, but with whatever is not belonging in themselves. That kind of seeking and expecting can lead to countless possibilities.

I have had the privilege of participating with the Start the Cycle program for a few years now in Marquette, Michigan. This program is directed by Laura MacDonald, a Powerful Question advocate who found her Question in 2011. Laura and her volunteer mentors help dozens of “at-risk” youngsters each year step up to the challenge and fun of mountain biking. As great as that is, the thing that I see most in these young people is the feeling of belonging and being valued. Their faces light up like Christmas trees as they first put on their team jersey before their big race. Some of have never belonged to anything except their family before. That is the real gift that keeps giving, and the real legacy that Laura is leaving behind.

Those are my thoughts. What are yours?


John

The Next Phase

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Since 2011 I have helped people find their powerful questions in classes, workshops and retreats. My goal has always been to help as many people as possible find their question and their path to God’s purpose.

Powerful Question does just that. I am proud to say, there is a growing community of people willing to invest time and energy to help it grow. I, and the My Powerful Question Institute, Board of Directors, are making plans to expand our reach and bring Powerful Question to its next phase.

The Holy Spirit continues to guide this effort. Further proof was provided when my art instructor (yes, I am taking art classes) volunteered to draft a comprehensive business plan for the organization. His name is Steve Puttrich. He is an accomplished artist, inventor and retired corporate designer who told me that his Powerful Question has been front and center in his work for many years. His plan is providing us the template for growth and expansion.

Meanwhile, others are coming forward with ideas and input to make this plan happen. I will admit that I am somewhat scared of what growth may mean, but I am more scared of seeing Your Most Powerful Question not reach its full potential.

You will be hearing more as planning develops. Please pray for these efforts.


John

Overcoming Judgement

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Marcus Aurelias, Roman Emperor and stoic philosopher, is credited with the phrase: “The obstacle is the way.” But what if I am the obstacle because of my judgments and expectations?

If I can instantly see the faults in others, it means I am projecting my own faults and fears onto them. A powerful question gives me the freedom to examine my own life and see myself and others more objectively.

Pursuing my own Powerful Question leads me to understand how self-judgment is embracing my fear, not overcoming it. And, judging others keeps me separate, unconnected and isolated.

Happy New Year

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It’s January and many of us turn our thoughts to goals and plans for the new year.  I do too.

It also seems like a good time to remember why.  What’s the end goal here? Is it simply a matter of doing better and being better? Or, is it a subconscious knowing that all this is about leaving a legacy someday?  And what exactly is a legacy?

Many would point to offspring and some would point to wealth. Still others would point to good memories left behind with friends and family. I think of the legacy my parents left me. Apart from genetics, the biggest legacy they left was what they taught me.

Legacy is what we teach others, whether by word or example. And, the most beneficial thing we can teach others is what we learn from pursuing our own powerful questions. My parents went through the great depression and my father was an immigrant who arrived here at age 18. He then fought in World War II. I can only imagine the questions he had about life, death and meaning. I can’t tell you his most powerful question, he never shared like that, but, I can tell you what his questions produced. It was written on every look and spelled out in every expectation;  the value of work, the value of family, and especially the value of living our faith.

As you think of the new year, think of legacy and what you are teaching. If you are not sure, your first resolution should be to find your powerful question. That question will lead you to what you are meant to teach.

Your Place in God’s Plan

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Finding your Powerful Question is nothing less than an intentional search for your purpose in life. The My Powerful Question Institute is founded on the belief that we each have a place and a role in God’s plan. Finding that role, and then living it, is the ultimate calling we all have.

Dr. Nicholas Pearce wrote an inspiring book, The Purpose Path, that spells out the purposeful approach to true success. He writes, “Success cannot be defined by the extent to which you achieve someone else’s measurement of impact. Instead, success must be defined by the extent to which you have been consistently faithful and focused on courageously walking your own purpose path.” (p. xviii)