Purposefulness
"Our calling is where our deepest gladness and the world's hunger meet." -Frederick Buechner
"Purposefulness is being aware that each of us is here for a reason. We value our lives by discovering the part we are uniquely meant to play. We discern our intention and focus on it mindfully. We visualize it happening. We set goals and achieve them step by step, resisting distractions. We give each task single-minded concentration and excellence… Purposefulness is trusting the journey."
-excerpted with permission from Virtues Reflection Cards by Linda Kavelin Popov
visit http://www.virtuesproject.com/uscart/browse.html
Last weekend I had the privilege of hearing Greg Mortenson speak to a standing-room-only audience of young, middle aged, and elderly folks. Mr. Mortenson is the author of the best-selling book, Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Mission to Promote Peace … One School at a Time. On this chilly, fall day in Seattle, people were lined up around the block to hear this "gentle giant" of a man speak. 250 people were turned away because there was no more room. He began his talk by quoting, "When the heart speaks, take notes."
Several years ago, Mortenson, a mountain climber, was descending from K-2 in the Himalayan mountains. After missing the summit by 600 meters, he became separated from his fellow climbers, and was exhausted, disoriented, and very ill. He was found by his Balti porter, restored by yak butter tea enough to walk some more; again he lost his way until he arrived at Korphe, a remote village in Pakistan. The rugged, friendly Muslim villagers took him in and nursed him back to health. When he was well enough to walk around, he found that 82 of the village children were attending school outdoors on a frosty mountain ledge; they had no books, paper or pencils, and because the village couldn't afford the teacher's salary of $1 per day, their teacher came only three days a week. But everyday they showed up, eager to learn what they could. Mortenson promised to return to the village and build a school. Little did he know what that would take.
His heart was touched, and he took notes.
Mortenson quickly learned that it took three cups of tea to do business: "the first you are a stranger, the second you become a friend, and the third you join the family and for our family we are prepared to do anything-even die." Thus began his quest to serve the remote village people in Pakistan and Afghanistan by building schools and educating all the children, including the girls. To date, Mortenson and his grass roots organization, Central Asia Institute, has provided materials to build 63 schools in countries where most villagers, especially women, have little or no education. He acted on trust, faith, and hard work that somehow, some way, it would be possible to raise the funds necessary and overcome overwhelming challenges for this worthy endeavor to succeed.
Interestingly, his editor initially titled the book: Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Mission to Fight Terrorism. Mortenson objected, asking for the previous subtitle. The editors prevailed in the first printing, but sales were lacklustre. The paperback version was later printed as Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Mission to Promote Peace… One School at a Time, and it has sold over 500,000 copies without any major publicity or promotion. Mortenson believes people are tired of operating out of fear and are yearning for peace and to be of service to others. Greg Mortenson has found his purpose, and his mission is to promote and provide community-based education and literacy programs, especially for girls, in remote mountain regions of Central Asia.
Greg Mortenson is a hero-a purposeful, humble man of great love, courage, caring, steadfastness and service.
For more info. go to http://www.ikat.org
Questions for Reflection:
What touches my heart and how will I serve?
What is the part I am uniquely meant to play?
What obstacles prevent me from following my heart's desire.
What virtues will help me in my mission or quest?