On Purpose

At TLU we prepare students for lives of leadership and service, so it's no surprise that two of the most important questions floating in the air on campus are: How can I lead? And, how can I serve? These may sound like easy questions, but they are not. They are, in fact, the parent questions begetting a whole passel of questions with the same DNA. Am I being called to lead or to serve? Is it appropriate for me to lead or to serve in this particular situation? What is the best way to lead? To serve?  And so on. 

Despite the inherent complexities here, and maybe because of them, I believe that these questions are at the heart of your work as a college student. Yes, this is a writing class. Yes, you are studying to get a degree of some sort. But I want to suggest that it won't matter what kind of writer you become or what kind of degree you get, if you never explore a life in which you are called to a purpose much larger than these things.

In a community of faith like TLU, we can examine what it means to live life with a higher purpose in mind. We can strive to understand how God is calling us to share our talents and interests with the world. Maybe you don't align yourself with a particular faith life. Even so, I would suggest that there are virtues planted within you as part of your nature, like seeds waiting to bring forth something good for others. What might they yield?

In this final post, I invite you to consider the bigger picture. Do you feel that there is a higher purpose for your life? Why or why not? How does this purpose shape your daily life? 

Or, consider the strengths that were identified by the VIA Strengths Assessment. In what ways to you see these qualities allowing you to lead or to serve others?  

Thank you for the attention you have given to your blog this semester. I hope it has helped you sort out the highs and lows of your first semester at TLU. I look forward to reading your ideas soon.