Creating a Mission with Meaning
I recently watched Mission: Joy, Finding Happiness in Troubled Times, a documentary on Netflix that bears witness to the incredible friendship between Archbishop Desmond Tutu and the 14th Dalai Lama. I laughed, cried and felt deeply moved by the meaning they each have cultivated, discovered and created, individually in their work, as well as in their friendship. It was evident that their life missions have been made even more meaningful because of the hardships they have endured. It is astounding how doing the hard work to overcome obstacles in our lives increases our work’s meaning, gives it focus, and ultimately, creates joy for ourselves and others.
Knowing our mission, individually or collectively, is essential to moving in a specific direction with like-minded people. For some, defining the mission comes about as a result of a meaningful experience. For others, defining the mission is a first step to creating meaning and giving ourselves or our business a clear purpose. In either case, one thing is clear: meaning and mission are directly linked. They are somewhat of a chicken (meaning) and egg (mission) phenomenon; it’s not always obvious which comes first, and they are each vital to the other’s existence. A mission without meaning is flat, lacks substance and won’t succeed in the long run. Meaning without a mission lacks participation, interaction and drive; it can exist on its own, but when it is connected with a mission, it can grow exponentially.
In the cases of the Archbishop and the Dalai Lama, they each found themselves in profoundly troubling socio-political situations that called them individually to rise and become the leaders their people needed. In this sense, the meaning came first for them. Their direct experience sparked a sense of urgency in each of them to act in accordance with their people’s highest good in mind in order to preserve, protect and fight for (in their own non-violent ways) what meant the most to them.
“If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor.” -Archbishop Desmond Tutu
As one of the greatest anti-apartheid and human rights activists in South Africa and the world, the Archbishop led his people, through non-violent means, to freedom. The Dalai Lama, exiled for the majority of his life from his homeland, has been a powerful advocate for the liberation of Tibet, and in publicly sharing his messages of compassion and peaceful revolution, has inspired peaceful living worldwide. Both spiritual leaders won the Nobel Peace Prize and made peace their mission and main priority in life. In so doing, their paths crossed, and their alignment and respect for each other’s missions created a natural opening for friendship.
What is unexpected and delightful when watching the documentary in which they are interviewed together is how much joy they exude and openly share. They delight in each other’s presence and are even childlike and playful. It is a beautiful demonstration of how their similar mission-driven values and shared humanity naturally evoke joy.
When we craft or revise our mission for our personal life or our business, in light of what I have learned from these two extraordinary and joyful leaders, I see three steps to create and live out a mission with meaning:
Listen to your own calling as well as the needs of others around you. When we pay attention to others’ needs, we do not need to invent a product, service or purpose out of thin air; clients, patients, constituents, even family members, will tell us what they need. It is our job to listen and respond accordingly.
Look within and find the connection we have to the need. Why are we being called to provide this? What skills, tools or resources do we have access to in order to meet the need that makes us an ideal fit? How are we inspired by the meaning that meeting this need will give us? [Once we have done these first two steps, we can write our mission down or revise what we currently have. Keeping it simple will help you focus; 1-2 sentences is great.]
Live your mission with intention and focus. Channel your energy into fulfilling your mission on a daily basis. Draw energy from the meaning it gives you to be mission-driven, and adjust as needed to ensure you are truly finding and giving meaning.
Follow these three steps, and the joy will take care of itself. It is a brilliant byproduct of living and working from a mission with meaning.
“...as soon as I wake up, I remember Buddha’s teaching: the importance of kindness and compassion, wishing something good for others, or at least to reduce their suffering. Then I remember that everything is interrelated, the teaching of interdependence. So then I set my intention for the day: that this day should be meaningful. Meaningful means, if possible, serve and help others. If not possible, then at least not to harm others. That’s a meaningful day.” -14th Dalai Lama
In The Book of Joy, the book that inspired the documentary and from which the quote above is taken, there is a chapter on suffering and adversity. Suffering and adversity are so often seen in a negative light and as things to be avoided, however this chapter turns this concept on its head. The Archbishop and Dalai Lama discuss ways in which suffering and adversity actually provide opportunities that help us grow and contribute to our lives’ meaning, and ultimately, our joy. As the interviewer and author, Douglas Abrams, writes, “The depth of our suffering can also result in the height of our joy.” There are bound to be obstacles, suffering and adversity as we each pursue our missions in life, through business and otherwise. With this enlightened perspective, we can welcome those situations with curiosity and acknowledge how they shape us and help us grow, even how they make us feel the great heights of joy.
There is so much to be learned from watching, listening to and reading works by leaders like these two. With clear and meaningful missions, they not only derive(d) great meaning from their work, but have given meaning to humanity a hundredfold. I believe one of the greatest ways to honor them and their contributions is to create our own missions ripe with meaning and live them to the fullest. And of course, share our missions with dear friends who make us laugh and remind us of the abiding joy inherent in living a meaningful life.
