The Power of Purpose

I have recently viewed a video on the power of purpose.  When our purpose is aligned with good and true principles and motives...that is when awesomeness happens.  
Just think about it:
--what is my ultimate purpose in playing games with my children?  It can be many things: to help them learn; to enjoy time together; to win; to assert authority; to kill time. If my purpose is one of the first two(service-based), it will guide my actions to create a fantastic environment. If it is any of the latter (which are all pride-based), contention will arise.

--what is my ultimate purpose in having jobs done in the morning?  Let's look at superficial purposes in this case: to get the house clean and to teach my children to work.  Okay, but why?  Why do we want the house clean?  Why do we want to teach our children to work?  First one: well, we want it clean so we can learn better together, so things don't get ruined, so we have a feeling of peace in our home...so I'll choose the last one as the higher purpose.  Okay, why do I want a feeling of peace in my home?  Well, the main reason why is because then we are more free to feel the Spirit direct us.

Now, let's look at the power of that godly purpose: to feel the Spirit.  If that is the purpose of my cleaning and I recognize that purpose, I will move forward in a manner that is more true to that purpose: I won't yell at my children to get it done.  The end is not a clean house, remember? It is to feel the Spirit.

--what is my ultimate purpose in teaching children math?  To pass the ACT, to prepare for higher levels of learning, to learn to reason, to discern truth and patterns.  Well, it may be different for each one of us.  For me, it is the last.  Why do I want them to discern truth and patterns?  So they can be prepared to discern truth and patterns in all their learning.  Well, if that is my ultimate purpose in teaching math, is their daily math "requirements" going to look different?

Now, let's take this one step deeper: what if the students also knows the ultimate purpose and that it is tied to their well-being?  Not in a manipulative, authoritative way, but in a way where they truly know that we love them and we are seeking their best interest.  Then invite them to participate.

Check out the second story in "Mathematicians are People, Too": "The teacher who paid his student," the story of Pythagoras.  What price are we willing to pay for our ultimate purpose?  It might just change the way that we approach our children with education plans and goals.

And it will look different in each home.  Enjoy the freedom of following a good and true and personalized purpose in your home!