What is your life for?

Category: Editorial

I have recently returned from a visit to Saudi Arabia. In the cultural guidebook I read before I left, there is a statement that fascinated me. It was to the effect that Saudi Arabia is a very good place to work if you want to save money. Since there is no public entertainment or anything else to spend your money on you can save a lot of money.

Many people stay for a couple of years, send money to their families and return home. But some stay for ten years just for the sake of saving money. The implication was; deny yourself for ten years and you can become (materially) rich.

It seemed to me that it is rather pointless deliberately to deny your life pleasure for the sole purpose of saving money with which to buy pleasure later. Money is a means to an end, not an end in itself. What is life for? To deny life's pleasures is a form of martyrdom.

Many of us have this weekend been celebrating Easter, in memory of one Middle Eastern Jew who allowed himself to be sacrificed for the benefit of others. We hear a lot these days of modern martyrdoms – often at the cost of other people's lives. But even at the root of these martyrdoms there is a belief in benefit for others; it could be said that true martyrdom, therefore, is an act of love, a gift.

But I know people for whom a milder form of sacrifice, maybe for their families, is more a selfish act of self justification than a joyous gift. What is life for?

When working with individuals and organisations Brefi Group consultants often apply Robert Dilts' Neurological Levels model, the highest level of which addresses this issue. In different versions it is described as 'purpose', 'spirituality', 'connection with the outside world'. This is the level at which inspiration and leadership can appear. It matches well with the top of Maslow's hierarchy of needs – self actualisation. These touch people's personal mission in life.

If an organisation can connect with the higher purposes of its members, then people will be inspired to work with the organisation. Issues of motivation, retention and stress will disappear and the organisation will behave as a high powered team.

What is the purpose of your life? What is the purpose of your organisation? In each case, whatever you find, notice how it is really a means of achieving personal fulfilment.

That is why Brefi Group's slogan is "Releasing Human Potential". Release someone's potential and you help them fulfil their potential – and become more complete human beings.

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