342.366 - 2016 project and living on purpose

every day in 2016, write a sentence or a paragraph or a poem that appreciates

living on purpose

OMG!  I feel like I just stepped into Carlsbad Caverns with a candle.  there's a lot to explore here.  let me start with a little context.  a few days ago, I told you I learned a lot from Werner Erhard.  this is some more of what I learned.  I apply it, and have for thirty+ years now, in cooperation with two of my friends who also learned a lot from Werner Erhard, or from the staff of his organization, or what used to be his organization.  I choose not to get involved with the history of all that, just to plunge on in to what we three do.  to begin with, we pledge to live as our word.  that's a helluva promise, and yes, each of us breaks it from time to time, cleans up the ensuing mess, then remakes the promise.  standing in that promise, each of us declares his or her vision, for the world and for her- or himself.  in the context of that vision, each of us chooses goals for his or her life.  holding those goals, each of us makes promises for what she or he will get done in the next week.  no, we don't go through all of this each week.  we usually set our visions and goals every six months, sometimes as often as every quarter.  then we make promises every week, promises the keeping of which move us toward our goals.  each of us acts as a committed listener and coach for the other two, so each of us has two committed listeners and coaches.  I cannot tell you how we might have lived without this set of tools, but living with this set of tools has changed each of us enormously.  one of us got a Ph.D. and became a lecturer.  one of us turned himself into an artist.  I developed strength as a writer, as a poet, as a story-maker.  for me there is the satisfaction of keeping my promises, of seeing myself purposefully move toward my goals.  I also get something from wrestling every three to six months with what *is* my vision for myself and for my world, what goals do I set given that vision?  it's an interesting and curious way to live.  every week is a revelation, and often a clarification.  and in the end, it means nothing at all, but damn it sure provides satisfaction.  yes, I appreciate living on purpose.