The Purpose Project, Center for Spirituality and Healing, Academic Health Center at the University of Minnesota

What's Inside The Purpose Project
 
 

What is the Purpose Project?

Discovering our purpose in life means asking and answering the essential question, “What makes me want to get out of bed in the morning?” Why is our answer important? Because purpose dramatically affects aging! As society finds itself facing an unprecedented longevity revolution, The Purpose Project will explore new ground in vital aging and retirement.

What is Purpose?

We are born with a purpose. Some of us never question our purpose and so it remains unspoken our whole lives. Our purpose is the reason we are alive. Purpose is not a job or a role. It is a cradle-to-grave, round-the-clock unifying principle in our daily lives. Purpose is that deepest belief within us where we have a profound sense of who we are, where we came from, and where we’re going. It is the quality or thread we choose to shape our lives around. It is a source of deep meaning and vitality.

Why is Purpose Important?

Purpose has a dramatic affect on aging and retirement. Science is beginning to validate what many people have known intuitively all along. When it comes to the transitions and challenges of aging, purpose is essential. Purpose gives us the will to live. Without purpose we die. With purpose we live with meaning and dignity. It is the one thing that cannot be taken away from us. Think about the will to live that empowers terminally ill people to extend their lives beyond expectation. Studies are indicating that when we believe in something larger than ourselves, we strengthen our ability to cope with transitions and change. When faced with the inevitable transitions, purpose can sustain and help us grow whole. The Purpose Project How a generation with means and medicine searches for meaning

The Purpose Project explores Personal and Professional Paths.

Personal
• Through the Working On Purpose™ program, we offer a workshop to help people discover the power of purpose in the second half of life.

Professional
• Through the Purpose Project Guild, we are developing new models, maps, tools and programs to aid coaches and facilitators in helping their patients, clients and associates discover the power of purpose.
• Through annual Guild gatherings, we are convening leading edge thinking partners into a vital and growing community to explore best practices in aging and retirement.  

Click the links at right for Purpose Project workshops and resources.


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The University of Minnesota is an equal opportunity educator and employer.

Last modified on Tuesday Apr 26, 2005

This page is located at http://www.ahc.umn.edu//csh/programs/purpose.html