As humans, I believe each of us has a deep yearning in our hearts to know that we are here for a purpose. And how do we find the answer to the mystical questions, “What is my legacy? What am I supposed to do until I find it? Will I find it?”

I believe that Paul said it best when he wrote Philippians 3:10 “My determined purpose is that I may know Him, that I may progressively become more deeply and intimately acquainted with Jesus.“

When someone says to me “Help me to find my purpose,” I am humbled. I pray that my words will be guided by the Holy Spirit to gently walk beside a person on their journey, to be the light and love of Jesus and to meet the person right where they are, and to guide and encourage a deeper and more intimate relationship with Jesus, to know that His mercy, grace, forgiveness and love are endless.

I am reminded of a quote from Eric Liddle in the inspiring movie, Chariots of Fire when he said “I believe God made me for a purpose, but he also made me fast. And when I run I feel His pleasure.” That is a good starting place as you ponder the question, “What is my purpose?”.

So, I invite you to fill in the blank, “When I __________, I feel God’s pleasure.”

What is an energy drainer? Well, it is anything that you put up with, take on, adjust to or are dragged in to. An energy drainer can be someone else’s behavior, an annoying situation, a crossed boundary, a frustration or an unfinished project. Here are some examples of energy drainers: excessive clutter in the garage, cabinets, unfiled stack of papers, cluttered desk, the neighbors’ barking dog, a doorknob that is falling off, a leaking faucet, poor customer service, clothes that no longer fit, traffic, not being paid on time, and the list goes on.

Think of energy drainers as that little bit of white noise in the background. You’re not really aware of it, but it’s there and it’s having an effect on you and your performance. These energy drainers create friction and increase your frustration level. Energy drainers distract you from your focus because they are always there in the subconscious mind dancing around reminding you they need your attention. During times of major change and transition, excessive energy drainers can take an otherwise gifted, effective and skilled person and cause him or her to behave in uncharacteristic and unproductive ways. In effect, excessive energy drainers take an already difficult situation and turn it into chaos! Instead of allowing these to zap your energy, I want to encourage you to zap the energy drainers and reclaim your energy, one energy drainer at a time. Read More ›

Fact 1. As each goose flaps its wings, it creates an “uplift” for the birds that follow. By flying in a “V” formation, the whole flock has 71% greater flying range than if each bird flew alone.

Lesson. People who share a common direction and sense of community can get where they are going quicker and easier, because they are traveling on the thrust of each other.

Fact 2. When a goose falls out of formation, it suddenly feels the drag and resistance of flying alone. It quickly moves back into formation to take advantage of the lifting power of the bird immediately in front of it.

Lesson. If we have as much sense as a goose, we stay in formation with those headed where we want to go. We are willing to accept their help and give our help to others.

Fact 3. When the lead bird tires, it rotates back into the formation to take advantage of the lifting power of the bird immediately in front of it.

Lesson. It pays to take turns doing the hard tasks and sharing leadership. As with geese, people are interdependent on each others’ skills, capabilities, and unique arrangement of gifts, talents, or resources.

Fact 4. The geese flying in formation honk to encourage those up front to keep up their speed.

Lesson. We need to make sure our honking is encouraging. In groups where there is encouragement, the production is much greater. The power of encouragement (to stand by one’s heart or core values and to encourage the heart and core values of others) is the quality of honking we seek.

Fact 5. When a goose gets sick, wounded, or shot down, two geese drop out of formation and follow it down to help and protect it. They stay with it until it dies or is able to fly again. Then, they launch out with another formation to catch up with the flock.

Lesson. If we have as much sense as geese, we will stand by each other in difficult times as well as when we’re strong.

Note: Lessons from Geese was transcribed from a speech given by Angeles Arien at the 1991 Organizational Development Network. It was based on the work of Milton Olson. It circulated to the  Outward Bound staff throughout the United States.