Finding Your Principles and Purpose

Among the Sierra Nevada, California by Albert Bierstadt, 1868 (public domain - Wikipedia)

Welcome to Timeless & Timely. Every week, I share some stories from inspiring people from the past who can help us connect with the values that matter to us today. If you’re new here, please check our Archives and subscribe.

“What do we live for, if not to make life less difficult for others?”

— George Eliot, 1871

So much of leadership is simply about thinking of other people. Life is about thinking of other people.

In the previous entry, I wrote:

By spreading joy and happiness to others, we increase our own joy.

Of course, the joy we get from serving the needs of other people isn’t the motivating factor — it’s the wonderful side effect.

This is one of the reasons I’ve taken on more coaching clients: not only am I visibly helping them change and grow, but I derive immense satisfaction from seeing them learn.

When they express what’s important to them — not only in the sense of their goals, but what their values and principles are — it becomes easier to help them embrace behaviors that reflect that.

I recently came across a list of 25 principles that take into account many of these aspects and that could easily be used as a guide for leadership (and life) behaviors: