Determination – ElPropósito3 min de lectura

Moral strength

Writing something as powerful as a life purpose statement brings two big challenges. First, it becomes a moral beacon. Second, once it is written, it comes alive and stays with you for good. It takes moral strength to live by a purpose, an ordered life of values and principles. Moving within that framework can feel complicated, and it may seem easier to live with supposedly greater freedom. But what freedom are we talking about when there is no frame of reference and we simply go through the motions? Freedom demands responsibility, so the very next question should be: freedom for what? To act in harmony with our neighbor, with nature, with God, with animals and, without leaving ourselves out, with ourselves. Freedom, moral strength and purpose go hand in hand. Human beings are free to act as long as our actions harm no one. For that we need the moral strength to stay firm on the path, while purpose sets the direction of what we do.

One example of moral strength I like to think about is what a person needs when learning something new by choice: the strength to take everything absorbed in training and start down a new road toward something he supposedly went looking for. Why do I say supposedly? Because many decisions of this kind are made just for the sake of it, with no clear purpose, without considering how easily interest can fade until you quit or, as we used to say at university, coast through without absorbing anything and without the moral strength, now truly needed, to make a change. One exercise I find valuable is a brief visualization of the expected result. Imagine the future has already arrived and you already have the result you were after. Then reflect on the behaviors, resources and tools you needed to get there. The analysis is eye-opening, and in many cases it reveals a very strict change of habits.

The same is true of changing habits: putting them into practice takes moral strength. How so? We are often well aware that we need to eat well, sleep enough, exercise and so on. The theory is clear and we know we should do it. The problem lies in putting it into practice, precisely for lack of a clear purpose and, above all, of moral strength. We need to do that visualization exercise and take notes on which changes we must make to achieve what we set out to do.

Moral strength is the price we pay to make the changes we need to make. It is the capacity to act with integrity, courage and perseverance in pursuit of what is good and just, even in the face of hardship. How do we gain that strength? It is a key question. From a Christian point of view, which I love and am passionate about, it is a gift from the Holy Spirit, one we can ask for again and again. We can also build it by reflecting on the values that guide us through life (have we written them down?) and on our short, medium and long-term goals (are they realistic? Do I have goals at all? Are they in writing? Are they challenging? Do they truly move me toward something bigger than themselves?). Last but not least, discipline is the tool that has let me build habits I never thought I could have.

My conclusion is that moral strength and purpose go hand in hand. You cannot make decisions without a clear life purpose, and you cannot expect meaningful change without developing moral strength. Put more positively: deep change comes bound up with values, purpose and moral strength.

Warm regards and all the best,

Rodrigo Baccaro

Author: Rodrigo Baccaro

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