The Perfect Complement – ElPropósito2 min de lectura

What fuels a purpose?

Photo by Smart on Unsplash

"Persist and resist" (Epictetus). A clear purpose lets us see things much more clearly. It’s the dawn of ideas and the sunset of uncertainty. Still, a clear vision and purpose don’t build themselves. It takes courage to keep going despite the obstacles. How does the courage to persist and resist end up beating genius itself?

In aviation, the engine is the power source that generates thrust, the force that keeps the plane in the air. Despite obstacles, and with a few adjustments, the engine keeps doing everything it can to get us through. It persists and resists. From takeoff, the GPS already shows the route, and the compass always points north on its own. Without an engine, we simply go nowhere. The engine drives the plane, and the pilot manages what happens in the cockpit.

Acting on several things at once only adds "noise" to the journey. It’s like asking the plane to climb, descend and bank all at once, when all we really want is to get from A to B. Only by staying focused on what we want to achieve does our purpose come into view.

Persistence and time bring purpose into focus. That’s why the counterpart of purpose is action, aligned action, the kind that keeps us on course even when we stumble after something goes wrong. Obstacles are part of the journey. Mountains are cleared from the outset, long before we’re standing in front of them. The engine is purpose, and the fuel is the drive to stay on the road.

The perfect complement to a purpose is action.

A big hug and all the best,

Rodrigo Baccaro

P.S. This week’s VELA:

• What I was watching: Creedence Clearwater Revival at the Royal Albert Hall. A great recommendation from my dear compadre Alberto. A concert that was recorded and never released, and a wonderful documentary about a band I love
  – What I was listening to: Jordan Peterson’s Vision for Conservatives. Jordan Peterson never stops surprising me. In this episode, what stands out for me in the manifesto is the family, an institution we must protect more and more
  – What I was reading: 21 Lessons for the 21st Century. A reread that kept me company this week
  – What I was learning: What Makes a Great Leader. A very good HBR video on leadership. A leader is an architect, a bridge builder and a catalyst

Author: Rodrigo Baccaro

Linkedin