Are You living your purpose

We need to realize the limitations of looking at things individually, and there is more to gain when looking at it within its context, and as part of a larger system. When we begin to expand the lens through which we view the world, we would begin to realize that the behavior of the whole system is not predictable by looking at each part individually. (Eg, Hydrogen and Oxygen individually have very different properties from Water (H20), which is a combination of both Hydrogen and Oxygen.) The synergy and structural stability created when the parts come together and interact is tremendous.
 
Life is a process of trial and error. As such we should not be fixated on looking at things from only one perspective. However, people fear failure and mistakes and are more inclined to stick to tried and tested ways; bounded by their perception of reality and assumptions of the things around them. We need to constantly explore and discover the synergy of things around us. As per the law of precession, for every action taken, there will be a side effect arising at 90 degrees to the line of action.
 
Examples:

1. Relating it to honey bees, they spend their lives flying from flower to flower to collect nectar to make honey. They think that’s their purpose but their true (and much larger) purpose as defined by nature is to pollinate the flowers.
2. Relating it to a hammer throw, if we swing and let the hammer go eastwards, it would actually fly towards the north. The throw and impact are 90 degrees apart.
3. Relating to the existence of radio, refrigeration and the Internet, these were initially developed to support war communication and survival. However these have all since become products that are commonly used in the home front (its true purpose).

 
Relating these to our lives, Buckminister Fuller said that our job was not to make money but to add value to others (make money versus make sense). Instead of making money from money, moving paper from one desk to another, people should focus more on creating value and contributing to the life-support of other people. With that belief, he directed 55 years of his life towards focusing not on making money but on making the world work for total humanity without ecological offences or disadvantages to anyone. With the right focus, one will be able to seek and receive the required support and funding. Success is not measured by money but the extent to which we make the world a better place.
 
Precession only happens when one is in motion. Hence, to get things going, one requires commitment and taking initiative. One can anticipate trends, review the problems that people face and design solutions to address these. However, to make it work sufficiently well, there should be a free flow of resources coupled with unbiased judgment, without the influence of politics, power and other agenda. 
 
Application to our lives:

1. We need to find a balance. We should not work only for money, and only for yourself and your family. We should also work for the benefit of others. Hence, no matter what job you are in, work out how you can add value in your spare time.
2. When we become fixated on doing something, sometimes we can lose sight of the larger purpose of what we want to achieve or other opportunities that come our way.
3. Learn to take action and make things happen. Don’t let failures, or problems hinder you.
4. There is more than one way to achieve our purpose. Don’t be stuck following someone else’s success story believing it is the only way to be fulfilled.

 
Some Critique:

1. If an individual’s basic needs were not met, would he or she still be able to contribute and add value to others? In survival mode, it may not be easy for someone to think of anything else other than making money to make ends meet.
2. Human beings are both rational and emotional as well as selfish beings. It is idealistic to assume that everyone will work harmoniously and collectively in a world with free flow of resources for the betterment of society. This is akin to game theory.
3. Buckminister Fuller seems to be in support of ideal communism but we’ve also seen how such societies eventually began to embrace capitalism.

 
 
Recommended books / Reading / Activity from the session:
1. Precession excerpt from book Critical Path by Buckminister Fuller 
2. A man who believed in ManKind by Buckminister Fuller 

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