The Power of Purpose

Read an Excerpt

Chapter 1: The Three Levels of Thinking
Make the leap from asking, 'who am I, and what do I want?' to asking that most powerful question of all - 'how do others see themselves, and how can I help them feel stronger and more successful?'

Chapter 1: The Three Levels of Thinking, Part 2
My grandfather is a wonderful example of this effect. A self-educated man, he worked most of his life in jobs that did not satisfy his intellect or his desire to help others, but in his free time he was devoted to political causes that he thought could

The Power of Purpose begins with a simple but remarkable statement: "The more you focus on helping others, the more you will succeed in reaching your own goals." Peter S. Temes builds on this fundamental insight to share a simple plan for living with the truest and most enduring kind of happiness.

At the heart of The Power of Purpose are the "three levels of thinking." At the first level, we ask, Who am I? and What do I want? At the second level, we ask, Who do other people think I am? How do I look to them? But the real magic happens when we hit the third level, forgetting about ourselves and asking the questions that lend a powerful sense of purpose to our lives: How do others look to themselves? How can I help others become the people they want to be?

To help us along the way, Temes, who teaches humanities at Columbia University, draws on the wisdom of great thinkers including Aristotle, Søren Kierkegaard, and Abraham Lincoln; the life lessons of great achievers ranging from Mother Teresa to Michael Jordan; and home truths he's gathered from his parents, his grandparents, and his three children. From all these sources and from his own life of great personal accomplishment, Temes identifies the essential knowledge that brings people happiness and success. He cites Aristotle's notion that happiness is not a psychological state but a moral one, resulting from doing good in the world. Temes also believes in the pivotal importance of trust and team-building in every area of life, from the family to the workplace to the street corner.

The Power of Purpose is a map for finding the confidence and power, the opportunities and occasions, and — most important — the techniques and strategies for centering your relationships and work on helping others. It is a book with a point of view: the clearest path to your own success and happiness lies in helping others get to where they want to go.

Dr.Peter S. Temes holds an undergraduate degree in English and Philosophy from the State University of New York at Binghamton, and an MFA in writing and an MA, MPHIL and PHD in literature from Columbia University. He has published four books; the most recent is The Just War: An American Reflection on the Morality of War. He publishes regularly in The New York Times, The San Francisco Chronicle, The Baltimore Sun, and elsewhere.

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