Our talents, although important, is not purpose.

I think it's often assumed that purpose is something that is developed internally, and in part that's true ... it's our passions and interests. But it's the context, or what's happening on a global, national and community level that shapes it and makes it relevant.

There are many expressions of purpose that seem disconnected from a required level of complex understanding or connection with the change that appears to be unfolding, except personal anger and/or discomfort.

It may be useful therefore to create a distinction between

• Talents, which are our developed abilities, skills and passions and 
• Purpose which implies relevance and a grasp of the complexity [differentiation and integration] of context. 

For the independent professional and business owner committed to making a difference, the question may then be, how relevant is my business and business products? Or even more fundament, how relevant is the model of business I'm using?

Which is a tough question to ask.

And which is only a relevant question if the objective is to contribute to making a real difference and playing a role in the unfolding of our cultural evolution.

We are the solution

This simple truth that the degree of mastery of mind or control of consciousness determines our quality of experience and capacity for creative thinking has been known for a long time; in fact, for as long as human records exist.

This is interesting because as life gets more complex and we learn more about our psychology and physiology, so new capacities (or levels) of control and mastery emerge.

In this complex fast moving world we need ever higher levels of mastery just to maintain the status-quo. But to create new solutions, we need to be pushing the envelope.

The way out is to believe in a preordained new age, the immanent collapse of current systems, a coming saviour, the end of the world or whatever other paradigm of thinking relieves us from the responsibility of learning about both the systems of the world, and the functioning of our minds.

When was the last time you read a well researched book on psychology or creative thinking, or attended a workshop that really challenged your current way of thinking by encouraging another?

Or are you waiting for the storm to pass?