Page 151 - Leadership Secrets of Hillary Clinton

LEADERSHIP SECRETS OF HILLARY CLINTON

For each of us, our purpose in life, simply stated, is our
reason for being. It usually has something to do with con-
cern for the “greater good”—achieving something for the
benefit of others. When we are starting our career, this
sense of purpose is often overshadowed by the drive to sat-
isfy our basic needs for food, clothing, and shelter. Then we
move on to the need to belong to a group and achieve suc-
cess within an organization. But, often, even during these
times when we are focused on specific pursuits, we are also
driven to make a difference. Some people want to save the
environment, some want to help the disabled, while others
want to help those who are less fortunate. And this sense
of purpose is not static.
At different points in your life, different things can be
important to you. If you have children, they can become
the focus of your time and energy for many years. However,
I encourage you to think beyond your immediate family
when you are considering what is truly significant to you
and where you want to create your legacy.
As far as I know, we aren’t born with this sense of purpose.
Either we are taught it as a fundamental value, or we have an
experience that strikes a chord within us that resonates so
deeply that we can’t shake it. This happened to Hillary.
In her younger years, she often went with friends from
her Sunday school class to visit the migrant workers in her
community. She realized early in her life how difficult the

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