The Power of Purpose Awards
• Comments from our distinguished
panel of Judges:
“When my sister Suzy Komen died
many years ago from breast cancer at the age of 36, I was
appalled at how little we knew about the disease. I made
a promise to her to make a difference in the lives of all
those facing a breast cancer diagnosis. One person, one
volunteer, one partner at a time, the Susan G. Komen Breast
Cancer Foundation has turned this promise into a purpose.
I hope this essay contest will inspire you to find your
purpose—or rekindle a goal long dormant.”
—Nancy Brinker, Founder, Susan
G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation
“Survey the pinnacles of human
achievement, in engineering, science, art or human compassion,
and ask: What drove their creators? What propelled them
to such soaring heights of accomplishment? Single-minded,
dedicated purpose! The ability to achieve is worthless without
the power of purpose to mobilize it. It will be thrilling
for me to learn how others are motivated in their endeavors,
as I am in mine.”
—Paul Davies, Professor of Natural
Philosophy, Australian Center for Astrobiology
“In this super-hip, high-ironic
world we live in, it’s easy to make fun of the quest
for purpose. But it’s the fundamental thing everyone
is looking for—even the most jaded nihilists. As editor
in chief of AARP Publications, I try to inspire readers
to dance with life and turn each moment into a creative
adventure. The key is purpose. Without it, your life becomes
as dead as a stone.”
—Hugh Delehanty, Editor in Chief,
AARP Publications
“I cannot imagine a life without
purpose. Purpose fuels my soul. My early life was devoted
to the Civil Rights Movement, and my life now is devoted
to the Movement to Leave No Child Behind®,
ensuring every child a Healthy Start, a Head
Start, a Fair Start, a Safe Start,
and a Moral Start in life and successful passage
to adulthood with the help of caring families and communities.
All movements are the result of conscious and courageous
decisions by people who are driven by their common sense
of purpose. This essay competition gives you the wonderful
opportunity to write about your own purpose. Your thoughts
can create change in our chaotic world.”
—Marian Wright Edelman, Founder
and President, Children’s Defense Fund
“When I wrote The Purpose Driven
Life, I never imagined so many people would respond to its
offer of hope and challenge. Using the book as a guide has
enabled millions of people to discover the answer to life’s
most important question: What am I here for? I ended the
book by asking readers, ‘When will you write down
your purpose on paper?’ At that time I had no idea
an essay contest about purpose would soon be established
and provide the vehicle for exactly what I hoped for. Join
me in celebrating this opportunity by writing an essay to
share your message of purpose with us.”
—Rick Warren
• Comments
from Sir John Templeton:
“High aims and clear purpose can
act as rudders, steering the unlimited and unique potential
of our minds toward beneficial productivity. Purpose empowers
our thoughts, feelings, and actions toward greater accomplishment.”
—Sir John Templeton
“Each of us has a purpose
for living beyond our own survival and pleasure. Every individual
is like a thread in a beautiful tapestry with a vital contribution
to make, not only to the sustenance of life as we know it,
but in the creation and development of more beneficial expressions
of life. Investing, rather than spending, our lives involves
the commitment of our resources—ideas, love, talents,
time, energy, money—to those activities that support
this larger purpose.”
—Sir John Templeton
“Your mission in life is to have
a ‘why’ to live for, to use your best qualities
in the service of the kind of world in which you would like
to live. That is your purpose. This is what life expects
of you. And when you live according to your purpose, setting
goals that support it, you may find the pieces of your life
drawn together into a strong internal whole.”
—Sir John Templeton
• Comment from Michael
Reagan:
“This is not just another
small, insular writing contest, of which there are thousands.
The scope of the project far exceeds anything I have seen
in the field of writing competitions. I would not have taken
on this task had I not felt its remarkable impact and extraordinary
outreach.”
—Michael Reagan, Lionheart Books, Ltd.
President and Power of Purpose Project Director
