Contours of life are grounded in purpose

The rice paddies of Vietnam are a stunning statement of purpose [see photo]. They exist to produce the rice crops that sustain life. They flourish because the workers who tend to them are diligent, disciplined, and dedicated. These workers are productive because necessity demands it. The richness, the depth, and the sheer audacity of a system of paddy fields that stretch up a mountain side to reach for the stars is hard to comprehend. And yet this is mundane, normal, expected, and respected by the workers who plant, tend, and harvest each successive crop of rice. When humans focus intensely on their purpose in life they inevitably bring the exceptional to the mundane. It takes but a few to make the many stronger, to make them more resilient, and to make them so much better able to cope with adversity. When I come upon rich green paddy fields in Asian [see photo] I am drawn to reflect on three key things. Adversity is the elixir that fuels sustained excellence. Discipline is the mental warrior that conquers fatigue. And humility is the greatest asset of any human being who is asked to lead. Richard