What is the impetus that drives you? Passions, appetites, pride, greed, money, fame, pretension, unbridled aspirations and ambitions, integrity, hope, love, purpose, justice, peace.
What is at the center of my life affects my perception, and perception governs my beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors. I need a long term perspective but not one that is separated from the now. I must build bridges between the ideal (spiritual, idealistic, ethereal) and the real (mundane, gritty, everday life). That is the battle. It is easier to live independently rather than interdependently. I want to live by integrity. I even want my sense of humor to be with grace rather than cynical. I strive to blend my habits (real world) with my value system (ideal). This is my essential mission: work for noble purposes and help others while guided by just principles.
This is stolen and adapted from my favorite book "Principled Centered Leadership" by Covey. This book changed my life as I probed my own soul and inculcated the material trying to make it rote. We need each other as humans and I want to improve and grow a relationship not hinder someone elses growth. It took a long time in life for me to understand that. Im a natural introvert and hardly reach out at all for anything from anyone. Its a battle to even reach out to others. But sometimes I win a battle and the war isnt over yet.