[June 7, 2022] The ability to find a noble goal in one’s life is key to a satisfying and enabling future. I believe it is a fundamental part of any human to search for something more important than themselves and participate in that endeavor with all their heart.
Many of us are nihilistic, resentful, troubled, and unhappy. We go from day to day without any real aim. We exist. We are not moving toward something we see as “good” or worthwhile. It should come as no surprise that we are lost in a complex world that attacks us without end unless we pursue something of great importance.
“The essence of life is to serve others and do good.” – Aristotle
What, then, are examples of noble goals that we could pursue? Is there anything at all that we could aim at, fight for, and embrace, that would make us less nihilistic and resentful? The answer is, of course, ‘yes!’ The advantages of having a noble goal in your life are straightforward. It gives you a sense of direction and helps align your thinking, feelings, and behavior. And, that is a good thing.
Here are a few noble goals that we can find helpful. But, we must fully commit ourselves to them to work for such goals.
- Join the U.S. military. It matters not your rank, where you are stationed, or whether you will ever fight in a war. Defending America is a goal that helps us all.
- Start your own business. Forge a network of good customers, employ others and teach them how to be valuable employees. Help your community and show them how a business can be part of encouraging workable politics.
- Start a family and have children. The world needs intact, emotionally stable families. Show them that a strong father figure and nurturing mother can raise intelligent, articulate, moral children who your community can rely upon.
- Help Philanthropy Organizations. If you want to be someone behind the effort to fund needy people and those who have fallen on hard times and experienced disaster and need temporary relief, these organizations are there and need your help.
- Volunteer for a food pantry, a soup kitchen, and a drug-addiction counseling service. You may need some training, but more importantly, they want someone with the motivation to help others.
- Start your own group of people who see a real need and organize around it. Send postcards and letters to troops overseas, raise money for the local library, help your police purchase body armor, and help the homeless and those contemplating suicide. Often, money is not required; just your presence matters. Speak to others about what you can do to help your local community.
These are just a sampling of noble goals. It’s up to you to find the right fit for you. Bring your friends and family on board. Also, realize that you have to have yourself together first. Keep yourself organized. Stay physically fit and do good things for yourself because you cannot help others if you are incapable of helping yourself.
And, remember that many things go undone because good people do not set up.
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Please read my new book, “Our Longest Year in Iraq,” on Amazon (link here).
Gen. Satterfield takes us on a journey to noble goals in life. This is how we can become the very best that we can ever become. This is not dependent upon others but upon ourselves because we are created in God’s image and have free will to do what we can to be good in the world.
Wow, nicely written, Gen. Satterfield. I look forward to the sequel. Your idea to ‘orient’ on a noble goal is a great piece of advice to our young generation but they need to see the truth about where they are today first.
Another powerful article. Now, I know others earlier suggested a followup to ‘why’ having a noble goal is so important, so I won’t double down on it. But I look forward reading the followup article.
I do believe all of us want to read the next in this mini-series (altho not numbered). 👍
It is therefore a mistake to identify idolatry merely with the worship of graven images or pagan deities, such as Ba’al or the golden calf. Idolatry is making anything other than God into one’s highest good. Money, power, fame, pleasure, liberty, man himself, the state, and even an ideology can be idolized. Though some of these things are good in themselves, they become evil taskmasters if all other goods are made subordinate to them.
Another top article from this excellent leadership blog. How come I cannot find other blogs like this. No stupid popups asking for money or wanting me to buy something. No advertisements, etc. I like it. More need to have blogs like this one. General Satterfield, you nailed it.
#2, Start your own business. Forge a network of good customers, employ others and teach them how to be valuable employees. Help your community and show them how a business can be part of encouraging workable politics. Gen. Satterfield, I found this one that struck me initially as out of place but after re-reading the article, I think it’s the most important of all your examples, except maybe having a family. Yes, go start a business, create wealth, be independent, a thinker and doer, obey the law, tell the truth, show others the way. Everything we do like this in a positive manner, makes the world a better place one step at a time.
My favorite is the suggestion to have a good family. Keep it together and show others how to make it work.
Pow, you guys are on top of it!!!!!!!
A noble cause is a pronouncement of a future state that will bring about through its coordinated action. It is bigger than what one person can do alone, no matter how many people are offering support; it requires people’s best efforts and passions. Just my thinking here.
For further clarification, the difference between core values and a noble cause is “core values are what we stand in and a noble cause is what we shoot for.”
What’s Your Noble Cause? a good article on exactly what Gen. Satterfield is writing about but from a slightly different perspective.
https://marktaylor.nyc/2010/07/10/whats-your-noble-cause/
Another spot-on article by Gen. Satterfield. Am I detecting a slight shift in this blog toward showing how to be a better person, which by the way means the basis of being a better leader? Just asking!
Yes, Jonnie and just another reason that I’m also a daily reader. You can get a lot from a little reading here and on books about leadership. Speaking of books, I highly recommend Gen. Satterfield’s book, Our Longest Year in Iraq (2021) for those who want to read about real leadership and the kind of problems they get to solve. You can get the book on Amazon at https://www.amazon.com/Our-Longest-Year-Iraq-Construction/dp/1737915510/
I got my copy, thank you Fred. I actually bought three copies and gave them away to young adults at my church.
Me too, excellent book. Just a note for those reading the book, don’t overlook the introduction, it gives a lot of what you are seeing here on his blog. ✔
I liked your last idea to start your own group to do something good. That is what leadership is about and let’s not forget it.
—– and exactly why this is a leadership blog for our reading pleasure. I don’t know about you guys and gals. but I read this blog early in the morning with a cup of hot java in my hands and relaxing in my easy chair. Nothing like getting up early to beat everyone else being up where you can get a lot done before most folks are out of bed. Oh, yes, I learned this in the Army.
Wonderful article. Please write about “WHY” having a noble goal is so important. You started to touch on that idea but then went into examples. Please expand upon that idea.
Yes, JT, I agree that it would be good for us to read a bit more on why. You know us Americans, we want to know why something is important, not that it’s just important because someone says so.
JT and LM, yes, I plan to write such an article today or in a day or so. Excellent suggestion.
Great news, Gen. Satterfield and thanks to JT and Laughing Monkey for the recommendations. 👍
Ya see! “Ask and you shall receive.” Wait a minute, didn’t someone else say that already. Yes, they did. The quote “ask and you shall receive” is a paraphrase of what Jesus said in the King James Version of John 16:24: “So far you have asked nothing in my name: ask, and you shall receive, so may your joy be perfect.” Several other Bible verses quote Jesus saying something similar.
Great Aristotle quote, and BTW, well done with this article. I especially like the idea that having a family with lots of kids is a noble goal.
Yes Emma, always has been and always will be.