With Purpose Success, part 8

Clinton, Tony Blair, and Bono, the rock star. Others on the program included Shimon Peres, Al Gore, John McCain, Malcolm Gladwell, and Vinod Khasla. Session topics ranged from international terrorism to global warming to the role of the media in the Internet era. So here I was speaking in a room full of hard-nosed media executives and bona fide dignitaries and stars, and when I inserted the idea of moving from success to significance, I saw it again-those same tilted heads and smiles.
After the speech, Jane Friedman, then the CEO of publisher Harper- Collins (a News Corp. division) and who's been called the most powerful woman in publishing, grabbed me by the arm and said she thought the timing was perfect for a book on the subject. "The idea of making the transition from success to significance," she said, "is the most powerful thing I've heard here." And the rest, as they say, is history.
How Will You Use Your Life ?
So now let me ask: when is the last time you did something significant, did something for someone else or the greater good and didn't expect a thing in return? Most of us can identify with modest good deeds, mostly for family. We willingly give our time and counsel and often our money so that those closest to us can gain whatever edge we may be able to offer in ways big or small. Helping this way is among the most basic of human instincts. But when goodwill and purpose extend beyond family, their healing power is both a wonder to behold and, in large enough numbers, a potential elixir for many of society's worst ills.
As a young man years ago, I experienced my first jolt about the importance of leading a life of purpose. I was on a book tour through Denmark in 1977. I was only twenty-seven years old and had just published my first book, BodyMind, which achieved unexpected sales success in
Denmark, where it was a national best seller for more than a year. So I was something of a young phenom in that far-off country and had been invited to give a series of lectures on holistic health and self-actualization.
Shortly after arriving in Copenhagen I got a call from the offices of Denmark's renowned octogenarian geriatrician, Dr. Esther Mueller, who was a highly respected physician and philosopher in her home country.
This was all new stuff for me. My book was in the window of bookstores throughout the city. Newspapers were covering my lectures. On top of that, an esteemed doctor and scholar had asked me to lunch. Wow.
My life was really taking off. I loved it. I was flying.
Then, with a single question, Dr. Mueller brought me back to planet Earth. At lunch, we exchanged the usual small talk. Soon enough our conversation turned to professional concerns and issues. She wanted to know about my insights and research on preventive health, aging, and human potential. I was interested in her views on health care and medicine in Europe. Things were going well, and then out of nowhere-here's the jolt-she hit me with a guilt bomb. "Ken, you're obviously smart and ambitious," she started. "You have a keen interest in what will become a hugely important field as the global population ages. You have a hit book and can command a fair amount of attention through your lectures.