The Power of Intention Part 9 of 10: Purpose
March 12, 2009 by dr. lam
The highest order of Abraham’s Maslow’s pyramid of self-actualization is to have purpose in life. However, whenever I address purpose, many people may start to get nervous. What purpose? To help the rain forest? To save the infirm and needy? To have a breakthrough scientific achievement? Well perhaps and perhaps not. Purpose oftentimes does not come to you with too much thought and anxiety. It should come to you when you connect with the universal power of intention, when you are calm, and when you are at peace.
I had a case where a woman was a victim of domestic abuse, and I was planning to do her procedure to help her. However, her story just did not make scientific sense. I will spare you the details because I would like to keep things with full anonymity here. I discussed this over with my staff and finally decided that I was going to do the case anyway for two reasons. First, my first and foremost goal for LFP is to help people. I don’t think I could live with myself if I made a false judgment and actually wound up not helping someone that I could have. Second, I believe that when someone comes into my presence for the day that I will change their life. I know that might sound arrogant to you but it is not coming from that. I am dismissing my ego. I am letting that go here. I know that many people that I encounter in my practice need me and I need to be there for them.
As much as I can help someone do something, I can also help them to see that they don’t need something. I had a lady who had a perceived physical defect of her lower face (we’ll keep it at that) and had spent a tremendous amount of money already trying to fix the problem. When I saw her, I couldn’t even begin to fathom the problem that she had because I couldn’t see it. I asked her, “Have you ever considered the option of NOT doing anything?” She started to cry for several minutes, and I embraced her. I felt all of her negative energy and perception start to leave her body. Helping others in whatever shape or form can be a noble cause and be the ultimate cause for any life. It is a singular purpose for me.
That being said, do we have to live a life of self-abnegation then? No, in fact, we must start with ourselves. Dyer talks about first loving yourself and healing yourself before you can do that for those around you. It is similar to the idea that I presented a few weeks ago from John Maxwell about “leading yourself” first before you can lead others. You must first help yourself then help others. Dyer talks about “self respect” which comes from a simple truism, “I love myself”. This does not mean that we are focused on ego (on the contrary) but a perception of ourselves that is filled with an ideal image of ourselves. I have tried to stop saying to people, “I’m not perfect” because it goes against our own creation and the perfect image that we should have in our own Creator’s eyes. Instead I am perfect in the light of my own creation and thereby perfect in how I see myself.
When I work on my patients, they understand that I am not trying to make them a perfect human species but to offer them the objective of looking good outside that can reflect their own inner beauty. I think a patient from Arkansas said it best in a testimonial to me:
As the years have rolled by, the man in the mirror had seemed to age more rapidly and less gracefully than I had hoped. I still felt young, active and maybe a bit adventuresome, but the droopy eyes, wrinkles and hollow face did not reflect that. I earnestly wanted to look more like the mental image I had of myself.
One of my greatest concerns before my surgery was that I might be giving a wrong impression of being tired, inattentive or even bored while speaking with friends, family members or patients. (The sagging skin on my eyelids made me look like all of the above most days!) That really bothered me because I never wanted anyone to think I had a haughty attitude or what they had to say was unimportant to me.
With these issues I landed in your office, not at all sure that there was a solution for me that did not involve changing my identity or doing something really radical. I need not have worried. You seem to have understood my concerns better than I did. Your solution addressed all these needs better than I was able to express them.
I am honored to help my dear patients and those patients who are not yet mine to create a beautiful self image that reflects their own inner beauty. My purpose in life is to help others through as many ways that I can: plastic surgery, psychotherapy, empathy, listening, and simply put, extending my love to them.
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4 Responses to “The Power of Intention Part 9 of 10: Purpose”
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Aww, cute pic!
Seriously, you are really awesome!!!! That is so awesome that you want to help change your patients’ lives!
I don’t know if this is true, but I think that having purpose and having passion go hand in hand.
Wow, that is a really really good viewpoint of proper self perception!! This has got to go down as a great quote for the ideal view on self perception: “I am perfect in the light of my own creation and thereby perfect in how I see myself.” ~Dr. Sam Lam
This is definitely going to be brought up in my discussion group on Saturday!:)
I really like your viewpoint on plastic surgery that the purpose of it is not to make someone a perfect human species, but that it offers that person the objective of looking good on the outside that can reflect that person’s own inner beauty. Wow!!! I know a lot of people that have misconceptions about plastic surgery, either too the extreme of overdoing it in the pursuit of perfection, or the misconception that someone considering plastic surgery is being either vain or has a low self-esteem. I like your perspective as the ideal viewpoint on this. Great testimony from one of your patients!
OMG!! I LOVE your life purpose!!!! Even loved it that you mentioned psychotherapy..lol
You really ROCK!!!! Can I have your autograph? JK
Yes, my autograph will cost you $4.99. But I will give you a dollar off. lol. thank you SO much for the kind words and kind thoughts. And thank you for being a consistent contributor. I always love reading your words. thank you, thank you, thank you. and thank you for sharing that with so many.
lol You’re kidding me..lol Does this include shipping and handling? JK lol
Ok, I’ll have you include that fee when I come in for rhinoplasty and a chin implant. lol
It won’t be soon though, but when I plan on having these procedures done, I’ll most certainly come to you. I seriously wouldn’t trust anyone else with my face.
ok! cool.