Imagine it’s the old west. There’s a scrufty man who looks older than his years because he is unshaven and worn from the sun and time spent looking for gold in mountain streams.  He has a pack on his back and a shovel by his side.  His only protection is the gun lodged in the holster strapped to his belt. His boots, once black, are a gray from the scuffs and years of hard use and abuse. He is sitting by a stream looking for his fortune in nuggets of hope.

Fast forward to 2010 and the streets of NY. There is a scrufty man who looks older than his years because he is unshaven and wron from the sun and time spent pan handling for loose change and morsels of food to get through the day.  His only protection is from a blanket lodged in the bag hoisted over his shoulder that contains all of his possessions.

Two strikingly similar pictures that evoke two strikingly different responses. The first reaction is romantic and nostalgic while the second is pathetic and sad.  I struggled to find the reasons why our emotions are sent in such vastly different directions. It might be because one is here and now and the other seems far away. It might be that there is no chance we see ourselves in the first picture but in our heart we know that the second picture does not contain us due to the grace of god.

I prefer to think that the difference is lodged in the hope for the future that the first picture paints. There is a man with nothing, full of hope that he will find a morsel of gold that will lead to the strike that will bring him riches and good fortune.  That hope brings purpose and direction to his life.
The second picture is of a man that has given up hope and is trying to survive each day. He has no direction and no future.  In our mind he has no vision for the future.

Purpose is so important to our mental health and health of our businesses. What we hope for powerfully influences the way we think and feel. Our customers form impressions of our businesses based on what purpose they see a business as having.  I was at a client this week in Norfolk Virginia. They have a jewelry shop and they also have a strong commitment to make their business be a part of making a better community. They give generously to charity and community functions. When there are no requests the seek  out chances to make a difference.  Now they are adopting a drive to get the entire staff more involved.  Their business has a purpose that transcends jewelry and their shops and it affects the entire community.  Their business is growing as well.