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you’re going to do that is by wanting it badly enough. I know how hard this is for you, but I also know how much you want this trip, so I thought these books might be a good reminder for you. You can look through them while we’re driving to your customers’ houses and think about how much fun you’ll have at space camp, especially since you’ll be going with your friends and Mrs. Kirwin. Every time you have to call someone and ask them to buy something, or go to the neighbors’ houses, or approach people at church, you can use the books to remind you about what you’re working for and how much you want it. Do you think that might help?”
    “Yeah, maybe so. You’re pretty smart, Mom.”
    “Remember that when you’re a teenager,” Christine said with a laugh.
    When Justin returned to the car after visiting his first customer, Christine asked, “How did it go?”
    “Good. She was real nice and she bought four rolls,” he said as he clicked his seat belt into place and picked up one of his books. “I told her I’d be back when we get the order forms for those poinsettia things.”
    We’ve all been in Justin’s situation at one time or another, haven’t we? We’ve wanted something so much we could almost taste it, yet we had to slay a few dragons to attain it. As any knight worth his armor will tell you, it’s a lot easier to slay dragons when what’s waiting on the other side of the forest is something you desire with all your heart, something that speaks to your true purpose. Justin’s story focuses on some of the major themes of this chapter—really wanting something, and genuine listening. Don’t disregard the other main theme of building rapport. Throughout this book, we illustrate certain themes and not others simply because of time and text constraints.
    Let’s talk about that next.

PRINCIPLE #2
    Find Your Purpose
    Great minds have purposes; others have wishes.
    —Washington Irving
    I need a reason!” The reason we are doing something—anything—is of utmost importance. If the reasons are clear, the rest will make itself known. People who know why they are doing something inevitably outperform people who know how ; people who know how usually work for people who know why. As King Solomon wrote, “Without a vision, we perish.”
    The people we are and everything we do are inspired by our purpose and values.
    Take a look at any trouble in the world: rival factions in a warring country, rivalry between corporate competitors, or an argument between a husband and wife who are not getting along. You’ll find that the parties involved do not recognize or honor the other’s values or encourage each other to express their life purpose.
    Let’s start with values first, because they are the seed from which purpose grows.
    Values Are the Heart of the Matter
    Your values are what make you tick. Your values are the seat and source of your desires. Yet most people don’t really think about their values or the values of others, even when they’re considering what it takes to be happy and fulfilled.
    Whenever we’re speaking to someone about the possibility of coming into business with us, the first thing we do is to discover what his or her values are. In fact, we base our relationships with people on their values and how they relate to us and to ours.
    Our values are the wellspring from which comes all that we want in life, everything we seek or search for. Our values are the source of who we think we are. Let’s look at an example of a value.
    One of the most powerful values many people share today is belonging. People want to be part of what’s going on and what’s happening.
    Did you know that there are more than 120 formal twelve-step groups operating in the United States today? People really want to belong, and they often want us to know who they are and what it is they belong to, as well. That’s another value, which some marketers are now calling egonomics.
    Look at the T-shirts,