Third Circle Theory: Purpose Through Observation

 A friend recommended this book to me, and it took me quite a while to finish it because nonfiction and I don't always get along, but it's a very thought-provoking read and I've found that a lot of my beliefs on life were actually articulated within the pages of this book.

I really appreciated Pejman Ghadimi's emphasis on life purpose rather than money-making purpose. It seems like most of the business books I read (which, let's be honest, are the only nonfiction books that I ever read) measure someone's leadership skills, entrepreneurship skills, and success based on monetary status, and in a lot of ways, that's depressing. It's typically one extreme to another; this “expert” calls you “successful” only if you have no debt in your life, while this “expert” only calls you “successful” if you can master debt to make millions. A “successful entrepreneur” has a multi-million-dollar business in almost every business book I've read. A “successful leader” is leading from the top of the world. As if chasing money should be one's only goal in starting a business, not just because you love it or have a passion that you want to fulfill. But Third Circle Theory suggests a new perspective, one that I had already been leaning into before reading the book, but completely solidified upon completing the book.

The mindset in this book is one of selflessness and self-awareness. It measures success based on things that are obtainable whether you have money or not. Things like emotional awareness and making emotionless decisions. Thinking logically and ethically. Essentially, the biblical principle of existing to serve others rather than yourself and how to view the world in a way that both reduces drama (because you take yourself out of the equation) and gives you a purpose to make a difference in those around you. I really, really appreciated his emphasis on how many of the billionaires that a lot of people look up to as “successful” actually aren't even in his “Third Circle” classification because they are so money-driven that if you took their money away, they've done absolutely nothing else to serve the world or those around them; their only value is money, and these types of people do not fit into the Third Circle. I just really appreciate this mindset of simplifying money to something like a tool that you keep for when you need it and place your focus on other, far more important things.

I would say that I agree with about 95% of this theory and that it's one of the best leadership and entrepreneurial books that I've read and I actually see myself referring back to this theory on a daily basis. I talk about it often and it has vitally changed how I approach business decisions and even my relationships and friendships. Where I don't agree with this theory is in the places that it differs from my Faith. He acknowledges the importance of one's “faith and/or religion” as part of one's identity, which is true, but he places a very large emphasis on one's self and that “purpose” is self-assigned and self-accomplished. Personally, I believe that purpose and the fulfillment of that purpose is from God, but that is a very personal belief and it is the only thing that I would say that I disagree with Ghadimi's Third Circle Theory on. Everything else is absolutely great and I've been recommending this book to all of my friends!