In this book Ringu Tulku discusses what it means to take refuge in the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha - the definitive act of 'being a Buddhist' - in terms of finding a profound purpose in our lives and making a decision to work towards fulfilling that aim.
"Discovering a purpose is maybe the most important thing we can do. Whatever we're doing, if we have a purpose, if we have a dream, then we can find a way. But if we have no purpose we don't know where we are or where we are going; we're lost. That's why, from the Buddhist point of view, this is the first and most important step."