What’s Our Purpose?

That’s the ultimate question, isn’t it? There have been thousands of pages written by thousands of scholars over thousands of years in search of the answer to this question. How in the heck are we going to distill “purpose” into just a few hundred words? Well, I might cheat a little bit. 😉 

The question popped into my head this week when I read a couple different articles – one about the mad rush to be a billionaire as quickly as possible, as well as the ongoing effort by companies (particularly tech companies) to reach a trillion-dollar valuation…regardless of the cost to people. The other article was about a serial entrepreneur who sold his company to AT&T for $1.6 billion, but he refuses to become a billionaire (even though he could). He made a decision to cap his wealth at $100M and gave the rest to charity. Don’t get me wrong, $100M is a LOT of many – but it’s a far cry from being a billionaire. As he states, being a billionaire actually separates you from the limits and consequences of a normal life.

It resurfaced, for me, the concept of being a giver or being a taker. If our purpose in life is driven by accumulating wealth and defining success by material growth, no matter who we hurt in the process, is it really a purpose at all? Or is it more reflective of a lack of a deeper purpose in our lives that truly brings joy and happiness? Yep, it’s a rhetorical question. 😁 I’m not sure how you can be a billionaire without being a taker.

But this isn’t about whether we should be billionaires or not – it’s about purpose. I guess I’m using the billionaire example as a way to illustrate that pursuit of money and status isn’t really about living a life with purpose.  

So, back to the question, what is our purpose…our deep, ingrained purpose that drives us forward daily and fills us up when we are feeling empty? Honestly, I think purpose is unique to each of us, but I also believe there are common elements across every purpose.

• Purpose doesn’t have to change the world (but it might change the world).

• Purpose shouldn’t involve hurting others for our own gain. It’s about being a giver, not a taker (see above).  

• Purpose can evolve over time. Who we are as humans is complex and dynamic; our purpose can be as well.

• It’s well documented that having a sense of purpose can help us live healthier lives.

• Ultimately purpose is about uplifting humanity, not tearing humanity down.

So, that’s my cheat. I’m not going to answer the age-old question with some pithy one-liner. Because I don’t believe there is a single answer. Your purpose is your journey. Your purpose is about discovery and curiosity. Your purpose is as unique as you are – and it’s very personal.

I’m going to close now on purpose. See what I did there? On pur…. 🫠 

Until next week.

Andy

(All written content created the old-fashioned way.)