Purpose

A friend told me this week that she’s been working to define her purpose. She has the seeds of it in her head and is now in the middle of a challenging process to concisely articulate it. I was impressed. I’d never thought about defining mine.

Like I suppose every adult, I’ve struggled to find meaning in life. I know I want to leave my tiny corner of the world better for my having been here. I know I want to have a positive impact on the people I encounter. I want to fight for those who have no voice. Yet, I’ve never considered what my driving purpose is, that drives everything I do in both my personal and work life. It suddenly feels urgent to clearly define that.

Like my friend, I have loose thoughts bouncing around in my head, but also like my friend, I can’t yet define it well enough to provide a singular guide for my life. It will include love and dignity and compassion and acceptance. It will be a complete integration of my faith and values into my life and will seamlessly unify my actions in every aspect. Most importantly, it will not be about my wants or desires: Thy will be done.

“He who has a why to live for can bear almost any how.” –Friedrich Nietzsche

“The purpose of life is not to be happy. It is to be useful, to be honorable, to be compassionate, to have it make some difference that you have lived and lived well.” –Ralph Waldo Emerson