We have not come into the world to be numbered; we have been created for a purpose; for great things: to love and be loved.
—MOTHER TERESA OF CALCUTTA
In simple terms our core purpose is to grow and to give for life. Thus, in no sense is any life purposeless. How do we know this? Let’s begin at the beginning. From the standpoint of evolutionary biology, the ultimate purpose of life is to sustain life. To “sustain life” means much more than merely to survive and reproduce. Survival requires constant growth. Nature doesn’t stand still; change is constant. This is a fundamental law we can’t avoid. Change is inevitable, but it’s up to each of us to choose the nature of change for ourselves. Do we choose to grow? Or do we choose to stagnate?
As humans, we don’t just grow physically. We also experience inner growth. We grow intellectually, emotionally, spiritually, and socially. Community connection is vital for survival. The need to grow and to give is an essential element of our evolutionary survival. Our early ancestors learned the wisdom, in survival terms, of giving today because they might need help tomorrow.
Through our inner growth as individuals, we collectively contribute to the advancement of the community as a whole. The greater our individual growth, the greater the clarity of our gifts for serving those around us. Through our gifts our impact extends indefinitely, ever rippling outward. The quality and individual reach of our service to others differs for each of us. Therefore we give to our family, community, and world in accordance with the quality of our inner growth over time.
As we grow into our “Big P” purpose, this impact becomes more subtle, refined, and more powerful. The power of purpose. Inner growth is thus essential to outer giving. The gifts we give will be framed and scaled by the particular phase of our life and by our level of maturity. We may, for example, be a parent, a businessperson, a teacher, a student, a caregiver, an employee, a retired person. Or we may be experiencing any number of these or other roles simultaneously. Each phase and role in life carries choices to grow and to give. Our life purpose involves a quest for growth and a search for meaning through giving. Our purpose thus develops and evolves as we grow through life phases.
Once again, our core purpose is to grow and to give for life. “Purpose” is most simply defined as “an object or result aimed at; intention.” What does this suggest? A purpose can be as simple as your intention or a direction. So a life purpose statement is really nothing more (or less) than your intention to act in a certain direction. A life purpose is realized through intention by getting to know your authentic self, uncovering your natural gifts, and choosing the best possible expression for sharing them with the world.
“Finding your purpose” is misleading, however, because it’s not something we have to go out and “find.” Rather, purpose is revealed when we turn within and unlock it. We’ve already got it—even if we haven’t clarified it yet! But how do we unlock it? By looking in the most essential places—our individual gifts, passions, and values. Why would we be given a life purpose that doesn’t match the true nature of who we are? Before we can write our life purpose statement, we need to search for the clues that lead to it.
In this way our strongest beliefs provide the keys to unlocking our purpose. Carefully consider the questions below. Jot down your thoughts on community, service, values, legacy, wisdom, compassion, and higher source—your answers will clue you in to your purpose:
A sense of life purpose promotes physical, mental, and spiritual health. Purpose is fundamental. People who seek meaning beyond themselves are healthier, happier, and live longer. So it’s vital to our well-being that we maintain a strong sense of purpose. For some people, life purpose is a spiritual concept or has a religious dimension. For others, it’s a more secular notion, a need to be valued as a member of a family or group. Not everyone feels comfortable writing a purpose statement, but we all need one.
As we mature through the phases of our life, experiencing various levels of psychological, emotional, and ultimately spiritual growth, we might come to think more deeply about our life purpose and find ourselves yearning for deeper levels of meaning. During one phase or another we might feel stuck, going nowhere, drifting without direction, wondering, What IS the point of it all?
Consider choosing a new mind-set—that of “living purposefully” rather than “having a purpose.” Living purposefully means choosing how you will use your gifts and talents to create more meaning for yourself and others. When it comes to living purposefully, we usually find ourselves in one of three groups. Which group do you fall into?
Members of the first group probably wouldn’t be taking time to identify their purpose, and members of the second group might be too busy living purposefully to take the time! Most people probably fall into the third group. If you’re not sure if you do, reflect further on these questions:
If you answered yes to these questions, you’re probably ready to write your purpose statement. And even if you didn’t, you may still benefit from doing so. Often, simply putting in to words what we we’re already feeling inside can make all the difference.
Using the clues you’ve uncovered through previous reflection, draft a purpose statement. You may find it easier to jot down a number of statements first, to see how they look and feel to you. Write a single draft phrase that expresses your reason for getting up in the morning. Try this template: I rise in the morning to [fill in the blank].
Here are some examples: I rise in the morning to awaken, ignite, organize, teach, support, empower, develop, accept, encourage, help, inspire, earn, enhance, serve, lead, act upon, and so forth:
Writing a purpose statement can be challenging. If you find it difficult to write your purpose statement, don’t be discouraged. Ask yourself, What gets me up in the morning? Live in the question every morning for a week. Don’t be put off by the work of writing the purpose statement. There’s nothing mystical or mysterious about it. Yet it does require some work. Our purpose statement is rarely revealed to us without some digging. The search for purpose is often less straightforward than we might expect. Getting it wrong, over and over, is part of the process. It’s how we grow and how we come to give. For life.