No.7: The Power of Renewing Your Purpose

When people prattle on about needing to find their “life’s purpose,” what they really mean is that it’s no longer clear to them what matters, what is a worthy use of their limited time here on earth6—in short, what to hope for. They are struggling to see what the before/after of their lives should be.

like the way Richard Leider, one of the world’s foremost experts on purpose, describes how to approach the next step. He defines purpose as being in the right place with the people who matter to you, doing your life’s work. So the endeavor becomes, in Richard’s words, to “pack” and “repack” one’s life—discarding ideas, thoughts, duties, old baggage

You must hunt for a reason, a “why,” for solving that problem. One that makes sense to you. One that makes action seamless. One that you find in conversations, books, and not distracting yourself with mindless entertainment. With the intrinsic energy from that “why,” you create a goal to overcome that problem. This is your purpose until the next re

While purpose is a big, lofty concept, it isn’t limited to heavy life-and-death topics. Nor is it ever just one single purpose. It’s having purposes where we truly thrive. We may choose that our purpose is just giving people a chance for joy, a respite, or kindness on a shared path. It may also mean creating a space to share grief, anger, or fear.

clear purpose is like an anchor. It brings you back to your core, to your heart (not your head). It helps you make wise and mindful choices. It keeps you motivated to continue your life's work, even when the going gets tough. It helps you say no to the wrong kind of work (even if the money would be very helpful). It helps you attract the best circu