Purpose changes throughout our lives. You won't always be in school, your kids will move out, you'll retire or lose your job. These changes may cause you to lose your sense of purpose. Your world will be spinning. You'll feel anxious, you might even panic for a while until you find a new direction for your energy. This is normal.
You can learn to view change with excitement if you allow yourself to be vulnerable, to dream and take risks. I get it, routines are comfortable. They feel safe... but they are not safe. According to Peter Drucker, "People who don't take risks generally make about two big mistakes a year. People who do take risks generally make about two big mistakes a year." The difference is not how many times we fail, it's how many times we succeed. Only the person who risks greatly can achieve greatly. I have yet to meet an elderly person who looked back on their life and said "I wish I had taken fewer risks." It's always the opposite: "I wish I had loved more passionately. Wish I had taken that job. Wish I had stepped out on a limb and gone for it." |
We need a new mentality that rises above comfort and boredom and encourages boldness and risk. A shift in thinking doesn't settle for bigger houses, bigger TVs, and contrived crises. You will find sustainable purpose for your life when you step outside of yourself, outside of your own interests, and seek the good of others. Victor Frankl, a holocaust survivor and psychologist, said it this way: "The salvation of man is in love and through love." Celebrate life, seek wonder and beauty, and use prosperity and health in service to others.