life purpose essay

21 Life Purpose Examples To Help You Write Yours

As kids, we are asked what we want to be when we grow up.

At that age, our answers are often simple: doctor, fireman, scientist.

Once we get to college or start working, our outlook on the future becomes more complicated.

Our goals are less oriented towards purpose but rather towards success.

However, to live happily, our views of success should align with a sense of purpose.

There are many different kinds of purposes of life to pursue, but it’s essential to find something that brings joy and fulfillment to your life.

To visualize and actualize your future goals, consider writing a life purpose statement.

We have put together fifteen life purpose statement examples to inspire you to write yours.

Why You Should Write a Life Purpose Statement

1. making a community contribution, 2. prioritizing home and family, 3. finding career success, 4. living authentically, 5. enjoying creative expression, 6. inspiring others, 7. fostering connections, 8. living mindfully, 9. achieving life balance, 10. protecting the environment, 11. raising successful children, 12. living with joy, 13. leaving a legacy, 14. making others happy, 15. teaching children.

Writing a life purpose statement can help focus your goals and motivate you to pursue them. Finding this motivation and channeling it into reality is easier when you explicitly articulate what you want to achieve.

Here are a few of the benefits of writing a life purpose statement:

Increased drive and motivation
Focused mindset to achieve your goals and purpose
Clear path to success based on your “why”
Sense of fulfillment knowing you're guided by something vital and meaningful

21 Life Purpose Examples

Now that you're convinced writing a statement reflecting your life purpose, here are a variety of examples.

Each one focuses on an area of life that may be meaningful to you.

If you resonate with more than one of these statements, consider combining them to expand your own to include a broader purpose.

“My life purpose is to stand up for issues that I believe in and to contribute positively to my community. I want to leave the world knowing that I made it a better place.”

If you care deeply about social issues or giving back to your community, this life purpose statement may work for your goals.

women talking in office Life Purpose Examples

In your own statement, feel free to get more specific about how you plan to contribute to your community.

“I hope to build a loving home with my family and to care for my children. I want to support their endeavors while still leaving time for my passions. I will be the best version of myself so that I can lead my children by example.”

For those who find a strong sense of purpose from family, consider a statement like this. Ask yourself how you are personally fulfilled through family, and what you want your life to look like.

“My life purpose is to find success in my career. I would like to be a notable person among my peers and be valued for my contributions to my field. My hope is that I will retire feeling fulfilled with what I have accomplished.”

Many people’s life purposes are centered around careers, as they find happiness through achieving success and contributing to society.

It may be helpful to specify your particular field, the goals you may have, and why your career gives you a sense of purpose.

“The purpose of my life is to be my true self , uninhibited by fear. I want to inspire others to live authentically and with passion.”

This statement is an example for those who value being honest, open, and living their truth. Start by questioning what your passions are and how they empower you.

Define what living authentically means to you and how you hope to achieve that.

“My goal in life is to harness my creativity and imagination to unearth truths about myself, my community, and society at large. I want to pose challenging ideas through my art.”

Many artists have specific mission statements attached to their work. As you grow as an artist, you may find that elements of your statement change, but the central core of your life’s purpose will usually remain the same.

“The purpose of my life is to be a source of light to other people and radiate positivity. I hope to find an inner strength that is inspiring to others.”

Finding peace and modeling that for others is a compelling goal to motivate your self-growth. Many people dedicate their lives to self-improvement and receiving wisdom to pass it on to others.

woman looking at her phone Life Purpose Examples

“My goal in life is to love others unconditionally and foster meaningful connections with people. I want to walk through life with an open hand, being available to form new friendships.”

If you thrive through your connections, this purpose statement may resonate with you. Think about what you are giving to these relationships versus what you are receiving.

How does that impact your purpose?

16. Pursuing Knowledge and Wisdom

“My goal in life is to continuously seek knowledge and wisdom, always striving to learn more about the world and myself. I want to absorb as much as I can, turning every experience into a learning opportunity.”

If you are naturally curious and find joy in learning and personal growth, this purpose might speak to you. Consider how your quest for knowledge enriches not only your life but also how it can positively influence those around you.

How does this pursuit shape your interactions and decisions?

17. Promoting Health and Wellbeing

“My life's mission is to promote health and well-being, both for myself and others. I aim to be a beacon of healthy living, inspiring and guiding others towards a balanced lifestyle.”

If you are passionate about health and believe in the transformative power of a healthy lifestyle, this purpose could resonate with you. Reflect on how your actions and choices can contribute to a healthier community and how this commitment to well-being influences your sense of purpose.

18. Advancing Technological or Scientific Innovation

“I am dedicated to pushing the boundaries of technology and science to create solutions that improve our lives. My purpose is to innovate, discover, and contribute to the progress of humanity through my work.”

If you are driven by a desire to innovate and solve complex problems, this purpose statement may align with your aspirations.

Think about the impact of your innovations on society and how they reflect your personal values and purpose.

19. Championing Social Justice and Equality

“My purpose is to champion social justice and equality, to stand up for what is right, and to make a tangible difference in the fight against inequality. I am committed to creating a more just and equitable world for all.”

If you are moved by a sense of fairness and a desire to advocate for those who are marginalized, this purpose might resonate deeply with you.

Consider how your actions can contribute to lasting change and how this pursuit aligns with your core beliefs.

20. Exploring and Preserving Cultural Heritage

“I am passionate about exploring and preserving cultural heritage, ensuring that the rich tapestry of our past is celebrated and maintained for future generations. My purpose is to connect with history and share its lessons and beauty with the world.”

Do you have a deep appreciation for culture and history and want to ensure its preservation? If so, this purpose statement could speak to you.

Reflect on how this passion helps you connect with others and the past, enriching your life and those around you.

21. Fostering Spiritual Growth or Enlightenment

“My life's goal is to foster spiritual growth, both in myself and in others. I seek enlightenment and a deeper understanding of the spiritual aspects of our existence, hoping to share peace and wisdom along the way.”

Maybe your path is deeply intertwined with spiritual exploration and growth, and this purpose might align with your innermost values.

Think about how your spiritual journey influences your relationships, your approach to life's challenges, and what it means for your overall purpose.

How Do You Write a Purpose Statement for Your Life?

Crafting a purpose statement for your life might seem like a tall order, but it's really about digging deep and reflecting on what truly drives you. It's your guiding light that helps you navigate through life's ups and downs. Think of it as your own personal North Star, keeping you aligned with what matters most to you.

Here's how to get those thoughts down into a coherent, powerful purpose statement:

1. Reflect on Your Passions

Start by thinking about what gets you out of bed in the morning. What activities make you lose track of time? This isn't just about hobbies; it's about the core drives that give your life meaning and joy. Jot these down, no matter how big or small they seem.

2. Identify Your Values

Your values are the bedrock of your purpose statement. They define what you stand for and what you won't stand for. So, take a moment to list out your top values. Are you all about honesty, creativity, family, independence? Knowing these will help shape your purpose statement.

3. Consider Your Impact

Think about how you want to affect the world around you. What mark do you want to leave on your community, your family, or even the planet? This isn't about grandiose achievements but the real, tangible difference you want to make.

4. Draft Your Statement

With your passions, values, and desired impact in mind, start drafting your statement. Keep it simple and clear. It should resonate with you deeply, almost like a personal mantra that you can turn to in times of doubt or decision-making.

5. Refine and Evolve

Your first draft might not be perfect, and that's okay. Life is dynamic, and so are you. Allow your purpose statement to evolve as you grow and learn. It's a living document, not set in stone.

Remember, your purpose statement is deeply personal. It's for you, about you, and should reflect your unique journey and aspirations. So, take your time, be honest with yourself, and let your true self shine through in your words.

How will you use these life purpose examples?

If you are ever asked the question, “What is your purpose in life?” you now have a better idea of what that answer might be.

Your statement should be personal and specific to your interests and motivations. Use these examples to help craft your personal life purpose statement.

Here are a few different ways to utilize this exercise:

Use it as a professional statement in your resume. Many job applications require a personal mission or professional statement in your resume. Craft your purpose statement to support your career goals.
Write it in a journal, and return back to it when you need to refocus your energies. Just the act of writing your statement reinforces it in your mind.
Discuss it with your significant other. Relationships often work for the long term when both parties share a similar sense of purpose and want to share in each other’s goals.

Refer to your life purpose statement regularly as you make critical decisions or plans for your life.

Use it as your compass to guide you through life's ups and downs, reminding you of the higher reason you live on this planet.

May your purpose in life inspire everything you do today and always.

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19 Life Purpose Examples to Find Your True Purpose

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Since the dawn of time, philosophers and common people alike have mused over the idea of a “life purpose.”

But what defines one’s life purpose? And what should yours be?

In simplest terms, a life purpose is your reason (or reasons) for getting up in the morning.

True purpose can guide your decisions.

It will influence your behavior and help you prioritize goals to make room for what really matters.

Purpose can offer a sense of direction… and create meaning. For some people, purpose is connected to a vocation- meaningful, satisfying work.

Ancient Greek classicists called it a “telos,” or the ultimate goal of life. They believed that a life purpose should be was one’s central focus on their journey through time on earth.

Modern thinkers conceptualize it as that what they were meant to do or be… what they were made for.

Whichever way you prefer to think about it, having an idea of your greater aim in life makes every day more significant and precious. It allows you to harness your energy into something bigger than just yourself.

In this article, I will provide 19 life purpose examples that may help you take one step closer to eudemonia… or “Living the Good Life”.

Table of Contents

Exercises to Find Your Life Purpose

Self-inquiry and examination through good habits help you center your thoughts and really focus on what you enjoy most in your life and gives you meaning.

Everyone has different skills and talents that make them great… and taking the time to analyze what you excel at can give you further direction to what you can call your life purpose. Pro tip: you can have more than one!

Journaling what matters most to you

Creative journaling has many proven health benefits . From writing down your crazy dreams, to taking note of interesting flowers you've seen that day, it gives your left brain a chance to express itself… or your right brain time to make sense of the day.

Consistency is what is important.

If you choose a narrative approach, you give your loved ones a valuable record and tool to peer into the daily life of your family.

When you select a creative approach, such as poetry or sketching, you can get a glimpse into your subconscious and the themes of your life.

Either method works… and many of the world's most successful minds practice journaling .

You can also start using your journal as a tool to implement your life purpose. Everything from affirmations, inspiring quotes, or a daily to-do list will be able to help you navigate the waters of setting sail in the direction of your dreams.

Writing a life purpose statement

Are you feeling bold?

If so, sit down and write down a mission statement of the purpose of your life. You might be surprised what you think of!

For your first draft, don't put too much thought into it and let the feeling of what you want to most express flow through you. Be true to yourself and don't be shy; you don't have to share it if you don't want to.

Later, revise it and flesh it out. Write out a personal manifesto if you want to. Let the written word inspire you to greater things and pay attention to the most vivid details.

Don't think too much about it, either. You can have a seemingly small or narrowed down purpose, such as becoming a vegan. Or you may discover something greater, like becoming a human rights activist or uncovering a musical talent.

Take what you learn from this exercise and use it to make bigger and better choices for your life.

Find good literature or media to support your new vision, and if you are really feeling inspired, volunteer or take classes to improve.

Verbalizing to someone else what matters most

Talking about things to a compassionate listener helps our minds process what's going on in our life.

Even the process of listening to ourselves talk can help make what's going on “real” and, more importantly , give us some ideas of the right action steps to take.

Just talk about what matters.

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Always wanted to get a higher degree? Was your dream to be a painter?

Find a trusted person and talk to them about it. The enormous healing properties of letting someone know your secret desires will always shed light on those corners of your life and give you hope and a different perspective.

Visualizing what is most important in their life and what may be lacking.

Looking within helps you to clarify what's important and minimize distractions.

For example, if being healthy is important to you… you might change your diet, learn new recipes, or start a daily exercise plan.

If having more fun with your community is a goal, then you might be on the lookout for opportunities to meet new people.

Visualize what your ideal life would be like, and take steps every day to achieve it!

“If you can dream it, you can do it.” -Walt Disney

Take a deep breath, light a candle, and close your eyes. Relax and think: where could my life go? What would I have? Where would I be? What would it feel like?

Now, let yourself write out what an ideal day would be like. Let your imagination go wild. Where would you vacation? What would you eat? What gifts would you buy the people you love?

You get the idea.

Now, ground yourself, and let yourself figure out a realistic way to align yourself to the life choices you could make to more embody that lifestyle.

It's easier than it sounds, and you can be amazed at all of the resources that reveal themselves to you when you're open and ready to receive or when you go out there and take action.

People from all walks of life benefit from the power of visualization. From CEOs to elementary teachers, walking yourself through the necessary steps in your mind's eye helps guide you to techniques or tools for an improved life.

It can be anything from a power color to a special spot in nature from which you draw inspiration.

19 Life Purpose Examples You May Draw Inspiration From

1. having a strong sense of family.

“I will always work to do what is best for my family. Without neglecting myself, I will seek to meet their needs. I will seek to understand their insecurities, and give them the support and unconditional love to make them feel special, important, and irreplaceable.”

Around the world, “family” ranks as the top choice when selecting one’s purpose in life. It's the foundation from which people come from… and where many people return. If you feel that friends and family are priceless treasures that can never be replaced, this purpose is definitely for you.

2. Helping Children

“I want to be a positive role model for children. Whether it's with tangibles like food or clothing, or by giving emotional support… I want to give children what they need to feel wanted, loved, and secure. I want to give children what they need to be healthy, happy, and productive.”

Whether you're a parent or not, if you're passionate about helping children, there are many ways to achieve this goal. The obvious is to provide financially by giving food, clothing, and shelter. You can also give your time and support in other ways.

Helping with homework, listening when a child needs to talk, donating to children's causes, or volunteering are some examples.

3. Giving Back to the Community

“I want to contribute something to my community that will leave it better than it was before my contribution. I want to show others that connecting with your community is important and vital.”

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Communities don't exist without individuals, and individuals cannot exist without being a part of some type of a community. We are interdependent beings. If you have a sense of appreciation for the significance of community, there are many ways to meet this purpose.

You can enhance it aesthetically, or participate in other activities. You may want to take a more interpersonal approach, like being a mentor or helping a neighbor.

4. Helping Animals

“All creatures deserve to be treated with kindness. I want to show compassion to animals through caring acts that help protect them and help them survive.”

It’s no coincidence that veganism and vegetarianism grow in popularity every year. Whether it's by aligning yourself with groups like People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), or adopting a pet , you, too, can contribute to ensuring animals are treated humanely.

5. Living a Healthy Lifestyle

“I will prioritize taking care of myself by putting my health first. I will take care of my physical and mental health needs by being mindful of what I put in my body, and focusing on my emotional and mental well-being. Self-care activities will be a part of my regular routine.”

Self-care is one of the essential ways that health can become part of a life's purpose. In order to meet any other goals in life, you must first be in good mental and physical health.

6. Prioritizing Fitness

“I will feed the inside and outside of my body with the nourishment it needs. The right food is an obvious necessity, but I will also make sure I feed it physical exercise, and prioritize being physically fit.”

Fitness goes hand in hand with living a healthy life. It may be for medical reasons, or your aim may be to achieve a certain physical appearance or build strength . This life purpose is for you if you're passionate about the physical, emotional, and spiritual benefits of exercise.

7. Incorporating Music

“I will make music an integral part of my life. I will use it as a source of healing and enjoyment. I will also use it as a way to connect with others, and to connect more deeply with myself.”

If you feel drawn to music, incorporating it into your life more will give many emotional benefits.

In every culture, music seems to be the thread that binds people. Whether you're a musician, a dancer, or simply someone who loves to listen… there is so much meaning and purpose that can be gleaned from music.

8. Appreciating Art

“I will appreciate the beauty of art. I will find ways to include it in my life, by being both a spectator and finding ways to explore my own artistic talents.”

Art has many forms and expressions, and whichever one you feel “drawn” to is totally up to you and entirely beautiful. Many people have amazing latent artistic gifts that they go their whole lives regretting not having explored further.

You can take advantage of adult learning or community college opportunities to enhance your artistic skills.

9. Embracing Spirituality

“I will be a spiritual person and connect to something higher than myself. I will concern myself with being the best person I can be for myself and others. I will be guided by thoughts and actions that are kind and in my best interest, and the best interest of others.”

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Being spiritual can be a powerful way to embrace a larger identity and life purpose. If your focus is to grow and develop to be the best person you can be, and live a life where you show compassion to others, this mantra is ideal.

10. Living a Happy and Ethical Life

“I will first and foremost do what it takes to make myself happy. With this continued state of being, I will be able to treat others in a respectful and kind way. My happiness will lead to actions that are just, fair, and ethical for others.”

We've probably all heard the saying, “Hurt people hurt people.” It would then follow that we can say the opposite is also true. If you're in a state of contentment, you'll give off a sense of peace that will positively affect others.

This statement probably hits home for you if you're someone who's mindful about existing in the here-and-now. It's definitely for you if you're self-aware and value the multitude of health benefits from having a harmonious emotional and spiritual state.

11. Empowering Others

“My life purpose is to help others see their own power and strength. I want to make each person I encounter feel better about themselves and have an added sense of self-efficacy and self-confidence.”

Here's a statement that takes infecting others with happiness and peace to a different level. The drive to empower others is ideal for someone who loves interacting with people. It requires being able to see the positives and helping individuals identify their strengths.

12. Being True to Myself

“I want to live a life where I present to myself and others my authentic self. I want to maintain my true self while being genuine and sincere in all of my relationships and interactions with others.”

If you are someone who values your individualism, this example falls right in line. Being true to yourself may include maintaining your own unique fashion sense, dietary choices, or spiritual beliefs.

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It can be more interpersonal, where you value remaining true to another purpose you have in life, no matter what others think or say. For example, you may want to stay true to living a life as a starving artist, rather than conform to the American standard of climbing your way up the corporate ladder.

Or, it may mean holding onto independent thinking that sets you a part from the rest, and not changing your opinions or methods of expression to please others or to fit in.

At any rate, being your authentic self in all areas of life helps to achieve a healthy mental and emotional state.

13. Achieving a Meaningful Career

“I will continuously pour into myself the tools needed to be the best at what I do. I want to have a career that improves the life of others and society in some way.”

Many people choose careers based on their skills, passions, or natural talents. This purpose can help you decide what career to pursue and, therefore, what actions you need to follow to achieve it.

It can help you determine if you need to pursue a higher degree, what region you may need to live in, and even give you a realistic picture of what your income may be. For example, if you're on the fence about whether to become a social worker or a marketing executive, you may decide that a social worker better meets the task of improving lives.

14. Cultivating Healthy, Reciprocal Relationships

“I will treat others as I want to be treated. I will make sure I give as much as I receive. I will communicate with others to understand and give them what they need, instead of going off of my assumptions of their needs, so that I am truly treating them in a manner that makes them feel important and respected.”

Any time you're having multiple interactions with someone, you're having a relationship. Whether it's close friends, relatives, or co-workers, interactions with others that are built on respect and mutual give-and-take are the most productive and healthiest.

If you appreciate the value of relationships and the positive rippling effects they can have on all aspects of life, this statement may speak to you.

15. Reaching My Fullest and Highest Potential

“Realizing self-actualization means reaching your fullest and highest potential. I will use self-reflection to understand my thoughts, behaviors, patterns, talents, and skills. I will also identify my growth areas (I will not call them weaknesses). I will seek to educate myself and increase my knowledge through research, and by engaging in meaningful discussions with others who hold different viewpoints than my own. I will use all of these avenues to improve all aspects of who I am.”

If you are dedicated to self-growth and self-development , this example does a great job of summarizing many of the components necessary to accomplish a higher state of self.

You may have more than one purpose. This one goes hand-in-hand with “Being True to Myself.” To accomplish both, you must be ready to accept the self-discovery that comes from honest self-reflection. Achieving self-actualization also requires accepting the actions or changes you find you need to make as a result of those self-discoveries.

16. Bringing Others Joy

“Simply put, I want to make others laugh. Laughter is healing. I want to give people the good feelings, relief, and connection that comes with sharing a good laugh together. Even when there's sadness, laughter can provide a glimpse of hope and joy. I want to provide the light at the end of the tunnel.”

Some purpose statements are more serious, some will take a little work, and others will take a concerted amount of time to achieve. This one is just pure fun.

If connecting with others and enjoying life are what gets you out of bed in the mornings, this example is the perfect fit. We can choose happiness , and help others to choose it, too.

17. Helping the Less Fortunate

“I will help someone who is hurting or going without. I will give my assistance in some way to help someone else gain what they are missing, to help them have a better quality of life.”

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This is for the altruistic. Helping the less fortunate takes the life purpose of contributing to the community to the next level, by getting a little more specific. It requires you to identify or consider a type of person or group of people, and the resources they need.

18. Sharing Wisdom

“As I learn and grow from my experiences, I want to share that wisdom with others.”

This example is great for teachers, religious leaders, mentors, or anyone who enjoys articulating the lessons of their failures, successes, and life journey. Knowledge is priceless. Because everyone's experiences are different, we all have a little bit of knowledge we could share with someone else.

19. Appreciating the World Around Me

“I will embrace nature and all of its wonders. I will take the time to enjoy what cannot be bought and sold, but what gives us its beauty and utility every second of every day, unconditionally. I will appreciate the small things, and do my part to preserve the natural reserves that make life possible.”

If you enjoy nature and the simpler things in life, and see the environment as something that needs protecting, this may resonate with you. It incorporates both appreciation and action. Like some of the others, this purpose statement is also integral to mindfulness. There's an indirect sense of benevolence, too. Without the beauty and necessities of nature — like water, land to grow fruit and vegetables, and the many valuable things that only an ecosystem left intact can provide — human life cannot exist.

Final Thoughts on a Life Purpose

No two people have the exact same life purpose… even if they value the same things, like family, they may share different visions of how that life looks.

You can use this list of 19 life purpose examples as a springboard to launch your own journey towards finding your “why.”

While these are some of the most common themes that bring meaning to many people, that isn’t to say they are your true purpose.

Which ones stand out most to you?

Has a lightbulb of inspiration appeared over your head?

Have you thought about an interest or passion that could further enrich your life?

If so… follow that fire! Don’t let it burn out!

When you take the right steps, you can make big changes with daily choices in the right direction. With these life purpose examples, you can be well on your way to developing a life you're truly proud of.

Finally, if you want to increase your happiness and life satisfaction, then watch this free video that details the 7-minute habit for planning your day to focus on what's important .

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15 Ways to Find Your Purpose of Life & Realize Your Meaning

“ You don’t find meaning; you create it ,” was my answer to the question, what is meaning?

Drawn in by the unforgiving directness of the existentialist philosophers, I was (perhaps naively) attempting to respond to the question that Albert Camus said must be answered before all others: Is there meaning in life ? Or, to state it more clearly: Is a life worth living? (Camus, 1975).

This article explores a few of the questions central to the vast and complex topic of meaning and purpose in life and introduces techniques and tools to help clients find answers.

Before you continue, we thought you might like to download our three Meaning and Valued Living Exercises for free . These creative, science-based exercises will help you learn more about your values, motivations, and goals and will give you the tools to inspire a sense of meaning in the lives of your clients, students, or employees.

This Article Contains:

What is the purpose of life a philosophical and psychological take, how to find the purpose of your life, 10 techniques to help yourself and others, 4 useful worksheets, a note on finding meaning after trauma, divorce, and others, positivepsychology.com’s resources, a take-home message.

In The Myth of Sisyphus , Albert Camus (1975), when faced with what he saw as the meaninglessness of existence, suggested we live life to its fullest rather than attempt an escape.

For Camus, as with his contemporary Jean-Paul Sartre, existentialism concerns itself with the uniqueness of the human condition (Sartre, 1964). According to the existentialist formula, life has no inherent meaning. We have free choice and, therefore, choose our values and purpose.

But where did existentialism come from?

The sense of freedom that existentialism offers is crucial – jolting us out of a comfortable malaise. It builds on Friedrich Nietzsche’s thinking that there are no universal facts and that man is isolated. He is born, lives, and dies – alone (Nietzsche, 1911; Kaufmann, 1976).

Rather than dictating how the reader should live, Nietzsche tells us we should create our values and our sense of purpose.

And yet, if cast free, how do we create meaning and purpose?

Existentialism is indebted to Edmund Husserl’s work on perception to answer this and other questions. Writing in 1900, Husserl regards meaning, along with perception, as the creation of the individual. Meaning is not objective – to be found in the external world – but built up from our mental states (Warnock, 1970).

Martin Heidegger – often described as the first true existentialist – picks up on this idea in the heavy-weight Being and Time , written in 1927. For us to be authentic – following a state of anxiety born out of a realization that we are free – we must take responsibility for our actions, our purpose, and our meaning (Heidegger, 1927/2013).

Existentialism and the struggle for meaning

Sartre continues this line of thinking in Being and Nothingness (1964):

“…every man, without any support or help whatever, is condemned at every instant to invent man.”

Separate from the world, we must realize the horror that we are free to do and create meaning . And yet, to avoid bad faith (or inauthenticity), we must accept that we are responsible not only for ourselves but also for all people.

To the existentialist, our sense of meaning and purpose comes from what we do.

But can science and psychology help us find either? Yes, probably .

Meaning and psychology

Increasingly, psychologists have begun to realize the importance of meaning to our wellbeing and happiness.

Recent research suggests that people with increased meaning are better off – they appear happier, exhibit increased life satisfaction, and report lowered depression (Huo et al., 2019; Ivtzan, Lomas, Hefferon, & Worth, 2016; Steger, 2009).

Nevertheless, meaning is a complex construct that can be approached from multiple angles; for example, cognitively, appraising situations for meaning, and motivationally to pursue worthwhile goals (Eysenck & Keane, 2015; Ryan & Deci, 2018).

While there are many definitions of meaning in psychology, Laura King, a psychologist at the University of Missouri, provides us with the following useful description (Heintzelman & King, 2015):

Meaning in life “may be defined as the extent to which a person experiences his or her life as having purpose, significance, and coherence.”

Whether meaning is derived from thoughtful reflection or only as a byproduct of cognitive processing, it is vital for healthy mental functioning. After all, we only attach importance to an experience and see it as significant if it has meaning. Similarly, a sense of meaning and purpose is crucial to create an environment for pursuing personal goals.

A fascinating study in 2010 took a very different perspective, bringing us closer to our initial, philosophical discussion. The realization that there is only one certainty in life – death – can cause great anxiety for many.

The Terror Management Theory (TMT) suggests that features that remind us of our mortality are likely to heighten fear around death (Routledge & Juhl, 2010). However, TMT also suggests that a life “ imbued with meaning and purpose ” can help stave off such angst.

Philosophically and psychologically, it is clear that meaning is a fundamental component of our human existence.

Meaning refers to how we “ make sense of life and our roles in it ,” while purpose refers to the “ aspirations that motivate our activities ” (Ivtzan et al., 2016).

The terms are sufficiently close to saying that in the absence of either, our life lacks a story. As humans, we need something to strive for and a sense of connectedness between the important moments that make up our existence (Steger, 2009).

Sometimes, seeing the bigger picture or recognizing our place in the broader scheme can bring great insights and even play a role in our experience of meaning in life (Hicks & King, 2007).

Share the following ideas and insights with your clients:

Mote of dust suspended in a sunbeam

In 1990, astronomer Carl Sagan convinced NASA to spin the Voyager 1 Space Probe around to take one last look at Earth as the probe left the solar system. The picture it took was unlike any other before or since. Roughly 3.7 billion miles away and traveling at 40,000 miles per hour, it captured Earth as a small pale blue dot against a band of sunlight.

The image either leaves you with a sense of deep horror at our insignificance in a vast, uncaring universe or a sense of wonder at how we came into being in such a “ vast cosmic arena .”

This realization is captured beautifully in Carl Sagan’s words and this stunning computer simulation.

Broadening the mind

Alternate points of view that broaden the mind may help an individual experience an increased sense of meaning in life (Hicks & King, 2007). With that in mind, work with your client to widen their outlook and experience others’ thoughts to challenge what they know and think.

Ask your client to:

Read widely . Explore new ideas and beliefs that reach beyond your comfort zone.
Widen your group of friends and contacts . Seek out those who have unique ways of looking at things – positive people who will encourage you to grow.
Learn the methods of evidence-led, scientific thinking . Rational thinking can provide the opportunity to free yourself from biased judgments.

Finding meaning through growth

Adopting a growth mindset can also lead to increased purpose in life. Help your client move away from a fixed mindset and open up to finding new purpose through exploration and challenge (Lee, Hwang, & Jang, 2018; Smith, 2018).

Work with your client to:

Find and build on their strengths . Try out some free online questionnaires such as the Values in Action Inventory or the CliftonStrengths Assessment . Once identified, see how they can use their strengths more regularly in daily life.
Explore weaknesses . If they aren’t holding the client back, help them to accept their weaknesses. If weaknesses prevent the client from living the life they wish to lead, try out techniques to build resilience and adopt a growth mindset .
Help the client understand that the meaning they give to life is subjective and just as valid as anyone else’s.
Accept that mistakes are part of learning.
Encourage them to find ways to motivate themselves by building on intrinsic factors such as tasks that they feel related to, autonomous in, and can grow in competence (Ryan & Deci, 2018). After all, meaning is fundamental to motivation (Heintzelman, 2018).
Help others . Work for charities or provide support where needed.
Studies have shown that fostering a sense of awe, gratitude, and altruism can help strengthen a sense of purpose.
Ask the client to listen to the positive things people have to say about them.
Writing or reading about personal experiences can help develop a shared understanding of meaning. Not only does it build a sense of who we are, but it also makes sense of our experiences.

Download 3 Meaning & Valued Living Exercises (PDF)

These detailed, science-based exercises will equip you or your clients with tools to find meaning in life help and pursue directions that are in alignment with values.

Download 3 Free Meaning Tools Pack (PDF)

By filling out your name and email address below.

The sources of meaning and a sense of purpose in our lives are highly personal, subjective, and will vary throughout our lives.

Promotion of happiness themes

The following activities and techniques can promote key themes in our lives as sources of meaning (Ivtzan at al., 2016):

Support others (and receive others’ support) by joining clubs – strengthening bonds and building relationships .
Share feelings, desires, hopes, goals, successes, and failures with a close friend or significant other to increase intimacy .
Focus outside yourself on causes, pursuits, and responsibilities to self-transcend .
Pursue goals and strive for achievement in areas aligned with your values.
Become comfortable in who you are. Feel the satisfaction of meaning by practicing self-acceptance .
Express and experience respect and fairness .
Obtaining materialistic desires can be significant and meaningful for some.
Working towards professional goals can be purposeful for many.
Pursuit of pleasure and happiness brings meaning and purpose to many but can be short lived.

Reflect on your sources of meaning

Having shared the above list with your client, ask them to:

Rank on a sheet of paper their personal sources of meaning (italics above).
Review which ones are central and most influential.
Reflect on the opportunities to strengthen the ones that rank less highly.

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The following tools and techniques are taken from our Positive Psychology Toolkit© and can support your work with clients in their search for purpose and meaning. The exercises are briefly explained, and can be access with a subscription to the Toolkit, which contains over 400 useful tools.

Living a meaningful life can be facilitated by a greater awareness of core values and the thoughts behind them. The insights provided by understanding personal values can help regain a sense of meaning to improve motivation.

Values represent what we consider essential and what we live for in life. They combine both the core psychological needs of the self and society’s norms.

Work with your client to identify what is most valuable to them before they commit to action; for example, being creative, learning, or showing compassion to others.

The Value Cards group exercise provides 42 values (plus some blanks) that can be cut out to form a deck of cards.

Ask each person in the group to:

Lay the value cards out in front of you.
Study and reflect on each one.
Identify the five cards that best represent your core values.
If comfortable, share your core values with others in the group to see what each person has chosen.
Once completed, select the card that represents your strongest value.
Explain to another person in the group why it is your strongest value and offer examples (enjoy this celebration of successes).
Select another value that you would like to live into more and discuss with another person in the group.
Select and share your core value with the group.

Life domains

Some values are specific to life domains. For example, productivity may be more suited to our professional life and compassion in our home life; as our domains change throughout our lives, so too can our values.

A Values Vision Board can provide an excellent visual means for clients to become more aware and connect to their values.

Create a vision board, using pictures cut from magazines and stuck to paper or software such as Powerpoint or Keynote.
Try grouping the images by domain or in order of overall life values.
Work on it through feeling rather than rational thinking, with no goals in mind.
Share your thoughts about the vision board with the therapist or a close friend.
Place the vision board somewhere it can be seen daily. Regularly return to the board to see if values have shifted and whether life is still balanced with the core values.

Emotion and goal-driven behavior

Despite the importance of our values, they can easily be ignored or even avoided.

Powerful emotions often overtake our values in directing our behavior. We fear writing the book we have always wanted or doubt our ability to commit to a relationship.

While goals can be vital to meeting our long-term plans, they can cause us to lose sight of what is important. We may be so focused on finding a partner, owning a house, or starting a family that we lose sight of enjoying life and building a group of friends.

The Values-Based Goal Setting exercise can help translate values into committed action.

Ask the client to:

Choose a life domain, for example, parenting, relationship, work, etc.
Think about what you would like to change in that domain.
Consider why it is essential to make that change.
Write down beside each reason what value it underpins, for example, work/life balance, love, etc.
Use the SMART acronym (specific, meaningful, adaptive, realistic, time-framed) to translate these values into concrete goals.
Review regularly to confirm that these are your goals (not someone else’s) and that your core values remain unchanged.

Shifting and replacing values

Near-death experiences are frequently associated with a re-assessment of a person’s values, including increased concern for others, an appreciation for life, and a decrease in materialism.

Considering our mortality (while challenging) can improve our awareness of what is genuinely important.

The My Gravestone exercise is a powerful tool for reevaluating how we spend our time on Earth. If appropriate to the client’s circumstances, ask your client to:

Imagine their life is over.
Using the shape of a tombstone, write out their name, birth date, etc.
Write a couple of sentences or phrases that capture how they would like to be remembered and how they would like to have spent their time.

This is an extremely difficult exercise for many and should only be performed if the client is ready and willing to cope with the emotions that may arise.

A near-death experience, serious illness, separation, or loss of a loved one can all shake our sense of who we are and force us to reevaluate our core values, life purpose, and sense of meaning.

Indeed, research on trauma survivors has observed post-traumatic growth and the capacity to extract meaning from adversity (Routledge & Juhl, 2010).

17 Tools To Encourage Meaningful, Value-Aligned Living

This 17 Meaning & Valued Living Exercises [PDF] pack contains our best exercises for helping others discover their purpose and live more fulfilling, value-aligned lives.

Created by Experts. 100% Science-based.

Our Masterclass on Meaning and Valued Living© provides an intuitive and accessible way to apply positive psychology.

This excellent online program is for therapists, psychologists, counselors, coaches, and practitioners who want to help their clients find meaning and discover their values, connecting them to their ‘why’ so that they can bear the ‘how.’

if you’re looking for more science-based ways to help others discover meaning, this collection contains 17 validated meaning tools for practitioners. Use them to help others choose directions for their lives in alignment with what is truly important to them.

The meaning we attach to our self, the world around us, and our role within it form our narrative. Our purpose – our aim and goals – motivates the activities that take us through it.

Therefore, it is reasonable to conclude that both meaning and purpose are vital to our wellbeing as well as crucial to who we are.

If we accept the existentialists’ view, then we are free to lead a life according to our values, assign a meaning to what we see as vital, and pursue a unique purpose.

As Sartre points out, this realization may begin with anguish and spiral to a sense of vertiginous nausea before we act. After all, it is like being dropped at a cliff’s edge, without the option of going back and an uncertain future ahead.

Instead, we must choose our values and the meaning we assign to who we are, how we live, and what we do. Our goals are personal, and we must decide whether to follow them or let them drift out of sight.

But failing to act authentically and live according to the meaning and purpose we have chosen would result in a less-well-lived life. So, try the exercises within this article – if only to better understand who you are, your core values, and your place in your surroundings – and explore potential yet to be written.

We hope you enjoyed reading this article. Don’t forget to download our three Meaning and Valued Living Exercises for free .

Camus, A. (1975). The myth of Sisyphus . London: Penguin Books.
Eysenck, M. W., & Keane, M. T. (2015). Cognitive psychology: A student’s handbook . New York: Psychology Press.
Heidegger, M. (2013). Being and time (J. Macquarrie & E. Robinson, Trans.). Malden: Blackwell. (Original work published in 1927 and translated in 1962)
Hicks, J. A., & King, L. A. (2007). Meaning in life and seeing the big picture: Positive affect and global focus. Cognition & Emotion , 21 (7), 1577–1584.
Huo, J.-Y., Wang, X.-Q., Steger, M. F., Ge, Y., Wang, Y.-C., Liu, M.-F., & Ye, B.-J. (2019). Implicit meaning in life: The assessment and construct validity of implicit meaning in life and relations with explicit meaning in life and depression. The Journal of Positive Psychology , 15 (4), 500–518.
Ivtzan, I., Lomas, T., Hefferon, K., & Worth, P. (2016). Second wave positive psychology: Embracing the dark side of life . London: Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group.
Kaufmann, W. (1976). The portable Nietzsch e. London: Penguin Books
Heintzelman, S. J. (2018). Eudaimonia in the contemporary science of subjective well-being: Psychological well-being, self-determination, and meaning in life. In E. Diener, S. Oishi, & L. Tay (Eds.), Handbook of well-being . Salt Lake City, UT: DEF.
Heintzelman, S. J., & King, L. A. (2015). Meaning in life and intuition. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology , 110 (3), 477–492.
Lee, C. S., Hwang, Y. K., & Jang, H. Y. (2018). Moderating effect of growth mindset on the relationship between attitude toward tourism and meaning in life. International Journal of Pure and Applied Mathematics , 120 (6), 5523–5540.
Nietzsche, F. (1911). Beyond good and evil (H. Zimmern, Trans.). Edinburgh: Darrien Press.
Routledge, C., & Juhl, J. (2010). When death thoughts lead to death fears: Mortality salience increases death anxiety for individuals who lack meaning in life. Cognition & Emotion , 24 (5), 848–854.
Ryan, R. M., & Deci, E. L. (2018). Self-determination theory: Basic psychological needs in motivation, development, and wellness . New York: Guilford Press.
Sartre, J. (1964). Being and nothingness: An essay in phenomenological ontolog y. New York: Citadel Press.
Smith, J. A. (2018). How to find your purpose in life. Greater Good Magazine. Retrieved October 5, 2020, from https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/how_to_find_your_purpose_in_life
Steger, M. F. (2009). Meaning in life. In S. J. Lopez (Ed.), Oxford handbook of positive psychology (2nd ed., pp. 679–687). Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Warnock, M. (1970). Existentialism . Oxford: Oxford University Press.

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What our readers think.

We obviously don’t exist in a vacuum so we have a stack of existing phenomena to analyse and interpret. Emanuel Kant said “Two things fill my mind with ever new and increasing admiration and reverence …. the starry heavens above me and the moral law within me.”

Excellent Article. The way ‘ meaning’ and ‘Purpose’ is differentiated is giving clarity to many who get caught in a hazy situation.Purpose is constant and meaning may shift along the journey of life.Purpose is Values driven and Meaning is Actions driven. Enjoyed a lot

Excellent article. I especially liked the differentiation of “meaning” and “purpose” and ways to explore these and become more self-aware. Such poignancy and a great invitation for a deeply meaningful life.

Excellent article. I loved the included YouTube video and funnily enough this is a practice (visualizing myself “zoneing out”- like in the video) I use to ground myself. Refreshing 🙂

The term “existentialism” was given by Catholic existence philosopher Gabriel Marcel to Jean-Paul Sartre’s version of existence philosophy. Nietzsche is not an existentialist, rather, a vitalist. Kierkegaard preceded him and has more existential themes later philosophers like Heidegger built on. “Existentialism” was later associated with Sartre and his followers with “existential phenomenology” being more Heidegger’s suit.

Meaning is objective for Husserl insofar as the laws of logic, morality, and mathematics are independent of the human mind.

Wow, what an insert to capture. I was in a Ministry meeting last night and it was the first one. I listened to several of the ladies say they have no idea of their purpose. So to read this today is a Godsend to share in the next group. This is so profound and just in learning to live.

Thanks for this — especially meaningful at this time of year, in this year. I shared The Blue Dot video to my FB page. But how can we download and share your essay?

Glad you liked the article! Unfortunately, we don’t currently have a download button for our posts, but if you hit ‘Yes’ on the ‘Did you find this article useful?’ button (near the reference list), a range of sharing options will appear. 🙂

– Nicole | Community Manager

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3 Meaning Exercises Pack (PDF)

How to Write a Life Purpose Statement (with 5 Examples)

We talk about a variety of things here on DGH, but a lot of it comes down to one common theme: how you can improve your sense of fulfillment in life.

Think about it, we’ve talked about:

Living according to your values
Books that you can read to help you find your sense of purpose
Fulfilling hobbies you can adopt
How to find your purpose
Personal development
Reaching your goals
Intrinsic motivation
Self-growth

And that’s only to name a few. The reason for developing good habits in the first place is so you can live a fulfilling and successful life–and only you can define that success .

While some people may see success as an early retirement to be able to spend time with their children, others may have no desire to have children and may perceive success as finding a way to create a career out of their hobby .

Because different people are passionate about and find fulfillment in different things, success can be defined in many different ways.

You can think of your definition of success as your “why” in life . What is the end to all of these means? What ultimate outcome are you searching for and working toward? The answer to this can be found in your life purpose statement, which we are going to talk about today.

But first, let’s pause. When considering what the purpose of your life is, you may feel overwhelmed. You’ve got this one life to live and you don’t want to mess it up, so what are you supposed to be doing with it?

When you look at it like that, it certainly does feel overwhelming. You need to let go of the idea that you were born with one specific purpose to live out and you need to identify what that is in order to do yourself justice.

The truth is, we all exist for however many years, during which, we spend our time doing some important and some unimportant things. The important things that we do help add meaning to our lives and make us happy, while the unimportant things really just help pass time.

So when defining your purpose, you’re really uncovering the ways in which you can spend your time that are ultimately important to you.

Thinking of it this way will do a few things for you. Not only will it take some pressure off, but it will also show you that you can have more than one life purpose statement– and your life purpose statement will likely change with time.

So whatever you end up with today isn’t set in stone for life. But, it will be a good motto to keep in mind for the time being as you’re making your daily/weekly/monthly schedule and prioritizing your life.

Let’s get started by looking at a definition of a life purpose statement and why you may want to write one. Then we will go over a step-by-step process that will guide you through creating your own. Finally, we will review 5 different examples of what a life purpose statement could look like.

Table of Contents

What Is a Life Purpose Statement?

Far too often, we end up chasing after dreams, goals, and careers based on other people’s expectations of us. But when we focus our energy on things we’re not passionate about, we end up living a complacent, unfulfilling life without even really knowing why .

There are very few things that are worse than going through years of hard and demanding work, going nowhere while pursuing the wrong goals.

Living your purpose is a critical part of achieving success and living a fulfilling life. Your purpose connects you to your mission for making your impact on the world and leaving it just a bit better than how you found it.

A life purpose statement is one that clarifies your reason for being and why you do what you do every day, helping to direct your decisions and priorities.

After reading your statement, anyone should be able to explain back to you what the reasons are behind your actions and what goal(s) you hope to achieve during your lifetime.

Having a life purpose statement can benefit you because it can help you focus on your goals and change your outlook on life.

While your everyday routine may remain the same after writing your life purpose statement, your attitude behind it and your sense of motivation can shift as your priorities become more clear.

Finding your motivation and channeling your energy into turning your dreams into a reality is easier when you have a specific and explicit statement that helps guide you by communicating what you want to achieve.

You may also begin to find more opportunities to live out your purpose in small, everyday moments that can help boost your confidence and motivation to succeed. So to start actualizing your long-term goals, consider crafting a life purpose statement. Let’s look at how you can do this.

How to Write a Life Purpose Statement in 4 Steps

1. identify your strengths and skills.

While the terms are often used interchangeably, your strengths and your skills aren’t quite the same, and you want to identify both.

Your strengths are your innate abilities that come naturally to you. You can use your strengths to your advantage and you can build upon these personal characteristics to increase your sense of accomplishment in life.

In fact, research has found that people who recognize and intentionally use their strengths in their everyday lives are happier and less depressed than those who do not.

Some examples of personal strengths are:

Open-mindedness
Authenticity
Persistence
Emotional intelligence

While your strengths exist within you, they’re also refined by your life experiences. For example, let’s say you were born with a knack for creativity. If you don’t find yourself in creative environments very often, this strength may not shine through.

On the other hand, with practice, you can cultivate strengths that don’t come naturally to you. Neuroscience has found that with enough practice, our brains can build new neural pathways throughout our lives that help us excel in new behaviors.

And while it may take t housands of hours of practice , neuroplasticity and determination make it possible to develop and adjust your ingrained strengths.

Oftentimes, people are unaware of their strengths. If there’s something that you find to be easy, you may assume that it’s easy for everyone without recognizing it as a unique strength.

You may not realize that something that comes naturally to you is a strength until you’ve taken some time to do some self-reflection or you’ve been exposed to situations in which the strength really worked to your advantage.

For example, you might not know that you’re very good at keeping things in perspective until you witness just how much someone else allows some of life’s minor, everyday inconveniences to negatively impact their attitude and wellbeing.

And as you experience this more throughout life, you’re able to pinpoint your ability to cope and your refusal to allow minor setbacks to derail you as one of your strengths.

When it comes to your skills, unlike your strengths that may be part of your persona from day one, your skills refer to the expertise that you develop through education and experience.

You can always learn new skills, which is important because some of the skills that you have today may be irrelevant in the future with evolving technology or simply due to your evolving interests.

When writing your life purpose statement, you need to be realistic about the skill set that may be required to have in order to be successful. And, if there are skills that you need that you don’t have yet , you will need to formulate a plan to cultivate them.

To write a truly effective life purpose statement, there needs to be some congruence between your strengths, skills, and purpose. Otherwise, you’ll experience conflict between what you’re trying to do and what comes naturally to you.

2. Identify Your Values and Passions

Your core values are the things in life that you refer to when determining your priorities , and they’re probably the factors you take into account when you’re doing a quick inventory on whether or not your life is going the way you had hoped.

When your actions and decisions align with your values, you’re probably pretty satisfied with your life. However, when there is conflict between your everyday routine and your values, you may start to feel discontent.

You have values, whether you recognize them or not. And knowing your values is a great way to help you make decisions that will make or keep you happy in the long run.

For example, if you value lifelong learning and self-improvement , you probably won’t choose to spend a whole lot of your time sitting around watching reruns of old tv shows unless you’re stuck at home sick, as this is not an activity that will help you progress in life.

life purpose statement worksheet | steps for writing a life purpose statement | my purpose in life as a student

Or, if you don’t value a competitive working environment , you probably wouldn’t be satisfied with your job if you worked in an extremely competitive sales position.

It’s best to understand your values when planning your life in this way because it can help you make decisions that align with what’s important to you and what fulfills you and help you avoid getting into situations that don’t make you happy.

Your passions are a little more short-term than your values, in that these are the things in life that really interest you, you want to devote your time to, and you feel like you’re in your element while you’re engaging in them. Consider the following:

What fascinates and excites you?
What could you spend hours talking about?
What do you do in your free time ?

While your values aren’t likely to change too much throughout your life, your passions may change quite a bit with age and experience. However, if you’re disconnected from your passions, you will probably feel unfulfilled.

So by identifying the things that motivate you at this point in your life, you can pinpoint ways that you can make some changes to increase your contentment by spending more time engaging in these activities.

When you identify your values and your passions, you’re one step closer to knowing your purpose, which will help you live an intentional life and set goals that are aligned with who you are.

When your strengths, skills, values, and passions all line up, you’ll live a life of purpose that will be fulfilling both in the short- and long-term. Alternatively, if your days are spent doing something that is not on a relevant path, you will not feel satisfied with life.

3. Determine Your Desired Result

When all is said and done, what do you want to be remembered for doing? What outcome do you want to produce from all of your passion and hardwork? What direction do you want your story to go?

Researchers studying the correlation of happiness, meaning, moods, relationships, health, etc., found that one’s sense of purpose in life generally comes from the act of giving to other people –while happiness derives from what other people give to you.

So what can you give to the world? What problem can you help fix? What difference can you make? The feeling of making a difference is critical to feeling a sense of fulfillment, as it will help you feel important, which equates to having a purpose.

4. Create a Draft

When you’re creating a draft of your life purpose statement, don’t overthink the process or your wording. Allow your thoughts to flow freely on paper as you’re drafting, knowing that you will come back later to clean it up and make your purpose statement more concise.

Write in the present tense and use an active tone. Rather than writing about things that you will avoid doing, focus on what you plan to experience and achieve starting today.

Getting your thoughts and first draft on paper will give you a launchpad for writing your life purpose statement, which shouldn’t end up being more than a sentence or two. Your final statement should be clear, concise, inspirational, and realistic.

Before you get to work, let’s take a look at some examples of life purpose statements that you can use to help guide you in writing your own.

Examples of a Life Purpose Statement

1. “my purpose is to become an expert in my career and add valuable contributions to the field. i hope to feel fulfilled with what i have accomplished when i retire.”.

Many people find satisfaction through career success and their personal contribution to their field of practice. Having a career that fulfills your desire to do meaningful work will keep you intrinsically motivated to get up and get moving every day.

Finding purpose in your work may result from dedicating your life to something aside from just climbing the corporate ladder, which is how many professionals feel more content in a position where they can make some kind of unique contribution.

This is especially true in positions that focus on helping the community and those which are more oriented toward service than simply building the bottom line of the company.

Finding purpose in your career comes from doing something that you’re passionate about instead of simply finding a way to clock in and out every day to earn a paycheck.

If your life purpose statement is centered around your career, consider what it is about your career that gives you such a deep sense of purpose. This way, you can make sure to not lose sight of this aspect of your career as time progresses.

2. “My purpose is to foster meaningful relationships with other people by loving unconditionally, practicing generosity, and always being open to form new friendships and connections.”

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If you find satisfaction through your personal relationships, having a purpose statement like this may feel right to you.

Research has found that the intensity and quality of people’s friendships is directly associated with life satisfaction. The more social integration that one has in their everyday life, the more satisfied they will be.

With this in mind, it’s not surprising that many people may revolve their life purpose statement around their relationships with other people .

3. “My purpose in life is to be a positive role model for others. I will empower younger generations to be independent, confident, and self-reliant through supportive individual and group activities.”

If you’re a great leader , you believe it is your purpose to inspire and motivate other people to become the best version of themselves. This life purpose statement likely resonates with people who care about and are hopeful for future generations.

Spending time helping our future leaders with their personal development is a very important task that many people could find meaning in doing.

Being a mentor is a great way to not only improve the lives of other people, but to also set yourself up for a life filled with learning yourself as you meet and interact with new people and hear about other people’s experiences and struggles.

Working with people on a regular basis with whom you have no natural connection by offering guidance and support will help you continue to hone your leadership skills and self-growth as you help people figure out their best path forward.

4. “My purpose is to instill healthy eating and exercise habits in children to help protect the physical wellbeing of our population.”

Encouraging positive lifelong eating and exercise habits at a young age can help set children up for a healthy future. Children who give their bodies proper nutrition and plenty of exercise are building the foundation for healthy growth and development, leading to lifelong wellbeing.

And these days, too many children aren’t receiving the proper nutrition or getting enough physical activity during the day, which is allowing the obesity epidemic in our country to continue.

The national prevalence of obesity in children lingers around 20%, which puts kids at risk for health complications once they get older.

Those who are passionate about physical health and disease prevention may feel it’s their purpose to make a difference in this sector of society, which would make this an appropriate life purpose statement.

5. “My purpose in life is to motivate and inspire positive change through my writing.”

If you’re passionate about writing and communicating with people in this way, you may feel that your purpose is to make a statement and a difference in people’s lives through the written word.

Whether this is by doing research and writing peer-reviewed publications to share your findings or you feel that you can be inspirational through more subjective writing, this purpose statement demonstrates exactly how one may want to make a difference in the world.

Final Thoughts on Writing a Life Purpose Statement

In summary, your life purpose statement will be unique to you –not catered toward the expectations of others. Your life purpose statement will guide your time and attention and help you determine what goals to set and how to spend your free time.

By creating a life purpose statement, you will be able to understand yourself better to help you become the best version of you. (To learn more, check out our post on mission statements vs. goals .)

Follow the step-by-step process laid out in this article and use these examples as a guide to write your own statement. Display it somewhere that you can see it often to remind you of why you do what you do every day.

If you need more inspiration, check out our roundup of the the best Find Your Why worksheets to get started . You can also read this post on how to manifest something by writing it down if you are interested in law of attraction.

Finally, if you want to take your goal-setting efforts to the next level, check out this FREE printable worksheet and a step-by-step process that will help you set effective SMART goals .

life purpose statement | life purpose statement examples | how to write a life purpose statement

Create your life purpose statement template

Other resources you may like:

Evaluate your life satisfaction (self-assessment)

Define your personal values (self-assessment)

What is a life purpose statement?

Have you ever contemplated what you are here on Earth to learn? What are you meant to discover? What purpose are you here to serve? Who are you meant to become?

The answers to these questions will likely not be answered in one sitting or one statement; however you can begin to uncover some ideas as answers through the exercise of crafting a life purpose statement .

A life purpose statement is:

Your own expression of an inspiring world vision, and how your personal being and doing contributes to the development of this vision of the world.

Beyond giving us just an action to busy ourselves with in life, a good life purpose statement includes two additional and essential factors:

A reason, or purpose, to exist that is linked to the greater scheme of things (i.e. the world) . Defining your purpose in terms of a why within the context of the world is important to help you feel connected rather than isolated from the whole. Isolation from the world is a very demoralizing mental state for humans beings, and can arise if the framing of your “why I exist” is not set within the greater context the world.

Integration of both qualities of doing and qualities of being . A meaningful life involves a balance of both of these qualities. Over-focusing on one while ignoring the other will leave us either feeling burned out or useless, both of which end up making us discouraged and demoralized.

Developing your life purpose statement can put you in position to then do the follow-up work of figuring out “what” you can do that will support your “why,” “how,” to align your life with your meaningful purpose, and “who” it is important to interact with along the way.

The process of creating your life purpose statement might feel a bit awkward or uncomfortable at first. If so, this is a good sign that this work is helping you to expand and grow your concept of self.

If your life purpose statement is right for you, then thinking about or reading it should excite you, evoke you, and energize you. It doesn’t have to make you jump out of your chair ready to change your whole life all at once, but contemplating it should not leave you feeling flat, ambivalent, or “meh.” If you do feel apathetic about it, then that’s okay! Just try brainstorming a few more ideas and trying those on.

Creating your life purpose statement

A life purpose statement should include some of the following:

Integrating you into greater whole, either through connections with other people, nature, or your own concept of the world

Both qualities of being (these are non-actions values, like creativity, love, ambition, or wisdom) and doing (these are actions or verbs, like teaching, learning, exploring, or building)

Resonance or meaning with you personally, rather than what someone else wants of you or what you feel you ought to be/do

Relatively short; less than 50 words

A life purpose statement should not include specific, achievable outcomes. Your life purpose statement will in the end give rise to goals and specifics, but should not include these components itself. Your purpose statement is a vision for your life, and therefore is never possible to “achieve.” If it were, then you would need to continuously define new life purpose statements, because your old life purpose was achieved.

Life purpose statements also don’t need to be forever, either. They should be expansive enough to guide us at least over a period of multiple years; but because our values/priorities change over the course of our lives as we change, our life purpose statements may also change in order to support our growth along the arc of our lives. If a very signifiant life change or epiphany has occurred in your life, consider whether your life purpose statement still inspires and energizes you, and try ideating a new one if not.

Use the following questions to help guide you defining your own life purpose statement:

What does the world that you want for yourself and your loved ones look like?

What kind of journey could you embark on to help make that world a reality?

Which of your values or important qualities will help you most in your journey?

Which activities do you see yourself undertaking in your journey?

Who else will you interact with during your journey? How will you interact with them?

Your answers to these questions are meant to get your ideas flowing. Some of them may actually become part of your statement, but you don’t have to try to figure out how to cram everything you come up with into your actual life purpose statement.

Again, if you come up with a statement that doesn’t truly inspire you or excite you, that’s okay! Call that draft one and go back to brainstorming and thinking up new ideas. Go bigger, broader, bolder, deeper, more imaginative, and more outrageous and try creating 3 or 5 more.

If you are still struggling to write yours, that’s still okay. Take a detour to get your creative juices flowing by exploring some of the following tips.

Life purpose statement template

Download the printable template here .

If you feel overwhelmed by the act of facing a blank paper, try using this fill-in-the blank-style template to helps channel your inspiration and inner clarity into word form.

My life purpose is to be _ (a metaphor or abstract state that inspires you) _

that embodies (1-2 core values )

and is dedicated to _ (1-2 activities that you want to do throughout the life’s journey)

(who/what you want to impact)

“Ikigai” is a Japanese concept (similar to the Indian concept of dharma) that involves identifying the central theme between 4 themes of doing:

What you enjoy

What you are good at

What you can earn a living in

What the world needs

Use this exercise to guide your thinking about what you might do within the context of the wider world, but don’t worry so much about what you can do now; your life purpose statement can also just be to work towards discovering what you enjoy doing, are good at, or what you can earn a living doing, or what the world needs.

Define your personal values and core values

Values are the set of guiding principles we use to form our perceptions and inform our decisions, and core values are the values we chose of our own volition to embody.

Value are the compass with which we guide ourselves through life. Their purpose is to reliably point the way to our true north when we are unsure, and form a solid ground to stand upon when making decisions.

Defining your values is a key way of triangulating in on what vision of life resonates with you and can stimulate your envisioning mental muscles, in addition to actually appearing in your life purpose statement.

Learn how to define your personal values.

Examples of life purpose statements

Ready for some life purpose statement examples? Seeing the final product of other people’s approaches is always the best part, isn’t it?

Here are 3 examples using the fill-in-the-blank template above:

My life purpose is to be a map to eternal treasure that embodies success and prosperity, and is dedicated to inspiring and teaching anyone who wants to achieve a better life.

My life purpose is to be a screaming fighter-jet that embodies confidence and risk-taking, and is dedicated to adventuring and experiencing the world.

My life purpose is to be a positive force that embodies connection and joy, and is dedicated to loving and supporting my family.

Here are seven other examples of life purpose statements, written free-form:

My life purpose is to continue developing wisdom, every single day.

My life purpose is to fill other peoples’ cups, while keeping my own cup filled.

My life purpose is to discover my life’s true purpose, and to live in a way that makes my life meaningful.

My life purpose is to live a fun and productive life, while minimizing my impact on the planet and other people.

My life purpose is to make a good enough living that enables me to be free to enjoy my life outside of work.

My life purpose is apply my creativity and ambition to continuously reinvent myself throughout my life’s journey.

My life purpose is to develop to my fullest potential in my career, while maintaining a healthy balance of investment of myself in my partner, family, and friend relationships.

That’s all for today – thanks for reading! Learn more about how working with a personal development coach can help you to live a more fulfilling life, sign up for my newsletter , and stay tuned for more self-discovery essays!

5 lessons from 5 coaches about the individual and society

How to navigate a quarter-life crisis (or third-life crisis).

How To Write An Eagle Scout Statement of Ambition & Life Purpose

Title: Eagle Scout Statement of Ambitions and life purpose

Before you can begin Eagle Scout rank requirement 7 and hold your final board of review, you’ll be tasked with writing a comprehensive essay that discusses your long-term goals and values. This piece of writing, which must be submitted with your Eagle rank application, is called a Statement of Ambitions and Life Purpose!

What is an Eagle Scout Statement of Ambitions And Life Purpose? An Eagle Scout Statement of Ambitions and Life Purpose is a short essay, written by an Eagle Scout candidate, that describes their goals, values, and mindsets. Often, these statements are about 500 words in length and are broken into 4 parts: Intro, short-term goals, long-term goals, and life purpose.

PS. This article is based on the experiences and research of Eagle Scout, Kevin A and Cole 🙂

While most Eagle Scouts (myself at the time, included!) usually aren’t aware that they even need to write this essay until the last minute, it’s actually an incredibly important thing to do. Why? Well, the Chair of your final Eagle Scout Board of Review will be reading your Statement of Ambitions and Life Purpose and asking you questions, accordingly!

Additionally, writing a Statement of Ambitions and Life Purpose gives you the chance to start thinking about your life’s vision. What do you hope to give to the world? Where do you see yourself in 3 years? These are all very important questions, and this essay might be one of the first times in your life where you’re directly asked to critically think about what you want your future to hold!

Plus, your Statement of Ambitions and Life Purpose is a great foundation upon which you can write an amazing Eagle Scout college application . (Click the link for my ultimate guide to getting Eagle Scout college acceptances) Kill two birds with one stone by using this statement to outline your thoughts for college and beyond! Trust me, my own Eagle Statement of Ambitions really set my sights in the right direction. I promise it’ll help you too if you put a lot of thought into it, dig deep, and keep an open mind.

With all that being said, you’re probably wondering how to write a great essay of your own. Not to fear! In this article, I’ll be using my own Statement of Ambitions and Life Purpose essay as an example to get your writing juices flowing! Then, I’ll give you some questions to reflect on, so you can make your essay even better than mine was. 😉

My Example Statement of Ambitions and Life Purpose Essay

First, take a second to read through my example essay. This is a bit shorter than the typical essay of 500 words (2 double-spaced pages), but it should give you a good idea of what’s required. Then, in the following sections, we’ll be reviewing each component, from the introduction to your life vision, so that you can create an incredible statement of your own!

Without further ado, here’s Kevin and my example Statement of Ambitions and Life Purpose:

1. Introduction: “Reflecting back, as I’m now applying for Eagle, the highest rank in Scouting, I realize just how far I’ve come. Not only have I learned how to light a fire with a single match, tie a bowline around myself with one hand, and sell ungodly amounts of Trail’s End popcorn — no, Scouting had given me much more. Scouting has given me the core values and principles that I now carry with me through my life.” 2. Short Term Goals: “In my high school life, I am planning on taking two Advanced Placement courses: AP Environmental Science and AP English Language and Composition. These courses, though challenging, will hopefully help me expand my knowledge into areas that I may be interested in pursuing while at college.” “My next big hurdle comes in the form of college applications. Between club responsibilities, AP classes, Scouting, and friends, I’ll be hard-pressed to find the time. However, like earning Eagle, nothing worthwhile comes easy. To achieve my short term goals I’ll set a schedule, make a plan, and check things off one requirement at a time.” 3. Long-Term Goals “Upon graduating from high school, I want to attend a four-year college within the University of California system. I have not decided what studies to pursue in college, but I am leaning towards majoring in the chemistry field.” “In college, I hope to develop the skills and connections to land a chemical engineering job where I can directly help others. I want a comfortable salary, and the expertise to have my ideas be heard within the workforce. I won’t be satisfied simply remaining a follower in my field and intend to lead others to help bring about breakthroughs that improve human wellbeing.” 4. Life Purpose “My ultimate vision for life is to become an individual who lifts others up. Growing up an only child, I always felt best whenever I was able to contribute to the people around me. Whether it’s making scientific breakthroughs, leading a team, or even teaching scouts, my life’s purpose will always be to do good for others.” “Although my specific goals will probably change as I grow older and experience the world from a different perspective, I know that the values I learned from Scouting will forever remain in my mind and heart. Regardless of what I end up doing, while I’m doing it I’ll be physically strong, mentally awake, and morally straight.”

If you’ve read through our essay, by now you should have a few ideas bouncing around your head about what to write in your own Statement of Ambitions and Life Purpose. Write them down ASAP! Those ideas will serve as your essay’s foundations. 🙂

Now if you’re like most teens, you might instead be thinking, “I’m worried that I won’t be able to stick to my goals and ambitions that I wrote down because I’m not sure what I truly want to do with my life!” Yup, I’ve been there too. However, if this is something you’re worried about, don’t fret!

Firstly, your Eagle Board of Review team won’t be making you promise to fulfill every single goal you set in your essay, as they realize that most Eagle Scout applicants (and most teens in general) don’t have everything figured out in terms of their life goals.
Secondly, in the following sections, I’ve prepared some questions for you that might give you a better idea of your actual ambitions and life purpose!

Here’s a tip: When reading the questions we pose, take your time. Try to think critically and come up with any answer. Then, ask yourself, “is my answer true, for me?” If it isn’t, question why you thought of it. Ask if it’s true in any way.

Doing this exercise will help you succeed in one of the most important areas of your life: knowing yourself . Now, it’s time to read through a detailed breakdown of our essay and answer the questions we’ve posed so that you can create an amazing statement of your own! Let’s go!

Introducing Your Statement of Ambitions and Life Purpose

Your introductory paragraph should go over some of the most impactful experiences you’ve had in Scouting thus far, as well as what you’ve learned from those experiences. Some experiences you can highlight are times when you acted as a leader, times where you learned an important value, or even things that you learned in Scouting that you’ve applied to a situation outside of Scouting.

The important part here is to consider what you’ve learned from your Scouting career (Hopefully, a lot). The Eagle Rank is the highest rank in Scouting, and with it comes a wealth of experiences and wisdom that you’ve had to learn along the way. Here is how I chose to tie in what I learned from Scouting:

“Reflecting back, as I’m now applying for Eagle, the highest rank in Scouting, I realize just how far I’ve come. Not only have I learned how to light a fire with a single match, tie a bowline around myself with one hand, and sell ungodly amounts of Trail’s End popcorn — no, Scouting had given me much more. Scouting has given me the core values and principles that I now carry with me through my life.”

Your introduction shouldn’t be long-winded, as you’ll have many other parts of your essay to get into more detail. Keeping it brief and to the point will likely be the most effective approach to completing your introduction. When writing your intro, here are a few questions you could ask yourself:

Introductory Questions to Consider

What part of the Scout Oath and Law means the most to you? How have you lived by it in your Scouting and non-Scouting life?
What is a specific Scouting experience you’ve had where you’ve learned something of great value? What did you learn? How did you end up learning it?
How have you most changed from when you were a new Scout? Think back to who you were, as a person, when just entering Scouting.
When you hear the word “Scouting,” what comes to mind? Why?

Short-Term Goals for High School

The focus of your next section should be the goals you’d like to complete before finishing high school. These short-term goals can be academic (like getting all A’s), extracurricular (Like making varsity), or even personally-related (such as a hobby, interest, or side-business).

This section can also be used to describe how to plan to achieve these goals. Success comes from making solid plans and then executing on them, so make sure you think about how to achieve your goals. This way they won’t just be dreams! Here’s how I wrote about my high school goals:

“In my high school life, I am planning on taking two Advanced Placement courses: AP Environmental Science and AP English Language and Composition. These courses, though challenging, will hopefully help me expand my knowledge into areas that I may be interested in pursuing while at college.” “My next big hurdle comes in the form of college applications. Between club responsibilities, AP classes, Scouting, and friends, I’ll be hard-pressed to find the time. However, like earning Eagle, nothing worthwhile comes easy. To achieve my short term goals I’ll set a schedule, make a plan, and check things off one requirement at a time.”

While I highly encourage you to talk about your extracurricular or personal goals as well, I’d highly recommend that you mention your high school academics in some way when writing this section.

Even if you don’t have plans to continue your education after high school, the main point of this part of your life is likely to become educated and graduate with your high school diploma. As such, a portion of this section should be dedicated to discussing your academics (it could even be one sentence stating that you plan on finishing high school!).

Short-term Questions to Consider

Are there any classes you want to take before you graduate, such as any AP or IB classes? Why do you want to take these classes? How do you think they could help in your future?
Do you have any goals you want to complete in your extracurricular activities? How can you take on more leadership in your teams, clubs, and community service groups?
Are there any personal interests you’ve developed while in high school that might steer you towards a certain career? Consider things you’re good at, love doing, and might make you money.

Long-Term Goals For After Graduation

This section focuses on your long-term plans after graduating from high school. There are many avenues you could pursue after your graduation! Will you be going to a trade school? The military? Continuing your education by attending a four-year university or a community college? Heading straight to the workforce? The possibilities are endless! 🙂

I’d recommend considering how you want your life after high school to look (especially since it’ll be happening eventually). Think not just about continued education, but also the values and jobs you’ll be taking on. Here’s how I discussed my own plans in this section of my Statement of Ambitions and Life Purpose:

“Upon graduating from high school, I want to attend a four-year college within the University of California system. I have not decided what studies to pursue in college, but I am leaning towards majoring in the chemistry field.” “In college, I hope to develop the skills and connections to land a chemical engineering job where I can directly help others. I want a comfortable salary, and the expertise to have my ideas be heard within the workforce. I won’t be satisfied simply remaining a follower in my field and intend to lead others to help bring about breakthroughs that improve human wellbeing.”

This section gives you a lot of freedom to express yourself; you can go into as much detail as you’d like when explaining your post-graduate plans. For example, if you’re sure that you want to enter a trade school, feel free to talk about the steps you’re going to take in order to get trained, certified, and hired for the trade of choice!

Since you’ll be earning your Eagle Rank soon, it’s vital that you learn how to Properly List Eagle Scout On Your Resume . Not only does this improve your odds of landing a job and getting into a good school, it’ll also help you to more effectively describe your Scouting experiences (and learn from them, too)!

Here’s a Tip: Be realistic, but also dream big! Since in this section you can talk about your desired career, feel free to set a big, hairy, audacious goal (I call this a BHAG). Setting a huge, motivating goal for your future can spur you into action and help you to accomplish anything!

With your BHAG in mind, here are a few questions to consider that can point you in the right direction when writing this section:

Long-term Questions to Consider

If you’re planning on entering the workforce, what type of job are you looking for? What steps might you take to increase your chances of being hired for the position you’re interested in?
If you’re planning on joining the military, what branch of the military are you interested in joining? Why do you want to join this section of the military?
If you’re planning on going to trade school, what type of trade interests you? Do you know any schools that excel in teaching this trade? Do you want to start your own business with this trade or join an existing company?
If you’re planning on continuing your education, will you be going to a community college or a four-year university? What do you want to get out of your continued education, and how will you make it happen?
If none of these options apply to you, what will you be doing? Do you have plans to do one of the previous options eventually or are you planning on sticking to your original plans for a long time?
In a perfect world, where do you see yourself in 5 years? What do you want to (and not want to ) be doing?

Your Life’s Purpose and Values

The final section of your Statement of Ambitions and Life Purpose should be used to describe your ultimate life’s vision. What do you really want out of life? Good topics to consider for this section could include plans about a future family, community involvement, and bucket-list experiences.

One thing you should try to mention in this section is how you plan to use the lessons you’ve learned from Scouting when you’re older. You don’t have to promise to return to Scouting in the future (although if you do see yourself volunteering, be sure to mention it), but you should try to discuss how you’ll use what you’ve learned to better the world.

Here is how I chose to describe my life’s purpose and values:

“My ultimate vision for life is to become an individual who lifts others up. Growing up an only child, I always felt best whenever I was able to contribute to the people around me. Whether it’s making scientific breakthroughs, leading a team, or even teaching Scouts, my life’s vision will always be to do good for others.” “Although my specific goals will probably change as I grow older and experience the world from a different perspective, I know that the values I learned from Scouting will forever remain in my mind and heart. Regardless of what I end up doing, while I’m doing it I’ll be physically strong, mentally awake, and morally straight.”

If you’re having trouble figuring out how to write this last section, keep in mind that your goals are only half of the question. Consider what values you feel are most important to you as well. What brings purpose and meaning to your life? There’s no right or wrong answer here, so feel free to expand on these points as much as you’d like!

You can honestly take any direction you’d like when writing about your life’s purpose, but I’d recommend asking yourself the following questions to first gain some clarity:

Life Purpose Questions to Consider

Think about when you’ll be 30-40 years old. What do you picture your life will be like at that age? What will you have accomplished? What part of doing that will make you happy?
How will you stay involved with your family when you’re older? Do you have plans on eventually having a family of your own?
What would you most like to do in your free time? Do you plan to travel, volunteer, or maybe even do something else?
How will you stay involved in your community when you’re older? How close do you want to be with others in your community? Do you want to be a mentor?
If you could assign yourself a life ‘theme,’ what would it be? Some ideas include creativity, integrity, resourcefulness, or anything else you can come up with. How will you embody this theme in your life purpose?

Conclusion

Although the ideas you’ll cover in your Statement of Ambitions and Life Purpose will likely change as you get older, I really encourage you to be as detailed as possible when writing your essay. Believe me, when you’re older you’ll look back on this essay and appreciate the glimpse it gives you into your life right now!

Your Statement of Ambitions and Life Purpose is essentially a time capsule of your teenage self, so it’s vital to do it right. By using the structure we covered in this article, and asking yourself important questions about how you want your life to look, I’m sure you’ll create an awesome essay! 🙂

Chances are this won’t be the last essay you write. In fact, your Statement of Ambitions and Life Purpose may just be the start of an awesome college application essay! To make your college goals a reality, check out my complete guide to Writing An Eagle Scout College Essay That Gets You Accepted .

Congrats on making it to the end of this article, as well as for your upcoming Eagle Rank! Hope to see you back at ScoutSmarts again soon and, until next time, be the best individual you can be!

I'm constantly writing new content because I believe in Scouts like you! Thanks so much for reading, and for making our world a better place. Until next time, I'm wishing you all the best on your journey to Eagle and beyond!

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Why Do You Need a Purpose in Life?

The benefits of having a purpose are enormous..

Posted February 10, 2020 | Reviewed by Daniel Lyons M.A.

“What do you want to be when you grow up?” my father asked me when I was eight-years-old. He would periodically ask me this question (as would numerous other adults — it still seems to be a popular question to ask children when they are too young to have a clue). Two years earlier, I answered, “I want to be a scuba diver like the man in Sea Hunt (a popular TV series from the 1960s). But this time, I answered, “I want to be a writer.” I had recently been praised for some poetry and stories I wrote; I enjoyed writing and it seemed to come naturally. I haven’t wavered since. It’s rare to know what you want to do for the rest of your life; it’s even rarer to know your purpose in life. I certainly didn’t know mine at age eight.

Two years later, after a particularly good sermon by my minister, Dr. Cecil Myers, I told my mother I wanted to be a minister. Dr. Myers was a master storyteller and joke teller. He is the only preacher who has ever been able to hold my attention . My mother suggested that I enroll in confirmation classes with my church. Wow, that cured me of any desire to be a minister; I quickly realized I wasn’t interested in all the religious stuff.

What I was interested in was telling great stories and jokes. At age ten, my interest in becoming a speaker was already emerging. But, speaking — telling great stories and jokes — is still not a purpose.

When I was 12, I saw a Mark Twain impersonator on stage, and it crystallized in my mind what I wanted to be: a humorist writer and speaker. But, that was still not a purpose. I wouldn’t discover my purpose until I was much older and had a body of written work under my belt.

When I was in college I became interested in politics — not with the traditional two parties — but with an idea. I was attracted to the Non- Aggression Principle (NAP), similar to the Golden Rule. The NAP is the belief that a person is free to act as they choose as long as they do not initiate force, or the threat of force, against another person or their property. It’s an ideology that embraces freedom and peace. In brief, I believe it’s wrong to hurt people and take their stuff, and that there are no exceptions.

When I went back and reviewed my collection of short stories, novels, and novellas, I discovered a unifying theme. They were all — in some aspect — about being bullied and standing up to the bullies (it made sense: I was severely bullied as a kid, and it took me years to overcome it).

I had found my purpose: helping people deal with bullies. It was driving my interest in politics, and it was emerging subconsciously in the words of my fiction. I have been passionate about this cause ever since. Today, I define my political belief as voluntaryism (look it up).

Why Is It is So Important to Have a Purpose?

Having a purpose is all about finding what activities make you happy, while at the same time being able to use your natural talents to pursue them. Then, it’s all about getting so involved and absorbed with your passion that you completely lose track of time.

If you don’t know what your purpose is, how do you find it? That’s easy: follow your joy. When you feel joy, it is such a powerful emotion that it speaks the truth from the depths of your subconscious . Think of the things that have brought you joy in the past. Next, make a list of those times, and look for a pattern.

Sometimes, you have to search for your purpose. The way to do that is to force yourself to try new activities: take a class; join a club or other group; volunteer; learn a new skill, start a new hobby. Try to remember anything in which you’ve ever expressed interest, then go back and explore them.

Having a purpose in life is vitally important! Studies have shown that having a purpose leads to a longer healthier, wealthier life. According to a 2010 study published in Applied Psychology, people who have a purpose live longer. Now that’s a real value!

According to Time Magazine , purposeful living has been linked to a lower risk of disease, better sleep, and other healthy behaviors. And, according to a study in JAMA Psychiatry , having a purpose in life helps aging people maintain their function and independence. People in the study, who reported having a sense of purpose, were less likely to have weak grip strength and slow walking speeds, both of which are signs of declining physical ability and risk factors for disability. They also noted that people with purpose are more proactive in taking care of their health. Additional studies reported that purpose-driven people have lower levels of inflammation.

Last, but not least, a 2016 study published in the Journal of Research and Personality found that: “individuals who feel a sense of purpose make more money than individuals who feel as though their works lack meaning.” There’s some solid motivation for finding a purpose.

Go find your purpose, it doesn’t have to change the world, it just has to engage your passion. Once you’ve found it, go live a longer, happier, healthier, wealthier life.

Robert Evans Wilson, Jr. is an innovation /change speaker, author, and consultant.

Robert Wilson is a writer and humorist based in Atlanta, Georgia.

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11 Examples Of Life Purpose Statements That You Could Adopt

Disclosure: this page may contain affiliate links to select partners. We receive a commission should you choose to make a purchase after clicking on them. Read our affiliate disclosure.

woman sitting under a tree writing her life purpose statement in a notepad

In his book “Man’s Search for Meaning,” Holocaust survivor and psychiatrist Viktor Frankl stated that a person can withstand just about anything as long as they have a purpose to strive for.

So what happens when we don’t know what our purpose is, exactly?

Just about all of us have struggled with the idea of personal purpose at one point or another.

For some, it might happen in secondary school, when life is a maelstrom of trying to figure out what to do with the next 40 years. Others might face their struggle after a health crisis or major life event such as job loss, divorce, or widowhood.

At some point, we all look in the mirror and ask ourselves:

“What am I supposed to be doing with my life? Who do I want to be? What legacy do I want to leave?”

All of this can be very daunting, and can also inspire a fair bit of anxiety if the answer doesn’t come right away.

We may feel lost without a sense of purpose, or feel as though we’re being dragged along by a current that doesn’t feel right, but we don’t know what to do about it.

If you’re trying to figure out your life purpose and you feel stuck, that’s okay. That’s why we’re here to help each other, right?

How To Find Your Life Purpose

Try to set some time aside when you’re unlikely to be disturbed by others, and you have no pressing commitments to attend to.

Grab your journal and write down all the things that are important to you. Not just things you enjoy, but accomplishments that make you feel proud of yourself, things you do to help other people… basically things that make you feel fulfilled.

Next, write down your own version of a “bucket list,” but focus more on things you’d like to achieve in your life , rather than just things you’d like to experience.

Think of things such as wanting to establish a wildlife sanctuary, or be known for creating a line of hot sauces, rather than experiencing what it’s like to skydive naked.

Can I Have More Than One Life Purpose?

Whose permission are you asking? Are you seeking validation from other people as to how many different purposes you’re allowed to have?

Dear heart, you can have as many purposes, statements, and goals as you like.

Having multiple life passions isn’t just possible, it’s spectacular. For example, during the Renaissance, being a polymath (someone who excels at numerous pursuits) was both expected and encouraged. It’s only been fairly recently that hyper-focusing on one specific goal or career has been expected.

People are, by our very nature, adaptable creatures with various interests and skill sets. So why not have more than one purpose?

A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects. – Robert A. Heinlein

Let’s take a look at some powerful life purpose statements. Perhaps you’ll find one that can inspire your own in turn, or at least give you a starting point for discovering yours!

1. “I stand up for issues that I believe in, and speak for those who cannot speak for themselves.”

This kind of life purpose statement is great for people for whom justice and mercy are of great importance.

For example, people who want to work with organizations such as Amnesty International, or various animal rights groups.

Are you thinking about pursuing a career in law? Or perhaps you’d like to dedicate yourself to animal rescues, or fundraising for veterans, or even volunteering for homeless outreach programs?

With this as your mantra, you’re bound to make extraordinary changes happen in the world.

2. “I am determined to leave the world in a better state than it is now.”

Are you an environmental activist? Do you carry spare bin bags in your pocket when you go out hiking so you can collect and dispose of other people’s rubbish?

Then a statement like this might be the right fit.

Howl it to the sky when you’re tossing seed bombs into empty fields to sow native pollinator flowers, or cleaning up oil spills around the world.

3. “I want to tell extraordinary stories, and inspire other people with my writing”

Are you a natural storyteller? Do you dream of writing a novel (or a series of novels!) that will engage people for years to come? That is absolutely magnificent.

The world is fuelled by stories, and the greatest ones are told and retold for generations. I mean, they’re still doing retellings and adaptations of Beowulf, and that was written a thousand years ago.

4. “I am called to dedicate myself to my spirituality, and help others who are on the same path as me.”

There are many different religions and spiritual paths around the world, and all have adherents who have dedicated their lives to spiritual practice.

If you are drawn to a spiritual life, you may find yourself wanting to enter an ashram, convent, or monastery.

Or perhaps you’d like to immerse yourself in religious studies in order to teach them to others.

If you have this type of calling, then a life purpose statement that encompasses your personal beliefs may be a great source of strength and inspiration for you.

5. “I will create stunning works of art that people can enjoy for centuries to come. That’s the legacy I want to leave: beauty.”

Have you noticed that most tourist attractions around the world center around art and architecture?

Millions of people flock to the Taj Mahal, the Louvre, Florence, and countless other places where they can bask in the beauty that other people have created.

Artists, designers, and architects have created works of absolute wonder, some of which have been filling people with awe for hundreds, even thousands of years.

If you’re inspired to create such beauty, then this is certainly a mission statement for you.

6. “I plan on being the change I want to see in this world.”

This is a more generalized life purpose statement, but a powerful one nonetheless.

If you’re struggling to figure out exactly what you want to do, but you know you want to do something to make the world a better place, then this is a good launching point.

After all, you can always change direction once you’re in motion. The key is to get started and gain momentum, right?

7. “I want to heal those who are hurting.”

A life purpose statement like this one would suit anyone who wants to be of service in a healing capacity.

This might be physical healing, such as a surgeon or physio/massage therapist. Alternatively, it could encompass mental, emotional, or spiritual pain, such as can be alleviated with psychotherapy, counselling, or other non-physical support.

If you’re drawn to the healing arts, and want to alleviate other people’s suffering, then a simple mission statement like this might be just what you’re looking for.

8. “I will build a loving home for my family, and support my children’s dreams and endeavors.”

These kinds of life purpose statements are ideal for those for whom family and child rearing are top priority.

If your kids are your world, and you want to dedicate your life to parenting (and eventually grandparenting), then something in this vein might suit you well.

Parents, guardians, and foster parents can help set the foundations for other people’s lifelong well-being and success.

Parenting is, of course, one of the hardest jobs, but is also one of the most rewarding.

9. “I would like to receive recognition for excelling in my career, and to retire knowing that I have made exceptional contributions to my field of expertise.”

If you’ve found a career that you absolutely love, and you’d like to dedicate your life to it, then that’s excellent! You’ve found your purpose, and the statement that will help fuel you.

Whenever you’re having a bad day, and either your coworkers or projects you’re working on are making you feel disheartened, remember this statement.

In fact, try printing it out in a really elegant typeface and pinning it above your desk.

10. “I aim to use my skills to feed the hungry, and teach people how to grow food for themselves and for each other.”

Is food your passion? Do you want to help to end hunger, and hopefully equip others with the skills they need to feed themselves and their families?

Then let a life purpose statement like this one inspire you.

Food security is an issue that may well affect everyone around the world at some point, so knowing how to grow and cook food ourselves is invaluable.

And if you have the ability to teach these skills to others, you can create immense positive change in this world.

11. “I want to amass knowledge, and then share it with others.”

Do you thrive in academia? And do you love sharing all you’ve learned with other people? Then teaching sounds like a pretty solid life purpose for you.

There is a startling amount of wisdom and knowledge out there in the world. So much to discover, and revel in, and then share with others.

Whether your goal is to teach, or to write, you’re bound to expand countless horizons with your endeavors.

Remember that your purpose is likely to change several times over the course of your lifetime. That’s absolutely okay, and nothing to freak out about.

After all, we are all constantly growing and changing, and our experiences may inspire us to shift direction dramatically at least once or twice.

When this happens, take some time to regroup and then repeat the same process again.

Take stock of where you are, where you want to be, who you want to be, and how you want to move forward. Then, create a new life purpose statement or mantra to inspire you, scrawl it on the wall, shout it to the heavens, and leap forward into that new life.

About The Author

Catherine Winter is an herbalist, INTJ empath, narcissistic abuse survivor, and PTSD warrior currently based in Quebec's Laurentian mountains. In an informal role as confidant and guide, Catherine has helped countless people work through difficult times in their lives and relationships, including divorce, ageing and death journeys, grief, abuse, and trauma recovery, as they navigate their individual paths towards healing and personal peace.

Essay on Purpose Of Life

Students are often asked to write an essay on Purpose Of Life in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

Let’s take a look…

100 Words Essay on Purpose Of Life

Understanding the purpose of life.

Life is a precious gift. Its purpose is different for everyone and depends on individual beliefs and experiences. Some people find purpose in helping others, while others find it in learning or creating. It’s about finding what makes you happy and fulfilled.

Finding Your Purpose

Discovering your purpose can take time. It’s not always clear and may change as you grow. You can start by thinking about what you love to do, what makes you feel good, and how you can make a positive impact on the world.

The Joy in Purpose

When you find your purpose, life becomes more meaningful. You feel a sense of fulfillment and satisfaction. This joy can motivate you to work harder and achieve your goals. It’s like a guiding light that leads you through life.

Living with Purpose

To live with purpose, you need to follow your heart and stay true to yourself. It’s about making choices that align with your beliefs and values. Remember, your purpose is unique to you. So, embrace it and live life to the fullest.

250 Words Essay on Purpose Of Life

What is the purpose of life.

Life is a precious gift, and everyone has their unique way of living it. Some people think the purpose of life is to be happy, while others believe it is to help others.

Finding Happiness

Many people believe that the purpose of life is to find happiness. This could mean doing things that make us feel good, like playing games, eating our favorite food, or spending time with friends and family. It is about enjoying every moment and making the most of our time.

Helping Others

For others, life’s purpose is to help people. They find joy in making others happy or making the world a better place. This could mean doing volunteer work, helping a friend with homework, or simply being kind to everyone around us.

Learning and Growing

Some people see the purpose of life as a chance to learn and grow. They want to gain knowledge, learn new skills, and become better people. This could mean studying hard at school, reading lots of books, or trying new things.

In conclusion, the purpose of life can be different for everyone. It could be about finding happiness, helping others, or learning and growing. It’s about finding what makes you feel fulfilled and doing that. Remember, the purpose of life is a journey, not a destination. So, enjoy every step of your journey.

500 Words Essay on Purpose Of Life

Understanding ‘purpose of life’, individual purpose.

Everyone has their own purpose in life, which can be different from others. This purpose can be anything that makes you feel happy and fulfilled. For some, it could be becoming a doctor and saving lives, while for others, it could be becoming a painter and creating beautiful art. It is not about what others think is important, but what you feel is important.

Common Human Purpose

While each person has their own purpose, there are also common purposes that all humans share. These include learning, growing, and contributing to the world. We all want to learn new things, grow as people, and make the world a better place. These common purposes can help bring us together and create a sense of community.

Living Your Purpose

Once you find your purpose, it is important to live it. This means making choices and taking actions that align with your purpose. For example, if your purpose is to help others, you might choose to volunteer at a local charity. Living your purpose can give your life meaning and make you feel fulfilled.

The Importance of Purpose

Having a purpose in life is important because it gives our life direction and meaning. It helps us make decisions and set goals. It also gives us a sense of fulfillment and happiness. Without a purpose, life can feel empty and meaningless.

That’s it! I hope the essay helped you.

Apart from these, you can look at all the essays by clicking here .

Happy studying!

Purpose and Meaning of Life

This essay will investigate the human pursuit of purpose and meaning in life. It will explore how different cultures and philosophies define life’s purpose, the role of personal goals and societal expectations, and the psychological impact of finding or lacking meaning in life. The essay will also offer insights on how individuals can discover or create their sense of purpose. You can also find more related free essay samples at PapersOwl about Fiction.

How it works

What’s life? Is life defined as the good days where you wake up and it’s a beautiful day. The day where you jump out of bed, love what your wearing, and the entire day everything is just going right and easy. It’s the day that everyone is noticing you and you understand everything you are learning in school, answering all the right answers. The day, where you played ball and didn’t miss a shot. Your day was just on fire.

Or is life defined as the bad and dark days. The day when you get out of bed and stub your toe, hate what your wearing, spill your coffee on yourself, run to the train station and miss the train. The day when you go to school and no body, not even one person notices you, and the rest of the day just gets worse. I believe everyone in this room has had many difficult days. Life has many challenges. Life has many dark days where one is constantly concerned. Do people like me? No people don’t like me? Am I smart? No, I’m not smart. Challenges are here to stay. Life isn’t always going to be so peaceful. Life is not a trip where things are always going to go well.

As you get older the pressures get harder. Expect that your life will have many difficult days. Whether it’s health issues, wealth issues, social issues, school issues. There will be days where you’re learning but it isn’t that great, a day where you don’t understand a thing you’re learning. It is a day where you’re learning is just a disaster and everything you learn just goes in one ear out the other. On the other hand, there are days where learning is going great and you understand everything your learning. Success in life is dependent on how we deal with those difficult days, weeks and challenges. If one doesn’t deal with their challenges properly that challenge can become their challenge for life. Many people go in despair when they are going through a bad day. You say work is not for me, give up. Happiness is not for me, you give up. Friendships are not for me, you give up. Education is not for me, give up. But you should know that if you give up, you lose. The moment you give up its over. If you have hope you can do it. Reach for the best. Reach for the CEO position or the valvicorine position.

There many things that you can reach if you don’t give up. One can never escape their challenges if they give up. But, if you have hope you will be okay. You will be better than okay. This world is about doing, it’s about becoming something, it’s about accomplishing great things. You’re going through what you’re going through because you here to accomplish. One only accomplishes when their going through challenges. If you’re going through a hard day or week, wake up. Wake up. Learn from others and their mistakes. You should believe that you can do it. Every time a challenge comes rise to it. In life difficulties are the womb of greatness. If you find yourself in a difficult position know that you’re in the womb of greatness if you react. We are here to win the Olympics. We are not here to sit back and relax. Could you imagine a guy in the Olympics that is in the hurdle race says stop “I have a problem?” He says I have a problem, why do we have to jump the hurdles, why can’t we just run through the field. Everybody will look at him and think he is a stupid person because he is here to win the hurdle race not to just run without the hurdles. That’s the purpose of life.

The purpose of life is to go through hurdles and to jump over them. Hurdles are not a dead end. When you fail in life it’s not a dead end. When you fail in life it’s only a hurdle to jump and get up. To succeeded in life, you must fall. When you fall, you get better. When you go down and when you get up you go up higher. In life, your difficulties and failures is what lifts you higher. If you are having a hard day, week, or year maybe you’ll cry but you’re ready to jump. You’re ready to jump the hurdle. As you get older, the hurdles get harder and higher. As you jump you get better, higher, and more successful. If you want to be successful in life you’re going to have to learn how to deal with these difficult days because your problems will only get heavier and harder. Know that you can do it, and succeeded because you can jump that hurdle.

Hope is the secret to success. Never give up, always know that the next challenge in life is there to lift you up and make you ready for the next time. It might be difficult a challenge but your heart will be happy because you know that you will be ready for the next greater challenge.

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Question of the Month

What is the meaning of life, the following answers to this central philosophical question each win a random book. sorry if your answer doesn’t appear: we received enough to fill twelve pages….

Why are we here? Do we serve a greater purpose beyond the pleasure or satisfaction we get from our daily activities – however mundane or heroic they may be? Is the meaning of life internal to life, to be found inherently in life’s many activities, or is it external, to be found in a realm somehow outside of life, but to which life leads? In the internal view it’s the satisfaction and happiness we gain from our actions that justify life. This does not necessarily imply a selfish code of conduct. The external interpretation commonly makes the claim that there is a realm to which life leads after death. Our life on earth is evaluated by a supernatural being some call God, who will assign to us some reward or punishment after death. The meaning of our life, its purpose and justification, is to fulfill the expectations of God, and then to receive our final reward. But within the internal view of meaning, we can argue that meaning is best found in activities that benefit others, the community, or the Earth as a whole. It’s just that the reward for these activities has to be found here, in the satisfactions that they afford within this life, instead of in some external spirit realm.

An interesting way to contrast the internal and external views is to imagine walking through a beautiful landscape. Your purpose in walking may be just to get somewhere else – you may think there’s a better place off in the distance. In this case the meaning of your journey through the landscape is external to the experience of the landscape itself. On the other hand, you may be intensely interested in what the landscape holds. It may be a forest, or it may contain farms, villages. You may stop along the way, study, learn, converse, with little thought about why you are doing these things other than the pleasure they give you. You may stop to help someone who is sick: in fact, you may stay many years, and found a hospital. What then is the meaning of your journey? Is it satisfying or worthwhile only if you have satisfied an external purpose – only if it gets you somewhere else? Why, indeed, cannot the satisfactions and pleasures of the landscape, and of your deeds, be enough?

Greg Studen, Novelty, Ohio

A problem with this question is that it is not clear what sort of answer is being looked for. One common rephrasing is “What is it that makes life worth living?”. There are any number of subjective answers to this question. Think of all the reasons why you are glad you are alive (assuming you are), and there is the meaning of your life. Some have attempted to answer this question in a more objective way: that is to have an idea of what constitutes the good life . It seems reasonable to say that some ways of living are not conducive to human flourishing. However, I am not convinced that there is one right way to live. To suggest that there is demonstrates not so much arrogance as a lack of imagination.

Another way of rephrasing the question is “What is the purpose of life?” Again we all have our own subjective purposes but some would like to think there is a higher purpose provided for us, perhaps by a creator. It is a matter of debate whether this would make life a thing of greater value or turn us into the equivalent of rats in a laboratory experiment. Gloster’s statement in King Lear comes to mind: “As flies to wanton boys we are to the gods – they kill us for their sport.” But why does there have to be a purpose to life separate from those purposes generated within it? The idea that life needs no external justification has been described movingly by Richard Taylor. Our efforts may ultimately come to nothing but “the day was sufficient to itself, and so was the life.” ( Good and Evil , 1970) In the “why are we here?” sense of the question there is no answer. It would be wrong, however, to conclude that life is meaningless. Life is meaningful to humans, therefore it has meaning.

Rebecca Linton, Leicester

When the question is in the singular we search for that which ties all values together in one unity, traditionally called ‘the good’. Current consideration of the good demands a recognition of the survival crises which confront mankind. The threats of nuclear war, environmental poisoning and other possible disasters make it necessary for us to get it right. For if Hannah Arendt was correct concerning the ‘banality of evil’ which affected so many Nazi converts and contaminated the German population by extension, we may agree with her that both Western rational philosophy and Christian teaching let the side down badly in the 20th century.

If we then turn away from Plato’s philosophy, balanced in justice, courage, moderation and wisdom; from Jewish justice and Christian self-denial; if we recognize Kant’s failure to convince populations to keep his three universal principles, then shall we look to the moral relativism of the Western secular minds which admired Nietzsche? Stalin’s purges of his own constituents in the USSR tainted this relativist approach to the search for the good. Besides, if nothing is absolute, but things have value only relative to other things, how do we get a consensus on the best or the worst? What makes your social mores superior to mine – and why should I not seek to destroy your way? We must also reject any hermit, monastic, sect or other loner criteria for the good life. Isolation will not lead to any long-term harmony or peace in the Global Village.

If with Nietzsche we ponder on the need for power in one’s life, but turn in the opposite direction from his ‘superman’ ideal, we will come to some form of the Golden Rule [‘Do unto others as you would have them do unto you’]. However, we must know this as an experiential reality. There is life-changing power in putting oneself in the place of the other person and feeling for and with them. We call this feeling empathy .

Persons who concentrate on empathy should develop emotional intelligence. When intellectual intelligence does not stand in the way of this kind of personal growth, but contributes to it, we can call this balance maturity . Surely the goal or meaning of human life is therefore none other than finding oneself becoming a mature adult free to make one’s own decisions, yet wanting everyone in the world to have this same advantage. This is good!

Ernie Johns, Owen Sound, Ontario

‘Meaning’ is a word referring to what we have in mind as ‘signification’, and it relates to intention and purpose. ‘Life’ is applied to the state of being alive; conscious existence. Mind, consciousness, words and what they signify, are thus the focus for the answer to the question. What seems inescapable is that there is no meaning associated with life other than that acquired by our consciousness, inherited via genes, developed and given content through memes (units of culture). The meanings we believe life to have are then culturally and individually diverse. They may be imposed through hegemony; religious or secular, benign or malign; or identified through deliberate choice, where this is available. The range is vast and diverse; from straightforward to highly complex. Meaning for one person may entail supporting a football team; for another, climbing higher and higher mountains; for another, being a parent; for another, being moved by music, poetry, literature, dance or painting; for another the pursuit of truth through philosophy; for another through religious devotions, etc. But characteristic of all these examples is a consciousness that is positively and constructively absorbed, engaged, involved, fascinated, enhanced and fulfilled. I would exclude negative and destructive desires; for example of a brutal dictator who may find torturing others absorbing and engaging and thus meaningful. Such cases would be too perverse and morally repugnant to regard as anything other than pathological.

The meaning of life for individuals may diminish or fade as a consequence of decline or difficult or tragic circumstances. Here it might, sadly, be difficult to see any meaning of life at all. The meaning is also likely to change from one phase of life to another, due to personal development, new interests, contexts, commitments and maturity.

Colin Brookes, Woodhouse Eaves, Leicestershire

It is clearly internet shopping, franchised fast food and surgically-enhanced boobs. No, this is not true. I think the only answer is to strip back every layer of the physical world, every learnt piece of knowledge, almost everything that seems important in our modern lives. All that’s left is simply existence. Life is existence: it seems ‘good’ to be part of life. But really that’s your lot! We should just be thankful that our lifespan is longer than, say, a spider, or your household mog.

Our over-evolved human minds want more, but unfortunately there is nothing more. And if there is some deity or malignant devil, then you can be sure they’ve hidden any meaning pretty well and we won’t see it in our mortal lives. So, enjoy yourself; be nice to people, if you like; but there’s no more meaning than someone with surgically-enhanced boobs, shopping on the net while eating a Big Mac.

Simon Maltman, By email

To ask ‘What is the meaning of life?’ is a poor choice of words and leads to obfuscation rather than clarity. Why so?

To phrase the question in this fashion implies that meaning is something that inheres in an object or experience – that it is a quality which is as discernible as the height of a door or the solidity of matter. That is not what meaning is like. It is not a feature of a particular thing, but rather the relationship between a perceiver and a thing, a subject and an object, and so requires both. There is no one meaning of, say, a poem, because meaning is generated by it being read and thought about by a subject. As subjects differ so does the meaning: different people evaluate ideas and concepts in different ways, as can be seen from ethical dilemmas. But it would be wrong to say that all these meanings are completely different, as there are similarities between individuals, not least because we belong to the same species and are constructed and programmed in basically the same way. We all have feelings of fear, attachment, insecurity and passion, etc.

So to speak of ‘the meaning of life’, is an error. It would be more correct to refer to the ‘meanings of life’, but as there are currently around six billion humans on Earth, and new psychological and cultural variations coming into being all the time, to list and describe all of these meanings would be a nigh on impossible task.

To ‘find meaning in life’ is a better way of approaching the issue, ie, whilst there is no single meaning of life, every person can live their life in a way which brings them as much fulfilment and contentment as possible. To use utilitarian language, the best that one can hope for is a life which contains as great an excess of pleasure over pain as possible, or alternatively, a life in which as least time as possible is devoted to activities which do not stimulate, or which do nothing to promote the goals one has set for oneself.

Steve Else, Swadlincote, Derbyshire

The meaning of life is not being dead.

Tim Bale, London

The question is tricky because of its hidden premise that life has meaning per se . A perfectly rational if discomforting position is given by Nietzsche, that someone in the midst of living is not in a position to discern whether it has meaning or not, and since we cannot step outside of the process of living to assess it, this is therefore not a question that bears attention.

However, if we choose to ignore the difficulties of evaluating a condition while inside it, perhaps one has to ask the prior question, what is the meaning of meaning ? Is ‘meaning’ given by the greater cosmos? Or do we in our freedom construct the category ‘meaning’ and then fill in the contours and colours? Is meaning always identical with purpose? I might decide to dedicate my life to answering this particular question, granting myself an autonomously devised purpose. But is this identical with the meaning of my life? Or can I live a meaningless life with purpose? Or shall meaning be defined by purpose? Some metaphysics offer exactly this corollary – that in pursuing one’s proper good, and thus one’s meaning, one is pursuing one’s telos or purpose. The point of these two very brief summaries of approaches to the question is to show the hazards in this construction of the question.

Karen Zoppa, The University of Winnipeg

One thing one can hardly fail to notice about life is that it is self-perpetuating. Palaeontology tells us that life has been perpetuating itself for billions of years. What is the secret of this stunning success? Through natural selection, life forms adapt to their environment, and in the process they acquire, one might say they become , knowledge about that environment, the world in which they live and of which they are part. As Konrad Lorenz put it, “Life itself is a process of acquiring knowledge.” According to this interpretation of evolution, the very essence of life (its meaning?) is the pursuit of knowledge : knowledge about the real world that is constantly tested against that world. What works and is in that sense ‘true’, is perpetuated. Life is tried and proven knowledge that has withstood the test of geological time. From this perspective, adopting the pursuit of knowledge as a possible meaning of one’s life seems, literally, a natural choice. The history of science and philosophy is full of examples of people who have done just that, and in doing so they have helped human beings to earn the self-given title of Homo sapiens – man of knowledge.

Axel Winter, Wynnum, Queensland

Life is a stage and we are the actors, said William Shakespeare, possibly recognizing that life quite automatically tells a story just as any play tells a story. But we are more than just actors; we are the playwright too, creating new script with our imaginations as we act in the ongoing play. Life is therefore storytelling. So the meaning of life is like the meaning of ‘the play’ in principle: not a single play with its plot and underlying values and information, but the meaning behind the reason for there being plays with playwright, stage, actors, props, audience, and theatre. The purpose of the play is self-expression , the playwright’s effort to tell a story. Life, a grand play written with mankind’s grand imagination, has this same purpose.

But besides being the playwright, you are the audience too, the recipient of the playwrights’ messages. As playwright, actor, and audience you are an heir to both growth and self-expression. Your potential for acquiring knowledge and applying it creatively is unlimited. These two concepts may be housed under one roof: Liberty. Liberty is the freedom to think and to create. “Give me liberty or give me death,” said Patrick Henry, for without liberty life has no meaningful purpose. But with liberty life is a joy. Therefore liberty is the meaning of life.

Ronald Bacci, Napa, CA

The meaning of life is understood according to the beliefs that people adhere to. However, all human belief systems are accurate or inaccurate to varying degrees in their description of the world. Moreover, belief systems change over time: from generation to generation; from culture to culture; and era to era. Beliefs that are held today, even by large segments of the population, did not exist yesterday and may not exist tomorrow. Belief systems, be they religious or secular, are therefore arbitrary. If the meaning of life is wanted, a meaning that will transcend the test of time or the particulars of individual beliefs, then an effort to arrive at a truly objective determination must be made. So in order to eliminate the arbitrary, belief systems must be set aside. Otherwise, the meaning of life could not be determined.

Objectively however, life has no meaning because meaning or significance cannot be obtained without reference to some (arbitrary) belief system. Absent a subjective belief system to lend significance to life, one is left with the ‘stuff’ of life, which, however offers no testimony as to its meaning. Without beliefs to draw meaning from, life has no meaning, but is merely a thing ; a set of facts that, in and of themselves, are silent as to what they mean. Life consists of a series of occurrences in an infinite now, divorced of meaning except for what may be ascribed by constructed belief systems. Without such beliefs, for many the meaning of life is nothing .

Surely, however, life means something . And indeed it does when an individual willfully directs his/her consciousness at an aspect of life, deriving from it an individual interpretation, and then giving this interpretation creative expression. Thus the meaning in the act of giving creative expression to what may be ephemeral insights. Stated another way, the meaning of life is an individual’s acts of creation . What, exactly is created, be it artistic or scientific, may speak to the masses, or to nobody, and may differ from individual to individual. The meaning of life, however, is not the thing created, but the creative act itself ; namely, that of willfully imposing an interpretation onto the stuff of life, and projecting a creative expression from it.

Raul Casso, Laredo, Texas

Rather than prattle on and then discover that I am merely deciding what ‘meaning’ means, I will start out with the assumption that by ‘meaning’ we mean ‘purpose.’ And because I fear that ‘purpose’ implies a Creator, I will say ‘best purpose.’ So what is the best purpose for which I can live my life? The best purpose for which I can live my life is, refusing all the easy ways to destroy. This is not as simple as it sounds. Refusing to destroy life – to murder – wouldn’t just depend on our lack of homicidal impulses, but also on our willingness to devote our time to finding out which companies have murdered union uprisers; to finding out whether animals are killed out of need or greed or ease; to finding the best way to refuse to fund military murder, if we find our military to be murdering rather than merely protecting. Refusing to destroy resources, to destroy loves, to destroy rights, turns out to be a full-time job. Oh sure, we can get cocky and say “Well, oughtn’t we destroy injustice? Or bigotry? Or hatred?” But we would be only fooling ourselves. They’re all already negatives: to destroy injustice, bigotry, and hatred is to refuse the destruction of justice, understanding, and love. So, it turns out, we finally say “Yes” to life, when we come out with a resounding, throat-wrecking “NO!”

Carrie Snider, By email

I propose that the knowledge we have now accumulated about life discloses quite emphatically that we are entirely a function of certain basic laws as they operate in the probably unique conditions prevailing here on Earth.

The behaviour of the most elementary forms of matter we know, subatomic particles, seems to be guided by four fundamental forces, of which electromagnetism is probably the most significant here, in that through the attraction and repulsion of charged particles it allows an almost infinite variation of bonding: it allows atoms to form molecules, up the chain to the molecules of enormous length and complexity we call as nucleic acids, and proteins. All these are involved in a constant interaction with surrounding chemicals through constant exchanges of energy. From these behaviour patterns we can deduce certain prime drives or purposes of basic matter, namely:

1. Combination (bonding).

2. Survival of the combination, and of any resulting organism.

3. Extension of the organism, usually by means of replication.

4. Acquisition of energy.

Since these basic drives motivate everything that we’re made of, all the energy, molecules and chemistry that form our bodies, our brains and nervous systems, then whatever we think, say and do is a function of the operation of those basic laws Therefore everything we think, say and do will be directed towards our survival, our replication and our demand for energy to fuel these basic drives. All our emotions and our rational thinking, our loves and hates, our art, science and engineering are refinements of these basic drives. The underlying drive for bonding inspires our need for interaction with other organisms, particularly other human beings, as we seek ever wider and stronger links conducive to our better survival. Protection and extension of our organic integrity necessitates our dependence on and interaction with everything on Earth.

Our consciousness is also necessarily a function of these basic drives, and when the chemistry of our cells can no longer operate due to disease, ageing or trauma, we lose consciousness and die. Since I believe we are nothing more than physics and chemistry, death terminates our life once and for all. There is no God, there is no eternal life. But optimistically, there is the joy of realising that we have the power of nature within us, and that by co-operating with our fellow man, by nurturing the resources of the world, by fighting disease, starvation, poverty and environmental degradation, we can all conspire to improve life and celebrate not only its survival on this planet, but also its proliferation. So the purpose of life is just that: to involve all living things in the common purpose of promoting and enjoying what we are – a wondrous expression of the laws of Nature, the power of the Universe.

Peter F. Searle, Topsham, Devon

“What is the meaning of life?” is hard to get a solid grip on. One possible translation of it is “What does it all mean?” One might spend a lifetime trying to answer such a heady question. Answering it requires providing an account of the ultimate nature of the world, our minds, value and how all these natures interrelate. I’d prefer to offer a rather simplistic answer to a possible interpretation of our question. When someone asks “What is the meaning of life?,” they may mean “What makes life meaningful?” This is a question I believe one can get a grip on without developing a systematic philosophy.

The answer I propose is actually an old one. What makes a human life have meaning or significance is not the mere living of a life, but reflecting on the living of a life.

Even the most reflective among us get caught up in pursuing ends and goals. We want to become fitter; we want to read more books; we want to make more money. These goal-oriented pursuits are not meaningful or significant in themselves. What makes a life filled with them either significant or insignificant is reflecting on why one pursues those goals. This is second-order reflection; reflection on why one lives the way one does. But it puts one in a position to say that one’s life has meaning or does not.

One discovers this meaning or significance by evaluating one’s life and meditating on it; by taking a step back from the everyday and thinking about one’s life in a different way. If one doesn’t do this, then one’s life has no meaning or significance. And that isn’t because one has the wrong sorts of goals or ends, but rather has failed to take up the right sort of reflective perspective on one’s life. This comes close to Socrates’ famous saying that the unexamined life is not worth living. I would venture to say that the unexamined life has no meaning.

Casey Woodling, Gainesville, FL

For the sake of argument, let’s restrict the scope of the discussion to the human species, and narrow down the choices to

1) There is no meaning of life, we simply exist;

2) To search for the meaning of life; and

3) To share an intimate connection with humankind: the notion of love.

Humans are animals with an instinct for survival. At a basic level, this survival requires food, drink, rest and procreation. In this way, the meaning of life could be to continue the process of evolution. This is manifested in the modern world as the daily grind.

Humans also have the opportunity and responsibility of consciousness. With our intellect comes curiosity, combined with the means to understand complex problems. Most humans have, at some point, contemplated the meaning of life. Some make it a life’s work to explore this topic. For them and those like them, the question may be the answer.

Humans are a social species. We typically seek out the opposite sex to procreate. Besides the biological urge or desire, there is an interest in understanding others. We might simply gain pleasure in connecting with someone in an intimate way. Whatever the specific motivation, there is something that we crave, and that is to love and be loved.

The meaning of life may never be definitively known. The meaning of life may be different for each individual and/or each species. The truth of the meaning of life is likely in the eye of the beholder. There were three choices given at the beginning of this essay, and for me, the answer is all of the above.

Jason Hucsek, San Antonio, TX

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Essay on Life for Students and Children

500+ words essay on life.

First of all, Life refers to an aspect of existence. This aspect processes acts, evaluates, and evolves through growth. Life is what distinguishes humans from inorganic matter. Some individuals certainly enjoy free will in Life. Others like slaves and prisoners don’t have that privilege. However, Life isn’t just about living independently in society. It is certainly much more than that. Hence, quality of Life carries huge importance. Above all, the ultimate purpose should be to live a meaningful life. A meaningful life is one which allows us to connect with our deeper self.

Why is Life Important?

One important aspect of Life is that it keeps going forward. This means nothing is permanent. Hence, there should be a reason to stay in dejection. A happy occasion will come to pass, just like a sad one. Above all, one must be optimistic no matter how bad things get. This is because nothing will stay forever. Every situation, occasion, and event shall pass. This is certainly a beauty of Life.

Many people become very sad because of failures . However, these people certainly fail to see the bright side. The bright side is that there is a reason for every failure. Therefore, every failure teaches us a valuable lesson. This means every failure builds experience. This experience is what improves the skills and efficiency of humans.

Probably a huge number of individuals complain that Life is a pain. Many people believe that the word pain is a synonym for Life. However, it is pain that makes us stronger. Pain is certainly an excellent way of increasing mental resilience. Above all, pain enriches the mind.

The uncertainty of death is what makes life so precious. No one knows the hour of one’s death. This probably is the most important reason to live life to the fullest. Staying in depression or being a workaholic is an utter wastage of Life. One must certainly enjoy the beautiful blessings of Life before death overtakes.

Get the huge list of more than 500 Essay Topics and Ideas

How to Improve Quality of Life?

Most noteworthy, optimism is the ultimate way of enriching life. Optimism increases job performance, self-confidence, creativity, and skills. An optimistic person certainly can overcome huge hurdles.

Meditation is another useful way of improving Life quality. Meditation probably allows a person to dwell upon his past. This way one can avoid past mistakes. It also gives peace of mind to an individual. Furthermore, meditation reduces stress and tension.

Pursuing a hobby is a perfect way to bring meaning to life. Without a passion or interest, an individual’s life would probably be dull. Following a hobby certainly brings new energy to life. It provides new hope to live and experience Life.

In conclusion, Life is not something that one should take for granted. It’s certainly a shame to see individuals waste away their lives. We should be very thankful for experiencing our lives. Above all, everyone should try to make their life more meaningful.

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What Is Life Purpose?

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person looking over rocky shore at waves

Your life purpose consists of the central motivating aims of your life—the reasons you get up in the morning.

Purpose can guide life decisions, influence behavior, shape goals, offer a sense of direction, and create meaning. For some people, purpose is connected to vocation—meaningful, satisfying work. For others, their purpose lies in their responsibilities to their family or friends. Others seek meaning through spirituality or religious beliefs. Some people may find their purpose clearly expressed in all these aspects of life.

Purpose will be unique for everyone; what you identify as your path may be different from others. What’s more , your purpose can actually shift and change throughout life in response to the evolving priorities and fluctuations of your own experiences.

Questions that may come up when you reflect upon your life purpose are:

Where do I belong?
When do I feel fulfilled ?

Each of us has a unique purpose

I have a job as a legal aide, which is pretty interesting and pays fairly well. But my real love is music. I love to play my cello, and I practice a few hours a day. I especially love to perform for others and bring beauty to a special occasion, like a wedding.

A few years ago, my father was very sick in the hospital. I was so impressed by the nurses there and how they made such a difference to my father and our family that I decided that I wanted to have a job like that. So I went to nursing school, and now I work as an RN in a local clinic.

I have always felt that my purpose is to take care of others. Now I have the opportunity to do that every day with my children.

Your life purpose is your contribution

Some people feel hesitant about pursuing their life purpose because they worry that it sounds like a self-serving or selfish quest. However, true purpose is about recognizing your own gifts and using them to contribute to the world—whether those gifts are playing beautiful music for others to enjoy, helping friends solve problems, or simply bringing more joy into the lives of those around you.

Richard Leider, a nationally-ranked coach and purpose expert, says that “genuine purpose points to the end of a self-absorbed, self-serving relationship to life.” When your authentic purpose becomes clear, you will be able to share it with the whole world.

The equation for purpose is G + P + V = P.

( gifts + passions + values = purpose)

Richard Leider

How life purpose evolves

Questions about life purpose may arise at any time in life, but you may notice that they are especially prevalent during times of transition or crisis—for example, a career or educational change, personal loss, or long-distance move. (Sharon Daloz Parks calls these events “life’s shipwrecks.”)

Our life can be seen as a nautilus that adds new chambers to its shell as it grows and needs more space. Likewise, as people grow into a different phase of life, their old chambers can feel cramped. They begin to ask what they can do to expand their space.

Moving into new chambers opens up the way for new possibilities to emerge, allowing our life purpose to evolve. But this can also prompt physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual transitions and even sometimes a chaotic period as we begin to ask new questions.

This is the secret to a fully alive life: to reframe our life questions over and over.

As we do, at different stages of our lives, we find different questions and different possibilities.

Photo of little boy lies at home in bed hugging a toy bear with his bearded father reading fairytale book.

Try the Life Spiral Exercise

Viewing your life in a big-picture context can help you develop a better picture of where you came from and where you’d like to go. Use this exercise to see your whole story, from birth to death.

Print out the exercise.

Leider, R. (2010). A year of living purposefully. Living on Purpose. Retrieved from http://richardleiderblog.info/ .

Parks, S.D. (2011). Big questions, worthy dreams: Mentoring emerging adults in their search for meaning, purpose, and faith. New York: Jossey-Bass.

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Why is life purpose important?

Perhaps you have experienced moments when you felt truly connected, it is likely that this was a moment of being in harmony with your purpose.

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Greater Good Science Center • Magazine • In Action • In Education

How These Teens Found Their Sense of Purpose

What should I do with my life?

That’s a daunting question for many teens—and for many adults, too—but one that is not insurmountable, as we discovered from essay submissions to the GGSC’s Purpose Challenge Scholarship Contest .

In cooperation with the Santa Monica-based consulting firm ProSocial and researcher Kendall Cotton-Bronk, we created the Purpose Challenge Toolkit , a series of online exercises designed and tested by Cotton-Bronk that help students determine their purpose. High school seniors who completed the Toolkit exercises were then invited to submit essays describing their purpose. They could win scholarships ranging from $5,000 to $25,000.

Researchers define purpose as a personally meaningful, long-term goal that will make a positive impact on the world at large. In other words, making a lot of money to live a life of luxury is not a purpose, in the scientific sense. However, making enough money to support your family and help others is a purpose. For teens, purpose is related to academic success, perseverance, resilience, and a belief that one’s schoolwork is manageable . Indeed, discovering who we want to be and what we want to accomplish are the key developmental tasks of adolescents.

Choosing six exemplary essays from almost 3,000 entries was quite the task, to say the least. The courage, creativity, and passion resounding through each essay were deeply moving and inspiring. More than anything, though, we realized that the future of our world is in good hands. Here are four insights from the winning essays about how teens can develop a sense of purpose.

Look within

Purpose researchers are quick to point out that no one can tell you what your purpose is. Not parents, not teachers, no one. That’s why the exercises from the Purpose Challenge Toolkit ask students to consider things like their strengths and values, their vision of an ideal world, and how they see themselves at 40—all questions that encourage reflection and self-awareness, both of which can help to determine one’s purpose.

Tyler, a contest winner from Washington state who runs “Hope Festivals” that serve 5,500 individuals in need, wrote about the impact of this kind of reflection:

In the Purpose Challenge, I labeled “helping others is very important to me” as “exactly like me.” The Challenge then asks how I’d use a magic wand to continue living out this purpose—but I believe that first steps start small. My service is just the beginning of the much greater impact I will have. … [My work with the Hope Festivals] has given me a sense of purpose for my life. My purpose is to live as a servant leader, and my ultimate goal is to create a sustainable solution to a modern-day issue like hunger, poverty, or homelessness.

Get involved

According to a study of almost 12,000 teens and young adults, 25 percent of young people do have an idea of the kind of purpose they might like to pursue—but they aren’t sure where to begin. This is where adults can help.

Providing youth with opportunities to try new activities and helping them to develop entrepreneurial skills are critical to encouraging the discovery of purpose. The former allows teens to explore different interests, which may later turn into a purpose, while the latter equips them with the know-how to go after that purpose.

Accompanying her grandmother on her doctor’s visits from a very young age made Mariah, another winner from Cleveland, aware of inequities in the health care system for African-Americans.

“I sat in waiting rooms reading medical pamphlets and idolizing doctors in white coats,” she writes. “They symbolized wellness, trust, and everything I hoped to be. However, my grandmother had a different idea about the profession and believed she was being provided subpar medical care. Her frequent criticisms forced me to question her beliefs in science and her sanity.”

However, this experience motivated Mariah to not only volunteer in a medical setting, but also to conduct research at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, focusing on genetic differences in African-Americans and how these differences affect the likelihood of cancer. And now, Mariah knows her purpose moving forward:

The unsatisfactory level of cultural competence, ethnic sensitivity, and biomedical research to understand the landscape of African-American health cultivated my dedication to serve my community as a medical doctor and researcher. I desire to eliminate health disparities by compassionately assisting families and demonstrating that there are culturally competent and ethnically sensitive doctors available to provide help.

Think about who you want to be

What kind of person do you want to become? Coming up with a vision for yourself goes hand in hand with understanding what you want to do.

As young people develop their identity—who they want to be or, more specifically, the values to which they want to commit—they try on different roles and personalities as they figure out their place in the world. Research suggests that engaging in potentially purposeful activities can help teens with this process as they discover how their skills can help the world, ultimately discovering what is meaningful to them.

In her winning essay, Devon, a teen from New York City, describes what a trip to El Salvador taught her about love.

The people of El Salvador … had more love than I have ever seen or received in America. They also had a delicate care and appreciation of the environment around them. ... I heard a lot about how the land provides for them and how important it is to respect the earth. ... Through my experiences in El Salvador, I have learned that how you approach helping others with a different culture than yourself is extremely important. You must help with respect and the awareness that you are not saving these people, but instead trying to work with them to help them. It is never about changing a community, but instead aiding a community so it can thrive independently.

Summing up this integration of purpose and identity, Devon ended her essay declaring, “My purpose is to love. My passions direct me where to love. My experiences show me how to love.”

In an interesting twist of purpose and identity, Jordan, an essay winner from Los Angeles, discovered her purpose because her identity didn’t match what she was seeing in the media. Asserting that being an outsider is the worst kind of alienation, she wrote about how every time she turned on the TV, she felt left out.

Growing up as an African-American, the only time I would see little girls who looked like me portrayed on a sitcom or drama would be when they were playing the role of “the sassy best friend.” That was it. And if you can imagine what those moments felt like to an insecure introvert, you might be able to surmise that I never related to these characters.

Shifting this paradigm became Jordan’s purpose. “I decided that if no producer or television director was going to make the changes I wanted to see, I would make them myself,” she writes. “I want, plan to, and will create content for all individuals who feel underrepresented whenever they turn on a television.”

Look to other people for inspiration and help

According to researchers , a strong social network is one of the biggest predictors that teens will develop a sense of purpose. Mentors can provide guidance, encouragement, and inspiration, even just by sharing how they discovered and then pursued their own purpose. People who cross our paths in ordinary ways can also trigger us to think in ways we hadn’t before and ultimately help us to discover our purpose.

Liam, an essay winner from Iowa, admitted to some “misconceptions” about Islamic people before meeting his aunt’s foreign exchange student from Tunisia. Once he got to know her, however, he gained a new best friend and found “a new appreciation for the world and all its people.”

But it wasn’t until Liam found himself in Nice, France, the night that a truck slammed into crowds of people celebrating Bastille Day, that he discovered his true purpose.

Our class was there on the road. Luckily, we all made it out physically unharmed, but we all left with deep mental scars. What followed that attack was terrible Islamophobia and it deeply disturbed me. Yes, the man that drove the bus was a Muslim. However, my friend was also a Muslim, and countless other Muslims were killed on the street that day. I knew Muslims were hurt by this just as much as I was, and their religion was not to blame. The Islamophobia following the Nice attack led me to think of ways that I could end this viewpoint.

Liam goes on to describe his desire to become a foreign service officer who “works to end stereotypes and fear on both sides of conflicts.”

Another essay winner, Camryn from Ohio, flipped the social connection equation on its head, acknowledging that her teachers played a role in her life, but that her purpose was to now do the same for children coming from diverse and urban environments. “No one can accomplish great things alone,” she writes, “because everyone’s life is affected in some way by someone else.”

It was the late Rita Pierson’s TED talk about the importance of the teacher-student relationship that guided Camryn to this purpose. “She spoke of how a colleague once told her how she was not paid to like the kids, but that she was paid to teach them. To this Pierson responded, ‘Kids don’t learn from people they don’t like.’ This was a profound moment for me because it illustrated one of human’s main desires: human connection.”

Now, Camryn plans to study sociology to study the impact of history on society so that she can better make her own mark on the world, and hopes to end up in education. She writes:

Children need someone not only to look up to, but someone to look up to them. To see what they cannot yet see and to believe in them when no one else does. Children need to learn that they are someone and that they can always be a better someone. I want to teach because children are the greatest treasure of the world. ... I want to instill the belief that “I am worthy. I deserve to be here. I deserve an education.”

About the Author

Vicki Zakrzewski

Vicki Zakrzewski, Ph.D. , is the education director of the Greater Good Science Center.

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What Is Project 2025, and Why Is Trump Disavowing It?

The Biden campaign has attacked Donald J. Trump’s ties to the conservative policy plan that would amass power in the executive branch, though it is not his official platform.

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Kevin Roberts, wearing a dark suit and blue tie and speaking into a microphone at a lectern. The lectern says, “National Religious Broadcasters, nrb.org.”

By Simon J. Levien

Donald J. Trump has gone to great lengths to distance himself from Project 2025, a set of conservative policy proposals for a future Republican administration that has outraged Democrats. He has claimed he knows nothing about it or the people involved in creating it.

Mr. Trump himself was not behind the project. But some of his allies were.

The document, its origins and the interplay between it and the Trump campaign have made for one of the most hotly debated questions of the 2024 race.

Here is what to know about Project 2025, and who is behind it.

What is Project 2025?

Project 2025 was spearheaded by the Heritage Foundation and like-minded conservative groups before Mr. Trump officially entered the 2024 race. The Heritage Foundation is a think tank that has shaped the personnel and policies of Republican administrations since the Reagan presidency.

The project was intended as a buffet of options for the Trump administration or any other Republican presidency. It’s the latest installment in the Heritage Foundation’s Mandate for Leadership series, which has compiled conservative policy proposals every few years since 1981. But no previous study has been as sweeping in its recommendations — or as widely discussed.

Kevin Roberts, the head of the Heritage Foundation, which began putting together the latest document in 2022, said he thought the American government would embrace a more conservative era, one that he hoped Republicans would usher in.

“We are in the process of the second American Revolution,” Mr. Roberts said on Real America’s Voice, a right-wing cable channel, in early July, adding pointedly that the revolt “will remain bloodless if the left allows it to be.”

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Exploring purpose-driven leadership: theoretical foundations, mechanisms, and impacts in organizational context.

1. Introduction

2. theoretical perspectives on leadership: an evolutionary analysis, 3. purpose-driven leadership: a new perspective on leadership, 4. methodology.

Conceptualization of Purpose-Driven Leadership.
Importance of Purpose-Driven Leadership in contemporary research and practice.
Theoretical foundations of Purpose-Driven Leadership.
Mechanisms and impacts of Purpose-Driven Leadership.
The role of purpose in navigating times of VUCA.
Measurement approaches for purpose in leadership.

5. Findings

5.1. purpose-driven leadership research landscape, 5.2. purpose, organizational purpose, and purpose-driven leadership.

Consistency: Purpose does not manifest as a fleeting intention but is grounded in its enduring nature ( Gavarkovs et al. 2023 ; Jasinenko and Steuber 2023 ; Knippenberg 2020 ). Demonstrating resilience against ephemeral shifts in external conditions or situational variances, purpose consistently maintains its vigor and steadfastness ( Rindova and Martins 2023 ; Trachik et al. 2020 ). It acts as a constant lodestar amid the dynamic terrains of both personal and professional spheres ( Bhattacharya et al. 2023 ; Qin et al. 2022 ; Rindova and Martins 2023 ).
Generality: In contradistinction to a limited, task-centric objective, purpose is distinguished by its comprehensive scope ( By 2021 ; Gavarkovs et al. 2023 ; Jasinenko and Steuber 2023 ). Instead of being confined to proximate tasks or circumscribed aims, purpose spans a more expansive purview ( By 2021 ; Gavarkovs et al. 2023 ; Jasinenko and Steuber 2023 ). This ubiquity of purpose guarantees its applicability across multifarious contexts ( By 2021 ; Gavarkovs et al. 2023 ; Jasinenko and Steuber 2023 ).
Two dimensions: - Internal Dimension: The internal dimension of purpose refers to the individuals’ intrinsic motivations and impulses, which are connected to their sense of purpose ( Crane 2022 ; Knippenberg 2020 ). It serves as a source of meaning, supporting the rationale of every decision, direction, or objective delineated ( Handa 2023 ; Jasinenko and Steuber 2023 ). This introspective aspect emphasizes the congruence and alignment between an individual and their purpose ( Gavarkovs et al. 2023 ; Jasinenko and Steuber 2023 ). - External Dimension: Beyond its internal impact, the influence of purpose extends to the external environment, through the efforts generated by the individual within their context ( By 2021 ; Gavarkovs et al. 2023 ; Handa 2023 ; Jasinenko and Steuber 2023 ). This is underpinned by the individual’s commitment to promoting positive change in a broader environment ( Ocasio et al. 2023 ; Qin et al. 2022 ).
Daily embodiment and expression: Purpose manifests as a palpable instantiation in quotidian activities since it is part of every decision and action made ( By 2021 ; Jasinenko and Steuber 2023 ). Such perennial articulation provides consistency and influences daily activities ( Bronk et al. 2023 ; Hurth and Stewart 2022 ; Ocasio et al. 2023 ).

5.2.1. Attributes of Purpose-Driven Leadership

5.2.2. purpose-driven leadership construct conceptualization, 5.3. theoretical foundations of purpose-driven leadership, 5.4. mechanisms and impacts of purpose-driven leadership, 5.4.1. potential antecedents, 5.4.2. potential outcomes, 5.4.3. potential mediators, 5.4.4. potential moderatos, 5.5. purpose-driven leadership as a guiding light, 5.6. measurement approaches for purpose-driven leadership, 6. discussion, 7. conclusions, supplementary materials, author contributions, data availability statement, conflicts of interest.

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Click here to enlarge figure

Journal	Publications per Journal	Journal	Citations per Journal
Strategy Science	4	Frontiers in Psychology	143
Frontiers in Psychology	3	Journal of Change Management	49
Journal of Change Management	2	Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management	44
New directions for student leadership	2	Organizational Psychology Review	24
Purushartha	2	Service Industries Journal	24

Aspect	Individual Purpose	Organizational Purpose
	A consistent and generalized intention to do something that is simultaneously personally meaningful and holds relevance to the world ( ; ). It acts as a foundational and central self-organizing life aim, guiding and stimulating goals and behaviors ( ; ), and providing a sense of meaning ( ; ).	The foundational reason why the organization exists ( ; ; ) that guides all the activities ( ; ), provides direction ( ; ) and unification ( ; ), and drives meaning ( ; ). It is rooted rooted in the deepest level of an organization’s identity ( ; ).
	1. : Enduring nature ( ; ; ), and resilience against changes ( ; ). 2. : Comprehensive scope, applicable in many contexts ( ; ; ). 3. : Manifestation in daily activities and decisions ( ; ).	1. : Genuine reflection of organizational values ( ; ). 2. : Global scope and potential ( ; ). 3. : Impact on internal and external stakeholders ( ; ; ). 4. : Ambition for significant future objectives ( ; ; ). 5. : Providing a path or route ( ; ). 6. : Connecting individuals around a shared purpose ( ; ). 7. : Capacity to bring change or innovation ( ; ). 8. : Energizing actions and behaviors ( ; ; ).
	: Individuals’ intrinsic motivations ( ; ). : Impact on the external context ( ; ; ; ).	: Intrinsic motivations and values that drive an organization ( ; ). : External demands, societal needs, environmental considerations ( ; ; ).
	Found in everyday actions, decisions, and goals ( ; ).	Embodied in the organization’s identity, activities, and stakeholder interactions ( ; ).

Outcomes	Sources	Outcomes	Sources
Adaptability/Agility	( ), ( ), ( ), ( ), and ( )	Organizational commitment	( ), ( ), ( ), ( ), ( ), and ( )
Alignment to change management	( ), ( ), and ( )	Organizational culture	( ), ( ), ( ), ( ), and ( )
Competitive advantage	( ), ( ), ( ), ( ), ( ), and ( )	Organizational learning	( ), ( ), ( ), and ( )
Creativity/Innovation	( ), ( ), ( ), ( ), ( ), ( ), and ( )	Organizational performance	( ), ( ), ( ), ( ), ( ), ( ), and ( )
Employee organizational trust	( )	Organizational reputation	( ) and ( )
Employee performance	( ), ( ), ( ), ( ), and ( )	Positive effects on individuals outside the organization	( ), and ( )
Employee turnover reducing	( ), ( ), ( ), ( ), ( ), and ( )	Resilience	( ), ( ), ( ), ( ), and ( )
Employer attractiveness	( ), and ( )	Self-efficacy	( ), ( ), ( ), and ( )
Financial value	( ), ( ), ( ), ( ), ( ), ( ), and ( )	Self-realization	( ), and ( )
Fulfillment of human needs	( ), ( ), ( ), and ( )	Sense of oneness	( ), ( ), and ( )
Guidance/Direction	( ), ( ), ( ), ( ), ( ), ( ), ( ), ( ), ( ), and ( )	Shared identity	( ), ( ), ( ), and ( )
Job satisfaction	( ), ( ), ( ), ( ), ( ), ( ), ( ), ( ), and ( )	Significance	( ), ( ), ( ), ( ), and ( )
License to operate	( ), ( ), ( ), and ( )	Stakeholder trust and legitimacy	( ), ( ), and ( )
Marketing	( ), ( ), ( )	Stakeholders’ wellbeing
Meaning	( ), ( ), ( ), ( ), ( ), ( ), ( ), ( ), ( ), ( ), and ( )	Trust	( ), ( ), ( ), ( ), and ( )
Mitigate the risk of suicide	( ), ( ), and ( )	Wellbeing	( ), ( ), ( ), ( ), ( ), ( ), ( ), ( ), and ( )
Motivation	( ), ( ), ( ), ( ), ( ), ( ), ( ), ( ), ( ), ( ), ( ), ( ), and ( )	Work effectiveness	( ), ( ), and ( )
Organizational cohesion	( ), ( ), and ( )	Work engagement	( ), ( ), ( ), ( ), ( ), and ( )

Mediator	Outcomes	Sources
Stakeholder trust and legitimacy	License to operate	( ), ( ), and ( )
	Stakeholders’ wellbeing
	Organizational reputation
	Employee organizational trust
	Organizational performance
Employee performance	Organizational performance	( ), ( ), ( ), ( )
	Financial value
	Work effectiveness
Wellbeing	Employee performance	( ), ( ), ( ), and ( )
	Fulfillment of human needs
	Mitigate the risk of suicide
	Work engagement
Meaning/Significance	Self-realization	( ), ( ), ( ), ( ), ( ), and ( )
	Fulfillment of human needs
	Shared identity
	Organizational cohesion
Shared identity	Organizational cohesion	( ), ( ), ( ), ( ), and ( )
	Sense of oneness
	Employee organizational trust
Job satisfaction	Employee performance	( ), ( ), ( ), ( ), ( )
	Work engagement
	Employee organizational trust
	Employee turnover reducing
Motivation	Job satisfaction	( ), ( ), ( ), and ( )
	Work engagement
	Employee performance
Guidance/Direction	Organizational commitment	( ), ( ), ( ), ( ), and ( )
	Alignment to change management
	Organizational learning
	Work effectiveness
Organizational commitment	Employee performance	( ), ( ), ( ), ( ), and ( )
	Work engagement
	Organizational performance
	Alignment to change management
	Employee turnover reducing
Trust	Organizational cohesion	( ), ( ), and ( )
	Stakeholder trust and legitimacy
	Employee organizational trust
Sense of oneness	Shared identity	( ), ( ), ( ), and ( )
	Meaning
	Trust
	Organizational cohesion
	Mitigate the risk of suicide
Self-realization	Self-efficacy	( ), and ( )
	Meaning
	Significance
	Resilience
Self-efficacy	Self-realization	( ), ( ), ( ), and ( )
	Adaptability/Agility
	Resilience
	Work effectiveness
	Employee performance
Adaptability/Agility	Organizational performance	( ), ( ), ( ), and ( )
	Resilience
	Competitive advantage
	Alignment to change management
Resilience	Self-realization	( ), ( ), ( ), ( ), and ( )
	Adaptability/Agility
	Organizational performance
Creativity/Innovation	Work engagement	( ), ( ), ( ), and ( )
	Organizational learning
	Organizational performance
Work engagement	Employee performance	( ), ( ), ( ), ( ), and ( )
	Job satisfaction
	Motivation
Work effectiveness	Employee performance	( ), ( ), and ( )
	Financial value
	Organizational performance
Employee organizational trust	Organizational commitment	( ), and ( )
	Stakeholder trust and legitimacy
	Shared identity
	Employee turnover reducing
Alignment to change management	Organizational learning	( ), ( ), ( ), ( ), and ( )
	Organizational commitment
	Adaptability/Agility
	Organizational performance
Organizational learning	Creativity/Innovation	( ), ( ), and ( )
	Organizational performance
	Alignment to change management
	Organizational culture
Positive effects on individuals outside the organization	Stakeholders’ wellbeing	( )
	Organizational reputation
	Employer attractiveness
Organizational culture	Organizational learning	( ); ( ), ( ), ( ), and ( )
	Employer attractiveness
	Organizational performance
	Employee organizational trust
Marketing	Employer attractiveness	( ), ( ), and ( )
	Organizational reputation
	Financial value
Organizational reputation	Stakeholder trust and legitimacy	( ), ( ), ( ), and ( )
	License to operate
	Marketing
	Employer attractiveness
Competitive advantage	Financial value	( ), ( ), ( ), ( ), and ( )
	Organizational performance
	Creativity/Innovation
Organizational cohesion	Sense of oneness	( ), ( ), ( ), and ( )
Organizational cohesion	Significance	( ), ( ), ( ), and ( )

Moderator	Outcomes	Sources
Perception of impact	Meaning	( )
	Motivation
	Job satisfaction
	Resilience
	Employee performance
	Employer attractiveness
Autonomy	Wellbeing	( ), ( ), ( ), ( ), ( ), ( ), ( ), and ( )
	Motivation
	Sense of oneness
	Creativity/Innovation
Authenticity	Meaning	( ), ( ), ( ), and ( )
	Trust
	Motivation
Balance (Work-life balance)	Employee performance	( ), ( ), and ( )
	Meaning/Significance
	Work engagement
	Positive effects on individuals outside the organization
Communication	Organizational performance	( ), ( ), ( ), and ( )
	Shared identity
	Organizational commitment
	Adaptability/agility
	Work effectiveness
	Organizational culture
	Organizational cohesion

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Ribeiro, M.F.; Costa, C.G.d.; Ramos, F.R. Exploring Purpose-Driven Leadership: Theoretical Foundations, Mechanisms, and Impacts in Organizational Context. Adm. Sci. 2024 , 14 , 148. https://doi.org/10.3390/admsci14070148

Ribeiro MF, Costa CGd, Ramos FR. Exploring Purpose-Driven Leadership: Theoretical Foundations, Mechanisms, and Impacts in Organizational Context. Administrative Sciences . 2024; 14(7):148. https://doi.org/10.3390/admsci14070148

Ribeiro, Marco Ferreira, Carla Gomes da Costa, and Filipe R. Ramos. 2024. "Exploring Purpose-Driven Leadership: Theoretical Foundations, Mechanisms, and Impacts in Organizational Context" Administrative Sciences 14, no. 7: 148. https://doi.org/10.3390/admsci14070148

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what is purpose of your life when you watch this video clip? tell me
Reading my Statement of Purpose that Got Me PhD Admission with Scholarship

COMMENTS

Essay on My Purpose in Life
250 Words Essay on My Purpose in Life Introduction. Life is a journey of self-discovery and purpose. It is a voyage that leads one to the realization of their significance in the grand scheme of existence. My purpose in life, as I perceive it, is to contribute positively to the world, continually learn and grow, and inspire others. ...
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Why You Should Write a Life Purpose Statement. Writing a life purpose statement can help focus your goals and motivate you to pursue them. Finding this motivation and channeling it into reality is easier when you explicitly articulate what you want to achieve. Here are a few of the benefits of writing a life purpose statement:
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With a purpose in life, I will then be able to love what I do which is also an important factor as one would often their life seemingly resembling a broken tape with repetitive routines and patterns that cannot be broken which often refers to one's livelihood, social circle, living habits and train of thoughts.
How Purpose Changes Across Your Lifetime
William Damon, author of The Path to Purpose and a professor at Stanford, has spent nearly 20 years studying how people develop purpose in work, family, and civic life. As he describes it, purpose is something of a chemical reaction that takes place when our skills meet the needs of the world.
19 Life Purpose Examples to Find Your True Purpose
Final Thoughts on a Life Purpose. No two people have the exact same life purpose… even if they value the same things, like family, they may share different visions of how that life looks. You can use this list of 19 life purpose examples as a springboard to launch your own journey towards finding your "why."
Finding The True Purpose Of Life: [Essay Example], 933 words
Defining a purpose in life is a topic of great significance, which is discussed in this essay. Life is truly a remarkable gift that offers us innumerable opportunities for growth and fulfillment. However, it is up to us to make the conscious decision to pursue these opportunities and allow ourselves to experience all that life has to offer.
How to Find Your Purpose in Life
Here are six ways to overcome isolation and discover your purpose in life. 1. Read. Reading connects us to people we'll never know, across time and space—an experience that research says is linked to a sense of meaning and purpose. (Note: "Meaning" and "purpose" are related but separate social-scientific constructs.
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What Is the Purpose of Life? A Philosophical and Psychological Take. In The Myth of Sisyphus, Albert Camus (1975), when faced with what he saw as the meaninglessness of existence, suggested we live life to its fullest rather than attempt an escape.. For Camus, as with his contemporary Jean-Paul Sartre, existentialism concerns itself with the uniqueness of the human condition (Sartre, 1964).
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A life purpose statement is one that clarifies your reason for being and why you do what you do every day, helping to direct your decisions and priorities. After reading your statement, anyone should be able to explain back to you what the reasons are behind your actions and what goal(s) you hope to achieve during your lifetime. ...
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My life purpose is to be a positive force that embodies connection and joy, and is dedicated to loving and supporting my family. Here are seven other examples of life purpose statements, written free-form: My life purpose is to continue developing wisdom, every single day. My life purpose is to fill other peoples' cups, while keeping my own ...
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Douglass and Voltaire on Why Is It Important to Know Your Purpose in Life Essay. Smith, Adam. 'The Theory of Moral Sentiments.' 1759. The Meaning of Living in a Modern Society Essay. Living in a modern society has redefined the meaning of life in many ways. Nowadays, the most popular social networks have come to define the essence of existence ...
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So the purpose of life is just that: to involve all living things in the common purpose of promoting and enjoying what we are - a wondrous expression of the laws of Nature, the power of the Universe. ... There were three choices given at the beginning of this essay, and for me, the answer is all of the above. Jason Hucsek, San Antonio, TX ...
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500+ Words Essay on Life. First of all, Life refers to an aspect of existence. This aspect processes acts, evaluates, and evolves through growth. ... Above all, the ultimate purpose should be to live a meaningful life. A meaningful life is one which allows us to connect with our deeper self. Why is Life Important? One important aspect of Life ...
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SAMPLE "Life's Purpose" Statements Some details were changed to hide the authors' identities Requirement 6. My Ambitions and Life Purpose Starting my scouting adventures in Cub Scouts I have come a long way since earning my first badge. As I grew older and moved from Cub Scouting to Boy Scouts I began to take on new
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Your life purpose consists of the central motivating aims of your life—the reasons you get up in the morning.Purpose can guide life decisions, influence behavior, shape goals, offer a sense of direction, and create meaning. For some people, purpose is connected to vocation—meaningful, satisfying work. For others, their purpose lies in their responsibilities to their family or friends.
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In cooperation with the Santa Monica-based consulting firm ProSocial and researcher Kendall Cotton-Bronk, we created the Purpose Challenge Toolkit, a series of online exercises designed and tested by Cotton-Bronk that help students determine their purpose.High school seniors who completed the Toolkit exercises were then invited to submit essays describing their purpose.
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This essay has the purpose to analyze "The Fulness of Life" writen by Edith Wharton amd her use of regionalism and naturalism in her short story. The purpose of regionalism, a literary movement, was to portray particular regions and their distinctive traits, including customs, languages, and landscapes. It frequently depicted ordinary life in small-town or rural locations, providing ...
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By combining "purpose" AND "lead*" we ensured that our search results only included research papers discussing both "purpose" and "leadership". The search was limited to research papers published in academic journals from 1 January 2018, to 31 December 2023. ... Discovering Purpose: A Life-Long Journey. New Directions for ...