Where is Purpose?

For many of us, discovering purpose can be puzzling.

How long-term meaningful goals develop over the span of our lives has been studied by psychologists for decades.

Purpose is defined as a person’s sense of resolve or determination, Intention, or objective. It is further described as the reason for which something is done or created or for which something exists.

We often hear the phrases’ find my purpose’ or ‘searching for purpose’ which begs the question, ‘where is it’? Is it lost, is it hidden, or does it even exist? Locating this elusive sense sparked this quizzical exploration.

Self-expression

Many people believe that purpose grows from our talents and distinguishes us from other people.

Before any personal endeavour though, we should have a concept of self and self-acceptance. Meaning that we have reflected upon our true identity, forgiving our weaknesses, acknowledging our strengths, establishing what matters to us most and embracing the essence of who we are. From this standpoint we cultivate unconditional self-worth, enabling us to feel in control and become our best self. Moreover, knowing who we are gives rise to where we want to go. In this context purpose serves as a compass providing a direction to a purposeful and meaningful life when are your desire is to create an impact, a reputation, or a legacy.

“We all have the ability to make a narrative out of our own lives,” says Emily Esfahani Smith, author of the 2017 book The Power of Meaning. “It gives us clarity on our own lives, how to understand ourselves, and gives us a framework that goes beyond the day-to-day and basically helps us make sense of our experiences.” We are able to seek an understanding of which occurrences over time, arouses our core. We can then identify and take head of our findings. These form the basis of an enduring sense of meaning and purpose throughout our lives.

Community

Purpose develops from our connections to each other. We even connect to each other across time and space through storytelling via various mediums, which research says is linked to a sense of meaning and purpose. This shows that we are able to use our imagination to visualise and feel significance through the stories of others. There is a growing body of evidence which illustrates the importance of reading for pleasure for both educational purposes as well as personal development (cited in Clark and Rumbold 2006).

This suggests that reading for pleasure is an activity that has emotional and social consequences.

A link was found between a sense of purpose and reading poetry and fiction amongst adolescence by Raymond A.Mar and colleagues.

Furthermore, Leslie Francis studied a group of nearly 26,000 teenagers throughout England and Wales and the findings in the 2010 paper stated that those who read the Bible more tended to have a stronger sense of purpose. Secular reading seems to make a difference, as well.

Raymond A. Mar and colleagues found a link between reading poetry and fiction and a sense of purpose among adolescents in a survey of empirical studies.  The suggestion was that fiction may give insight into characters’ lives, enabling adolescents to reason around the experiences and perspectives of others. Therefore, purpose observed in the life of the character tends to resonate with the teen who then views purpose in their own life.  This act of imagination can be said of inspirational books or books comprising inspirational ideology.

Experiencing a connection to something that we consider awesome and larger than ourselves can also provide the emotional foundation for a sense of purpose. Sharing this experience with others not only reinforces the connection but creates togetherness. are interwoven. Much like the worship of God for Margaret and the local fellowship in her youth. Margaret Ade- Onojobi was Born in Manchester but grew up in Africa.

As the eldest of six children, Margaret embraced a leadership role whilst looking after her younger siblings. She came into Christian faith at age sixteen years old, following her suffering an illness that doctors had eventually given up on treating. She was around people all the time and would even spend school holidays helping in the mission at the church. Religious missions like these evidence that humanity has evolved a sense of purpose that enables togetherness in achieving significant tasks for a unified cause. For instance, at the mission, Margaret would help women in labour deliver babies naturally since they could not afford the required medication. This environment will have provided Margaret with lessons such as the power of togetherness, Charity, service, and even the power of a smile. Increasing emotional ties and friendship. This is testament that we all impact each other and are influenced by the world that we inhabit.

Passion

Although Margaret was conscious of her love of people, she had no idea where this passion would take her. “I did not envisage I’d be where I am now. “

Passion drives purpose. The undertaking of something that you are passionate about is not tedious because you have an emotional reason for your actions, causing you to be vested in the process. The thrill of acting upon your passion can be exhilarating. It is Cuban’s position that passion grows from hard work. Given that one can be passionate about something before ever taking any action, isn’t it fair to say that passion can develop at any stage? Especially when considering the fact that it is possible for passion to arise from several varying sources.

Margaret found ways to facilitate her intention and help people in need. Feeding and clothing people for example, and even building a sewing school.

Using her own resources plus charitable donations, Margaret has ‘put her money where her mouth is’ so to speak. But how so?

Passion + goals = purpose.  When speaking to those ‘living in their purpose’, it becomes apparent that their actions share a striking similarity. They are avidly following a trajectory of their own imagination.

These individuals remain focused and are constantly reviewing their goals and actively learning along the way. They are not restricted by fear and are often driven by Wonder and awe. They are abundantly clear on;

• Who they are
• What they do
• Who they do it for
• What the recipients want/need
• What is gained by the recipient/s

For those with a purpose to effect change, “Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world.” Harriet Tubman.

Altruism

Aims to teach, research, heal, feed, or help others improve their lives in any way, are goals that encourage a sense of purpose. This comes from a feeling. Typically, an empathy for others that is derived from seeing and or experiencing suffering. Which for some could lead to distraction for some but to purpose for others. It is likely that the difference is emotions and behaviours that we cultivate within ourselves. Impacting our perspectives in how we view challenges and opportunities.

In seeing a bigger picture Margaret saw her greater self in making a difference.

She studied psychology in order to be a clinical psychologist.

She applied to become a career guidance counsellor in 1980 but received no response. Undeterred, she found another way to help people in becoming a therapist, and trained for four years at Goldsmiths college. Margaret had planned to set up a clinic as a psychodynamic therapist but “the Lord said ‘no’ it’s not for moneymaking, it’s for ministry” she exclaims.  In acceptance, Margaret wondered what else she could do to help others.  She doesn’t seem to notice the challenges that she faced in pursuing her objectives.  She looks unfazed when recounting moments that she had placed herself in harm’s way (Visiting a poverty-stricken slum in Kenya persecuted by gangs), risking her own safety, in order to assist others in need.  It appears that her strong sense of purpose reinforces her resilience.

Margaret had resigned from her job. But with no social care experience in the UK, she was unable to attain a degree to become a social worker. She therefore opted to help people with mental health, HIV and aids in her efforts to become a social worker.

Having always enjoyed helping people, she started working as a volunteer in London in 1994. This experience helped her along the way in understanding and supporting people more, especially out of crisis. These learnings and experiences are born of Margaret’s purpose and gratitude which she maintains. “I thank God for where I am now.” Margaret’s discovered her own purpose following her dreams.

“I love to empower and encourage people to be what they are supposed to be. Because everyone has a purpose.” she says.

Margaret’s passion for helping others is self-gratification by her own admission, but her purpose is clearly for the people, and still driving her goals today as the triumphant founder of Barnabas Global Ministries.

Physiology

Human beings are born with innate fight or flight tendencies of self-preservation. In the context of survival, purpose is associated with better physical and mental health.

There is much written about finding/creating meaning and purpose of one’s life and the positive health impact.

In fact, a new study by researchers from UC San Diego https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/blog/the-new-resilience/202001/hidden-link-between-your-life-purpose-and-physical-health found that experiencing meaning and purpose in life creates a likelihood to be physically and mentally healthy. An association with Better physical and mental functioning were found with the presence of meaning.

Additionally, the research also found though, that continuous struggle in the search for purpose may affect physical health negatively. Furthermore, the fruitless search also negatively affects relationships, cognitive functioning, and even your overall psychological health! Basically, meaning that t a failure to find purpose increases stress.

Dr Philip Jeste (Co-author of the study) stated that finding meaning in one’s life “can help people stay healthy in later years.” Other studies have found that a more purposeful existence can result in:

• Reduced depression
• Reduced risk of stroke
• Reduced risk of coronary heart disease
• Reduced risk of Alzheimer’s Disease
• Increased antibody production
• Improved Immunity
• Improved DNA repair
• Improved sleep
• Improved clarity

Living with purpose has also been proven to promote longevity in older people.  The Japanese link the concept of longer life to a relationship with purposeful living.

Ikigai is a Japanese concept that means your ‘reason for being. ‘ ‘Iki’ in Japanese means ‘life,’ and ‘gai’ describes value or worth. Your ikigai is your life purpose or your bliss. It’s what brings you joy and inspires you to get out of bed every day.

Ikigai refers to finding happiness and joy in the small, day-to-day activities rather than reaching some final goal that promises bliss. It encompasses finding meaning in the small things. In fact, a person’s ikigai gives them a reason for living even when they are unhappy or miserable in the moment. There are five pillars of ikigai philosophy. These are: 1: Starting small, 2: Releasing yourself, 3: Harmony and sustainability 4: The joy of little things, 5: Being in the here and now.

This philosophy of peace and serenity however will prove challenging in such a fast paced and dynamic society as ours.  For instance, innovation tends not to attract attention or acknowledgment until a tangible outcome is produced. There tends not to be much recognition or value given at the conception of a new idea. This feeds into a culture of instant gratification where small starts and slow pace is undesired. This speaks to a majority who are inclined to conform to popular and accepted opinions as opposed to the value of uniqueness and individuality. Being yourself therefore is inclined to be ignored and discouraged by the ‘powers that be.’  In this material world that we live In, financial income is given great importance and no doubt, the opportunity and choice that money can bring is at times a necessity, but the prioritisation of money has the propensity to skew what is valuable and meaningful. Particularly since the ability to acquire a product or service can be rewarding. Many of us, therefore, fall victim to the pressure of gaining employment or careers as a means to an end, as opposed to pursuing an activity motivated by our own life’s purpose. Moreover, this is an unreliable source of meaning and purpose since attributes of a superficial perceived status are susceptible to change loss or disappointment. Whereas meaning and purpose derived from the inner self is unwavering. Navigating our inner selves and the external environment around us is not an impossibility. It is though down to the individual whether or not to, and how to ‘awaken’ to that balance. Hector Garcia and Francesc Miralles suggest ten rules to this end; “Stay active. Don’t retire; Take it slow; Get in shape; Live in the moment; Reconnect with nature; Smile; Surround yourself with good friends; Give thanks; and Follow your Ikigai”

Final thoughts

As a social construct, purpose is related to meaning, which is a much broader concept, typically including self-worth efficacy and value. It’s a statement of who you are and where you are going.

Establishing what matters most to you and (even when deeply conflicted), clarifies a visual of what is most important in your life. I suppose that passion drives goals which then creates a purpose.

It’s an intellectual pursuit that reinforces goals with ingenuity and hardiness. As with Margaret and others living in their purpose, the route to success was not a linear one or necessarily easy. The challenges could be difficult, demanding, disappointing even. But it’s the stuff of champions that reinforces and builds the skills necessary for the journey.

With imagination, we can draw notions and ideas from all around us, so Solitude and Isolation from each other must stifle a sense of purpose and would be counter-productive in the search for purpose in modern society, (particularly in the context of helping one another).

Mentally, emotionally, and physically, purpose aids the survival of both the individual and humanity as a whole.,

Margaret knew what she desired though had no idea how she’d arrive at her destiny. But she did. If there is something that you want to do that you feel good about, something that means a lot to you, try to do it, because you can only do your best work if you’re doing what you want to do in the way you think it should be done. Then after you’ve done it, you can look at it and say, “that was me and I did a bloody good job of it!” There is no reason to delay our happiness on the way to our goals. We can be joyous throughout the journey to the destination. We don’t just have to wait until we achieve our purpose to experience accomplishment. When our actions are purpose led, we relish them all the, more. With that said, I submit that purpose lays firmly in the discovery of our best self, doing what fulfils us the most, as instinctively as the honeybee! 🐝