Purpose & Meaning
Find yours and it will make everything easier
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“The purpose of life is not to be happy—but to matter, to be productive, to be useful, to have it make some difference that you lived at all.”
— Leo Rosten, 1962
If I asked you to name a philosopher, you probably wouldn’t say Pythagoras.
You know his theorem, whether it was imprinted on your brain thanks to a geometry teacher or by the Scarecrow in The Wizard of Oz, who spontaneously recited it upon receiving his brain.1
His work not only inspired the likes of Copernicus, Newton, and Einstein, but also paved the way for Plato, Socrates, and Aristotle.
Pythagoras coined the term philosopher to describe himself as a “lover of wisdom.” He encapsulated this love in a brief, insightful reflection on the role of philosophy in human life:
“Some are influenced by the love of wealth while others are blindly led on by the mad fever for power and domination, but the finest type of man gives himself up to discovering the meaning and purpose of life itself. He seeks to uncover the secrets of nature. This is the man I call a philosopher for although no man is completely wise in all respects, he can love wisdom as the key to nature’s secrets.”
One of the greatest pieces of advice around finding success comes down to this philosophical principle: know yourself.
In taking the time to know yourself, you’ll be better prepared for whatever you’re met with.
Career change? Romantic decisions? Ethical dilemmas?
If you know yourself, your purpose and principles will be rock solid and can guide you in any situation, however uncertain the world around you may feel.
Purpose as Force of Nature
When you find your purpose, it becomes the guiding force behind everything you do.
“This is the true joy in life, being used for a purpose recognized by yourself as a mighty one. Being a force of nature instead of a feverish, selfish little clod of ailments and grievances, complaining that the world will not devote itself to making you happy. I am of the opinion that my life belongs to the whole community and as long as I live, it is my privilege to do for it what I can. I want to be thoroughly used up when I die, for the harder I work, the more I live. I rejoice in life for its own sake. Life is no brief candle to me. It is a sort of splendid torch which I have got hold of for the moment and I want to make it burn as brightly as possible before handing it on to future generations.”
― George Bernard Shaw, 1903
This idea of passing the torch to future generations — which you may recognize as a phrase from John F. Kennedy’s inaugural speech — is fundamental to leadership.
The most important thing a leader of any kind can do is train the next generation of leaders. To do so, you need to live with a purpose.
One of my mentors, the former CEO of Ford, Alan Mulally has a simple but powerful force that has driven his personal and career success, and he states it at every turn:
“The purpose of life is to love and to be loved — in that order.”
It’s so simple yet at the same time, it’s so powerful.
Everything he does is guided by his purpose: the way he treats family and friends, the way he interacts with peers, the way he engages with employees.
He developed a purpose-driven, principle-based, performance-focused leadership and management system called Working Together©. It’s the basis of the work I do with executives and their teams.
My own purpose? To be constantly learning so that I can share my skills, talents, and wisdom to help other people become successful.
That’s why I end every newsletter with the same phrase.
Happiness vs. Purpose
People often select happiness as their driving purpose. I see so many conversations about happiness ― what it is and how to achieve it.
The pursuit of happiness is even built into the founding documents of the United States.
But happiness isn’t guaranteed. Nor is it likely to appear if you’re hellbent on pursuing it.
The secret, I think, is to live life with a purpose. A life of value and virtue. Connecting with your true self and connecting that with others.
In doing so, happiness will find you, not the other way around.
And that in turn will give fuel to your purpose.
There’s so much to learn,
Bonus Content on Reflection:
When the World is Too Much With Us — we get our strength from others — on the page or in person
What You’re Missing by Constantly Running — too much too quickly can be overwhelming
Solitude & Reflection — two essential aspects of leadership that are easy to miss (or skip)
Incorrectly stated as: “The sum of the square roots of any two sides of an isosceles triangle is equal to the square root of the remaining side.” It is actually “The sum of the squared sides of a right triangle equals the length of the hypotenuse squared.”