Life Purpose: What is it, and why is it important?
An excerpt from the draft of my upcoming book, The Art of Being A Veteran
In my book “The Art of Being A Veteran: How to Find Meaning and Purpose After Service”, one of the key pillars of my proposed framework is Life Purpose. Below is an excerpt from that chapter.
When I was a kid, I wanted to be a truck driver. I spent most of my childhood living in St. Louis, Missouri, and every summer (and many holidays) we would travel back to Oklahoma, to my father’s childhood home. He grew up on a farm just south of the Kansas border, in a rural community where he could count the number of kids in his third grade class on one hand. My grandfather farmed beef and wheat, and my grandmother — one of the smartest, strongest women I ever knew — worked at the bank in town and raised four children.
It was about a six hour drive from our home in the suburbs of St. Louis to the farm, and as we drove down the highway, I was fascinated by the big trucks. Where had they come from? Where were they going? How did the drivers know how to handle the massive machines? I imagined the freedom they must have felt, alone, driving across the miles. When I found out that the semis had small sleeping quarters in the back, my mind was made up: I was going to be a truck driver when I grew up.
Later as a teenager, I dreamed of being a forensic entomologist, a scientist who studies how bodies decompose based on how much of the flesh insects have consumed. This dream career was inspired when I read “The Silence of the Lambs” in high school, and decided I wanted to be Clarice Starling when I grew up (I discovered soon after that the sight of blood caused me to faint, so that vocation was quickly scrapped).
But throughout my life, I have always wanted to be a writer. I knew that whatever job I chose, truck driver or bug scientist, I would somehow find a way to write about it.
Never did I think I would join the Army. Never. In fact, the only reason I joined was because of a recruiter’s very lucky timing.
Even after I got out of the military, I didn’t think helping veterans would be a career calling, much less a life purpose. Using my GI Bill, I received my degree in public relations (with a minor in writing) and went on to work in corporate America for 15 years.
Then I started my own company — I still remember when I decided that my driving ambition in life was to create meaningful experiences for others — first launching an outdoor adventure travel company based on books, and then a scavenger hunt team-building company after that.
It wasn’t until COVID shut down my team-building company that I thought about a career where I would help veterans, specifically student veterans, at my alma mater. I didn’t think I would get the job when I applied, and when I did, it was like I’d been born to do it. Even when the whole world was shut down due to the pandemic, I still found ways to reach out to veterans and coach them and get them the support they needed.
So how do you find your life purpose?
And what exactly is life purpose, and why is it so important?
At its core, life purpose is the sense of direction and meaning that guides your life. It is the feeling that you have a unique role to play in the world, and that you are fulfilling that role in a meaningful way. When you have a clear sense of your life purpose, you are more likely to experience a sense of fulfillment, engagement, and happiness in your everyday life.
Life purpose:
Provides a sense of direction. When you know what your life purpose is, you have a clear goal to work towards. You know what you want to achieve, and you can focus your energy and attention on pursuing that goal. This can give you a greater sense of direction and motivation in life.
Helps you prioritize your values. When you know what is most important to you in life, you can use that knowledge to make better decisions and prioritize your time and resources. This can help you feel more in control of your life, and can lead to greater feelings of satisfaction and fulfillment.
Provides a sense of meaning. When you feel that your life has purpose and meaning, you are more likely to experience a sense of fulfillment and happiness. This can help you weather difficult times, and can help you feel more optimistic and hopeful about the future.
Can help you make an impact the world. When you know what your unique role is in the world, you can use your talents and abilities to make a positive impact on others. This can give you a sense of purpose and satisfaction that is difficult to find in other areas of life.
Additionally, your life purpose can help you experience greater fulfillment, satisfaction, and meaning in life, and can guide you towards a more purposeful and fulfilling future.