Is finding your purpose in life really that important?
At times, the search for purpose feels like life just handed you a vague outline and you’re doing your best to follow. Are the end results really worth it? Let’s find out!
The Purpose Driven Life
by Rick Warren
⏱ 14 minutes reading time
🎧 Audio version available
You Belong to a Calling Bigger Than Yourself
One of the most extraordinary things that happen when you live with purpose is you start feeling connected to a calling that’s bigger than yourself.
It doesn’t matter what kind of purpose you end up with– whether that’s one that is emotionally fulfilling, one that guarantees a big paycheck, or one that gives back to your community. What matters is that there is something unique about being part of something bigger than ourselves. What you’re doing is going to positively impact the world. And someday when you’re long gone, your legacy will remain.
Before, you may have navigated life in an aimless manner. But now you have this foundation to build from, and it’s amazing.
Your Health Improves
Yes, living with a strong sense of purpose will affect both your mental and physical health. Your body and mind will thank you, trust us.
Think of it this way: when you’re living a life where you’re just not happy or where you don’t fit, your mental health starts to suffer. Things like stress, anxiety, and depression can set in quickly.
Aside from the mental side of things, your cardiovascular system is impacted as well. Harvard took it upon themselves to prove this and found there’s a link between those who reported living with purpose and those who didn’t. The link? The risk of cardiovascular death was a whopping 20% lower.
Data from ten different studies that took a look at 136,000 people revealed this: those who lived with a strong sense of purpose were at a dramatically lower risk of developing dangerous and deadly conditions such as heart attacks, strokes, and coronary artery disease.
In 2014, The Lancet published a study that revealed that people who were over 65 years old and had a sense of purpose were likely to live longer. To put it in a nutshell, having a purpose makes your brain and body stronger.
Numerous studies have also found an association between being goal-driven and fending off diseases, like Alzheimer’s and dementia.
Your Confidence and Self-Esteem Increase
By now, you may be familiar with the concept that we’re products of what we experience. Our personalities, our attitudes, and our perception of ourselves are shaped by what we go through.
Living aimlessly and just going through the motions? That falls on the negative side of a life well lived. That negativity can lead to self-doubt, uncertainty, and low self-esteem.
With a purpose, however, your self-esteem is likely to thrive. When you wake up in the morning with a drive, know exactly what you want to do, and can confidently conduct yourself when dealing with people, your attitude dramatically changes. What once was a poor self-esteem and too many insecurities packed into one negative attitude is now rehabilitated. Before you know it, your confidence increases.
You Engage in More Positive Behaviors
Who is more likely to have healthier coping strategies and defense mechanisms in the face of stress and hardships– someone who is led by a powerful sense of purpose and meaning or someone who lives a pointless life?
The answer is easy. Having purpose means that you have a greater sense of meaning in life, which is a strong motive to take better care of yourself and others. In fact, goal-driven people are known to engage more in positive things such as less drinking, less smoking, and more beneficial behaviors, like more exercise and meditation.
You Gain Clarity
When you have something that makes you excited to get up in the morning, you’ll be surprised to find you gain clarity. You’ll be able to tell more clearly what is important and what isn’t.
Oftentimes, we get caught up in going through the motions and blindly following others’ directions and comparisons; allowing them to dictate how we’re supposed to live our lives. But having a purpose does more than make you feel happy and fulfilled. You’re able to clear the cobwebs of what you truly don’t care about to make room for what’s truly significant. What’s equally important is that you’re able to tell what contributes to your long-term life plan and what doesn’t.
Life Has More Direction
You’re not wasting your time pursuing a degree you’re no longer interested in. You’re not dragging yourself out of bed for a job you don’t love anymore. With a purpose, you know what you’re working for and why. Whether you have achieved that purpose already or whether you are currently pursuing it, your path is a lot clearer.
Now, you have all the tools and direction you need in order to live a life with the highest meaning.
Passion and Excitement Are the New Norm
Another incredible, highly appealing benefit of being guided by goals and a purpose is that unparalleled excitement and satisfaction you gain from them. Whenever you think about your purpose, you’ll feel a burst of energy and a passion.
That’s why people with a strong sense of purpose often speak about being excited every single day. When they go to sleep, they’re planning for what’s to come. When morning comes around, they’re excited about what’s going to happen.
Your source of joy isn’t limited to the weekend finally coming around. And you won’t dread Mondays anymore. Yes, everyone enjoys vacations and time off. But the rest of life will seem pretty good, too.
You’re More Resilient
When life knocks you down, you’re able to get back up. That’s another amazing thing that happens. Because life is bursting with meaning, passion, and satisfaction, you’re more equipped than ever to reappraise situations.
While the ups and downs of life and its many challenges are difficult, those who lead a life with a strong sense of objective handle them better. See, a purpose is more or less an emotional and psychological buffer. So even though you may have a bad day, a problem at work, or a personal issue, you still maintain satisfaction with the life you have overall.
Your Time Management Will Improve
Here’s a fun bonus! A nice sense of purpose will improve your time management skills. It’s all about the destination. You know what you want and there is no point in dragging your feet along the way if you’re actually excited about getting there.
Plus, having a purpose that makes the road ahead clear makes it easier to figure out which steps you need to take and when. For example, if your purpose in life is to become an entrepreneur, then you know you need to have a product, an investor, a partner, a name, et cetera, and you’re able to create a plan accordingly, without wasting time.
You’ll Have a Satisfying Sense of Accomplishment
A purpose isn’t like a goal; something you reach and that’s it. There is probably a long journey that leads you to it. It’s an ongoing project. And everything you achieve along the way? Whether that’s graduating, finishing a project, earning a promotion, traveling somewhere, et cetera, this sense of purpose grants you an unforgettable sense of accomplishment.
So add that on top of improved health, resilience, and confidence! Every win will feel more fulfilling. And every satisfying win will encourage you to progress further towards your goals.
You Gain Respect from Others
Having a purpose is– first and foremost– about what it can do for you, but there is a spectacular side effect of people’s reaction to you. Think about the people you admire, the celebrities, successful business people, and your friends and family. Most likely, you’ll find that their accomplishments and goals are accompanied by knowing what they want. And you respect them for it.
That’s what happens when you do the same. People recognize that drive, and they will respect, appreciate, and admire you for it. You will become an example of what a driven, passionate person looks like.
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