I feel like the developed world is enamored with this concept called purpose. Like you will never have to work a day in your life once you find that ever-elusive “P” word. Then, it will all be roses and sunshine and every day will be the time of your life!
Don’t get me wrong, purpose is important. Everyone needs to feel like they are fighting for something bigger than themselves or for a mission that is all-encompassing and super important.
But purpose is self-defined as well. It’s an arbitrary and relative definition that we people can give to any little or big thing in this world. Purpose can be seen as running errands at the local grocery store. Or it can be preparing for the next intergalactic mission to Mars. It can be taking your kids to the local soccer game or running for the next President of the United States.
Purpose is such a general term, and it gets overused so many times these days. I’d say that we in the developed world are privileged enough to call it something that is super important. It is a privilege to be looking for your purpose. Because that means that you have all your basic necessities relatively covered!
But in general, why can’t we do things just for the sake of doing it? Why do we always need an all-encompassing mission to feel fulfilled with our lives or with our jobs? Why can’t we just go with the flow and see where that flow takes us?
For me, I have outlets in my life that do have a clear purpose and mission, like Toastmasters, which give me a lot of color and happiness in my life. The purpose of Toastmasters is to help its members improve their public speaking skills, which is something that speaks volumes for myself and something that I can passionately get behind.
Or the purpose of taking care of my parents or spending time with my girlfriend, all things that bring joy and peace to my life, thankfully. I’d say that the purpose for all these “missions” are important in the sense that is accepted by society.
But what about the “smaller” things in life, like simply wanting to make some money in the family business? Can that be called an acceptable purpose to follow? It’s not necessarily going to save the world or cure some disease, but it’s still something that I do (dare I say) for fun and play. It’s something that I like to do just for the sake of doing it.
I am thankful to be able to feel that way with my job. Often when I work, I don’t think about any grand mission. I just focus on the task at hand, without the need for any milestones or goals. Now granted, I’m not sure if that’s the best way to approach a job for everyone in the world. But for me, it relatively works.
When I write an email to a customer or when I’m planning strategically which market to aim for, I feel a sense of innate peace and joy when I do my work. Again, no grand purpose. Just play. And I feel that everyone can have outlets like that in their lives as well, where they don’t need to allocate certain parts of their mental real estate to this concept of purpose.
Or when I play the piano, I don’t think of some grand mission. My goal isn’t to play to the end of the song. My goal (if you can even call it that) is to play every note with joy and vigor and to just let the flow of the song take me wherever it is that I feel like going. There’s no deep explanation needed. No grand vision. It’s just a step-by-step process where I am having fun and enjoying myself and staying as in the moment as possible.
These types of outlets are therapeutic for me as well and, I’d argue, don’t need purpose to make them more meaningful. The great thing is that the world is so filled to the brink with outlets and hobbies that everyone should be able to touch some form of this joyful play in some form or fashion if they look hard or often enough.
And once you find it, just note that it’s not really going to change your world either. But it does help lighten up the day a little bit and make you realize that some of these self-made concepts of purpose don’t necessarily have to serve everyone in every context.
Like most things in life, it’s a case-by-case scenario. So just go out there and find your playground. Find whatever it is that makes you tick. Strive for purpose if that’s what you desire. Or just play in the moment if it keeps you moving and light-hearted.
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