Back in October, we wrote about the fact that we are made for a purpose. This was understood for much of human history in many different civilizations and only came to be doubted in our own civilization more recently. Why has this come under doubt? Perhaps, in our pursuit of happiness, to borrow a phrase from the Declaration of Independence, we have been pursing the wrong things for our happiness, which leads to disillusionment about whether there is any happiness or purpose to be found.
The fact that it’s hard to find happiness and to stay content does not mean that we have no purpose, though. Why do we pursue the wrong things so often? There are several reasons. One reason is that we seek gratification in immediate, short term ways. Another reason is that we seek contentment in temporary things; youth and beauty fade, the dopamine rush ends, and someone could always have more. The solution to this is to seek our happiness and purpose in relation to something eternal and unchanging.
Living Purpose Driven
What we want to address today, specifically, is how to live a purpose driven life. We have already given one answer to what the purpose driven life is not. It cannot be found in pursuing things that end. Nor is it in pursuing that thing that you want above all else that you think will make you happy.
We aren’t going to give you the same old line about figuring out what you most desire and then help you develop a strategy for getting that thing. Having any purpose and going after it with abandon is not necessarily good for you or others. Some purposes that you might choose are not really good for you or for others, even if you really want to achieve that particular goal and it brings some temporary satisfaction. If we, as a wellness company, aided our clients in pursuing these sorts of things, we wouldn’t be aiding anybody in their wellness.
The purpose driven life has a proper ordering of things. It pursues eternal things over temporary things. It recognizes that each day is a gift and should not be taken for granted. So, in a sense, the purpose driven life is one in which you live in the reality that you might not get another day. That does not mean we should eat, drink, and be merry, as these are temporary things. Rather, structure your day, prioritizing the eternal and then taking care to leave things well-ordered for those whose lives we touch.
