One of the best definitions of main purpose that I’ve come across is as follows:
Engaging in some lifelong activity which you enjoy and that generates a sufficient income to meet your needs and your wants.
When you find your main purpose in life you know it. It is self-evident. There is no doubt.
Your main purpose:
- Unleashes Your Creativity
- Excites You
- Energizes and Inspires You
- Exposes Some Innate Talent You Possess
- Can be Monetized
- Is Fun and Does Not Feel Like Work
- Adds Value to the Lives of Others
- Is Fulfilling or Makes You Happy
Very few find their main purpose in life. In fact, as the famous author, Henry David Thoreau so aptly put it: “The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation, and go to the grave with the song still in them.”
For those few who do find their main purpose in life, it’s like you’ve found that needle in a haystack. You feel blessed, fortunate and lucky. Your life seems fulfilled – you are happy. Because you are doing something you love doing, you devote many hours to it, becoming expert in it. And people are happy to pay you a premium for the service or product that results from engaging in your main purpose.
About Thomas C. Corley
I agree, but think that such main purpose can sometimes become muddled by reality. For example, plenty of doctors are eager to do their jobs as healers, but get frustrated by bureaucracy, office politics, and the intricacies of medical billing. Perhaps a flexible approach and the willingness to make adjustments to find one’s niche are good options.
I love the Henry David Thoreau quote, more so because when I learned it in high school, it was relatively meaningless. Years later, I can look back and around and see exactly what it means and how true it is! I wish they would teach in school what you said in this post. It would change kids’ lives and give them a much better start in life. I have many habits to turn around but you write it so that one feels it is very possible. Others tend you leave you feeling hopeless because there is so much to change. I’m off to go read more “rich”-ness.!