Are you satisfied with your life? What gives your life meaning? Does your work provide meaning? What drives you? What do you value in life? Are you exercising your talents? What goals are you pursuing? Are you content about those goals? What do you look forward to? What is your view of life? How do you see challenges in life?
If you can answer these questions in a way that satisfies and gives you a positive outlook on your life; you may be living a life of purpose. Otherwise, you may be at odds with your life’s purpose or may need to clarify it. This may bring a sense of frustration and stagnation. Regardless of your responses to these questions; the way you view your life shapes your life. Purposeful living means different things to different people depending on their culture, religion, personality, general life experience, etc. For example in one of the workshops I facilitated on dealing with change, participants were requested to share their legacy i.e. something they will leave behind that would make them feel their life has been meaningful. An African gentleman shared that he is proud that after he started working, he was able to build a house for his parents which gives him a sense of purpose, meaning to why he works and has enabled him to overcome challenges. If you have an unclear life purpose, you are a like a sailor at sea without a campus!
Purposeful living is not a destination, but it is satisfaction and contentment gained through the ‘colourful’¹ journey of life thereby enhancing one’s wellbeing and fulfillment. Knowing your purpose brings a sense of focus, meaning and energy into your life. Knowing your purpose in your work brings a sense of meaning and understanding of your unique contribution to the bigger picture of the institution and of your life. Knowing your higher purpose based on your spiritual beliefs may bring a sense of peace and contentment.
Ryff & Singer (1995) suggest the following indicators for whether one is living a purposeful life and one can use them to guide in determining where you are.
| When life’s purpose is high, a person: | When life's purpose is low, a person |
- Has goals in life and a sense of directedness;
- Feels there is meaning to present and past life;
- Holds beliefs that give life purpose;
- Has aims and objectives for living;
- Has feeling of continued development - sees self as growing and expanding;
- Is open to new experiences;
- Has sense of realizing his or her potential;
- Sees improvement in self and behavior over time;
- Is changing in ways that reflect more self-knowledge and effectiveness.
| - Lacks sense of meaning in life;
- Has few goals or aims,
- Lacks sense of direction;
- Does not see purpose in past life;
- Has no outlooks or beliefs that give life meaning;
- Has sense of personal stagnation;
- Lacks sense of improvement or expansion over time;
- Feels bored and uninterested with life;
- Feels unable to develop new attitudes or behaviors.
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Sources:
1. Biswas-Diener, R. (2012) The Courage Quotient: How Science can make you braver. Jossey-Bass: San Francisco.
2. Goleman, D. (1995) Emotional Intelligence: Why it can matter more than IQ? London: Bloomsbury.
3. Ryff, C.D. (1995) Psychological well-being in adult life. In Current Directions in Psychological Science; Vol 4, No 4, 99-104. American Psychological Society.
4. Ryff, C.D. & Singer, B (1998) The Contours of Positive Human Health. In Psychological Inquiry; Vol 9, No. 1, 1-28.
5. Warren, R (2004) ‘What on earth am I here for?’ Zondervan: Michigan.
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