Your Purpose & Calling: Don't Worry About Saving The World. Save Yourself
Sep 24, 2024
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Scott Harrison, a renowned humanitarian and founder of charity: water, shares his transformative journey from a life of acclaim to one of meaningful purpose. He emphasizes that true fulfillment comes not from grand gestures of altruism but from personal passion and joy. Scott encourages listeners to redefine their understanding of purpose, advocating for small acts that bring meaning to their lives. He also candidly reflects on life's uncertainties and the importance of being prepared, blending personal growth with practical advice.
Finding purpose doesn’t require grand gestures; even modest pursuits can bring personal fulfillment and joy in life.
Exploring multiple identities and roles beyond parenting can enhance personal satisfaction and provide a broader sense of purpose.
Deep dives
The Pursuit of Purpose Beyond Altruism
The pursuit of purpose and calling often comes with misconceptions that they must revolve around grand altruistic acts, but personal fulfillment can also stem from modest pursuits. The idea that one's purpose must involve saving the world can inhibit many from recognizing the smaller, yet significant ways they can impact their own lives and those around them. For instance, a person working as a realtor finds profound joy in helping individuals and families find their homes, illustrating that simple, everyday actions can also contribute to a fulfilling life. The podcast emphasizes focusing on how one’s purpose can serve personal happiness, highlighting that any collateral benefit to others is a bonus.
Redefining Roles and Contributions
Many individuals tend to constrict their sense of purpose to singular roles, particularly that of a parent, which can lead to feelings of unfulfillment as circumstances change. The podcast encourages exploring multiple roles and contributions instead of being confined to a single identity such as parenting, as fulfillment can come from various aspects of life. For example, engaging in mentorship or community support can provide a broader sense of purpose without diminishing the importance of family roles. Considering diverse avenues to express one’s gifts can significantly enhance personal satisfaction and promote a more enriched life experience.
Discovering Joy in Personal Interests
The importance of pursuing personal interests is underscored as a key element in finding joy and meaning in life. The discussion highlights that engaging in activities that spark genuine interest can bring happiness and satisfaction, ultimately benefiting both the individual and the community around them. A personal anecdote shared illustrates how a parent found a fulfilled life not through conventional measures of success but through exploring personal interests that connected with their values and talents. This reinforcement of following passions and interests as a means to a fulfilling life serves as a reminder that pursuing joy is inherently valuable, without needing justification.
I think at the end of the day we’d all give up anything, happiness, acclaim, status, just about anything, just to have purpose. Something we cared to wake up to and pursue that had any meaning to us. And I’m going to take that beyond family, which I’ll speak to in a moment. But I find we often handicap our thoughts towards purpose and calling by feeling it must be huge. It must be super altruistic. It must be saving the world. In the last episode I talked with Scott Harrison, celebrity humanitarian who has taken 1 out of 6 people in the world having access to clean water down to only 1 out of 10. Amazing. Truly. Yet the greatest benefit of purpose is not what your purpose does for other people, but what your purpose does for you. I didn’t have Scott on the show to talk about the people he saved. I had him on the show to talk about how he saved himself. This is about you. Anyone you help is just collateral benefit.
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