Very early on today talking to a good friend of mine and also a business partner, we were discussing life purpose and the importance of having a clear personal purpose to guide our actions.

“For the secret of human existence lies not only in living, but in knowing what to live for.”

― Fyodor Dostoevsky, The Brothers Karamazov

Most of us are so busy with the everyday life pursuits that we never stop to think or ask ourselves: “Why am I doing all this?”

That set me off for the rest of my Sunday morning. I normally use my Sunday morning to work on myself, study some area of science, social science and philosophy, learn something new and write about that so I can apply and change. 

Today that got me going… Interestingly I had a request for a new LinkedIn connection asking me to add him and also asking to know what was the impact of my work in my current organisation. I do not have much time to this sort of requests, they normally come with an introduction and offer of service (attention management is key here) but today I was in the mood to explore that!

What is my contribution to the world? The institution I work for is nothing but one of the many vehicles I can express myself, add to others and play a part in building a better environment we all want to live. My business, my network of family and friends, my charity work, etc…

I was then taken back in time to a film I watched many years ago and one of my favourite poems of all… 

O Me! O Life!

BY WALT WHITMANOh me! Oh life! of the questions of these recurring,
Of the endless trains of the faithless, of cities fill’d with the foolish,
Of myself forever reproaching myself, (for who more foolish than I, and who more faithless?)
Of eyes that vainly crave the light, of the objects mean, of the struggle ever renew’d,
Of the poor results of all, of the plodding and sordid crowds I see around me,
Of the empty and useless years of the rest, with the rest me intertwined,
The question, O me! so sad, recurring—What good amid these, O me, O life?

  Answer.
That you are here—that life exists and identity,
That the powerful play goes on, and you may contribute a verse.

Source: Leaves of Grass (1892)

in my view…

The power of identity and purpose should guide any life pursuit, find your verse, find yourself!

“The two most important days in your life are the day you are born and the day you find out why.”

― Mark Twain