I think we have to redefine what purpose is. I grew up in a time when it was preached that your purpose is tied to your work in a significant way. I didn’t realize the pressure it put on me as I entered the workforce. Purpose carried so much weight. If I didn’t have that, I didn’t have anything.
I once heard Elizabeth Gilbert talk about purpose and passion on a podcast. I’ve listened to that episode several times just to keep it in mind. She talked about how she used to be such a preacher about passion and purpose until one day someone poked a hole in her thinking. She met a woman who said she tried to do everything that Elizabeth and others had suggested to find her purpose. But she had never uncovered a clear sense of purpose for herself. She felt so defeated. And every time someone like Elizabeth would preach about purpose and passion, she’d feel even worse. With that one conversation, Elizabeth began rethinking her beliefs about purpose and passion.
She followed with a story about walking down the street one day to come upon a man on a ladder working on a storefront. The ladder appeared to be a little wobbly, so Elizabeth was nervous the man might fall. Without his knowledge, she simply stood under the ladder and held it still until he began to come down. Before he even saw her, she walked away. What she did in that moment mattered.
It felt like purpose.
That story has stuck with me. Maybe purpose doesn’t have to be saving the world. Maybe it could be as simple as saving a man from falling off a ladder. Purpose comes down to a desire to matter. The good news is, we were made to matter. We want to believe we are here on earth for a reason, and I think we are. But maybe that reason is something small. Maybe it’s simple. Maybe it’s ordinary.
So think about what you do that matters. It doesn’t have to be big. It could be as simple as being the one who wakes up first and starts the coffee. You may scoff at that suggestion, but trust me, there is purpose to be found there. What if you found purpose and pleasure in that simple task? How would it change your outlook for the day? How would it change the way you viewed the people in your house planning to drink that coffee? How would it change your sense of accomplishment in your days?
When we see purpose as simply doing something that matters, it takes the pressure off. Because doing something that matters can exist outside of what you do for work. You may not feel like your job is purposeful at all. I think it’s rare for someone to find work that gives them a deep, lasting sense of purpose. Most of the time, work is just work, but that doesn’t mean you don’t matter. Maybe you could find a sense of purpose beyond the actual work tasks. Maybe you matter because you improve the day of those you work with through simple acts of kindness.
Sarah Bragg sits down with Tammy Trent this Wednesday to talk about purpose, joy, and fulfillment. Excerpted from “Is Everyone Happier Than Me?” by Sarah Bragg. Copyright © 2024 by Sarah Bragg. Published by Zondervan, a subsidiary of HarperCollins Christian Publishing. Used by permission.
