At the heart of every person lies a profound question:
Why am I here?
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Some of us need to know why.
Our core purpose isn’t something we create; it’s something we discover. It’s woven into the fabric of our lives, waiting to be revealed.
It’s uncovering the deeper reason that drives you to make a meaningful impact. It’s the thread that connects your unique talents to the broader community, turning everyday actions into an inspired, cohesive action.
When you align with your purpose, you unlock something special:
The ability to use the challenges of life as a catalyst for growth. This is the art of adversity.
Knowing who you are and your core purpose is what gets you out of bed each morning, ready to use your unique abilities in service of something greater.
It connects you with others on a similar path while giving you the freedom to express your individuality.
It’s a deep sense of recognition, as if you’ve finally come home. This elevates your energy, keeps you vital and confident.
With this clarity, you move forward, contributing to something much larger than yourself.
Why Don’t We Know Our Core Purpose?
Despite its importance, many people struggle to understand their true purpose. This is not due to a lack of desire but rather the result of various obstacles that cloud our vision and disconnect us from our authentic selves.
TAP THE SECTIONS BELOW TO EXPAND.
Conditioning and Expectations
From a young age, we’re conditioned to meet external expectations. Be it from family, society, or our culture, we’re taught to prioritize achievements, status, and conformity over personal exploration and authenticity.
This conditioning can obscure our true nature, making it difficult to differentiate between what we genuinely want and what we think we should want.
Cognitive Biases
Our minds are full of biases that skew our perception of reality. Confirmation bias, for instance, causes us to seek information that supports our existing beliefs, while the status quo bias makes us resistant to change.
These mental filters keep us stuck in familiar patterns, preventing us from exploring new possibilities and understanding our deeper motivations.
The Complexity of the Human Experience
Without a grasp of psychology, we often lack the tools to navigate the complexities of our inner world.
Our thoughts and behaviors are influenced by subconscious factors like unresolved traumas, limiting beliefs, and unexamined fears.
Without understanding these psychological forces, it’s challenging to uncover who we truly are.
A Fragmented Understanding of Reality
Lacking a philosophical framework can leave us disconnected from the bigger picture.
Questions about existence, meaning, and the nature of reality are often sidelined in favor of practical concerns.
This leaves many without the philosophical grounding needed to explore the deeper questions that point to our core purpose.
Disconnected from the Flow
Our understanding of physics and the nature of the universe also plays a role.
When we see ourselves as isolated beings, separate from the cosmos, we miss the interconnectedness that binds everything together.
Recognizing that we are part of a larger, dynamic system can help us see our lives in a broader context, making it easier to align with our unique role within it.
Bridging the Gap
Overcoming these barriers requires a conscious effort to peel back the layers of conditioning, examine our cognitive biases, and expand our understanding of ourselves and the universe.
By integrating insights from psychology, philosophy, and even the science of interconnectedness, we can begin to see ourselves clearly and align with our true purpose.
Rethink Emotional Norms
Thank you to everyone who responded to last week’s article on the "Global Ripple Effect." I was inspired by the thoughtfulness of your replies, and I wanted to take the time to address one in particular. Julian R., who came through The...
Opinions on “Global Ripple Effect”
The following emails are in response to Global Ripple Effect. They've been slightly edited for readability. From Julian R. I’d like to share some thoughts on the topic. These are just my reflections, so feel free to take them as part of an ongoing conversation. First...
Global Ripple Effect
None of us is as smart as all of us. And when it comes to ideas, that’s especially true. The perspective I’m sharing today, is part of what I (any many other people) believe could be the most complete answer to solving the multitude of crises happening in the...
Disaster Curve: A model we should all know
Disaster Curve: A normalizing framework we should all knowHurricane Milton is tearing through central Florida tonight. Florida meteorologist Noah Bergen said, “this hurricane is nearing the mathematical limit of what Earth’s atmosphere over this ocean water can...
A Case for Physics
Physics might seem far removed from personal growth, but what if understanding the universe's fundamental laws could help you understand your place in it?It’s common to strive for the modern ideal of significance - fame, success, impact. But the truth is, we're more...
How Do You Actually Change?
Our reactions to situations, our daily habits, our mental processes are so deeply engrained. Changing how we do things can be hard and other than the lived experience of knowing this to be true, here are some stats. In 2022 alone, over 85,000...
Cognitive Diversity
In contemporary discussions, divergent thinking is often celebrated as the hallmark of expansive thought. We covered that last week. But there’s another side to it. The allure of the unconventional and the novel, coupled with a cultural tendency to...
Divergent Thinking
Traditional western schooling was originally designed to prepare students for a factory-based economy. With its roots in the industrial era, it emphasized convergent thinking, which involves a focused, linear, and analytical way of reasoning to reach a correct answer....
Find Your People
I often hear from people that they’re looking for like-minded friendships. It had me wondering what that really means. That statement often comes from people who are philosophical and open-minded so I know they aren’t saying they want friends who all think the same....
Personal Boundaries Reimagined
In last week’s newsletter, we touched on how various forms of capital (intellectual, experiential, social, and more) can shape a fulfilling life. But there’s another element we can’t overlook in this process: the way we approach boundaries. We all know we need to...
Build a Dream Worth Pursuing
Most of us at some point have felt a strong pull toward a big dream—something meaningful that lights us up in a way that’s difficult to explain. Yet, for many, these dreams remain just that: dreams. They float around in the realm of possibility, never materializing...
When Values Hold You Back
We all have aspects of ourselves that we proudly define as virtues. These are the traits that we believe are central to our identity and essential to our success. But what if some of these “virtues” are actually rooted in fears that, over time, hold us back from...
The Lost Art of Doing Nothing
Last week, the SFE met for our first reunion in the mountains. We went on a massive hike, cold plunged, played like kids, had depthy conversations like men, we reminisced about The Process and laughed. We did a lot. But there were also these...
Play and Superposition
As an organization, the SFE is familiar with stress-based bonding as we share an annual sense of urgency, danger, and competitive challenge in the N. Ontario Wilderness. But this weekend will be our first SFE reunion where candidates and cadre get together to chill...
Cognitive Biases
Cultivating farsightedness—seeing beyond the immediate to grasp the bigger picture—is a crucial skill in today’s fast-paced world. This skill helps us avoid superficial judgments that can lead to unintended consequences. Last week, I briefly touched on this in “My...
Problematic Leadership
People have been asking me what my opinion is about the assassination attempt on Trump. I guess this is because I was a sniper. My opinion is that it’s incredibly sad and also, unfortunately, there’s nothing about a bullied kid having a violent, remarkably public...
Kinetic Imperative
Have you ever needed to do something that just didn’t make sense yet? What is that compelling force that’s nudging you towards something different and maybe even irrational? Despite efforts to suppress it with logic and reason, this is a persisting stirring feeling...
Freedom Mentality
I’d imagine if you’re reading this right now, you hold freedom (or autonomy, flexibility, etc) as a top personal value. But what is freedom, really? We often live as if joy, happiness, and even freedom, are dependent on external sources—a vacation,...
Humans Talking to Each Other
As we round the corner to Canada Day (and 4th of July for our American friends), many of us will be gathering to celebrate whatever those observances mean respectively. However different, there’s at least one thing that will be similar for all of us. Every...
Mechanics of Insight
A lack of insight presents a unique challenge in our growth and self-awareness. A lack of insight refers to the inability to recognize the deeper meaning or underlying cause of a situation, behaviour, or problem. And when we don’t have those sudden flashes of...
A Case for Initiation Later in Life
I was watching Tom Cruise in the last Mission Impossible the other day and I had a brief moment of defeat accompanied by a thought. I wish I was Tom Cruise. I quickly shook it off and thought, “…am I really jealous of a fake caricature of what I used to do for a...
A Keen Sense of Versatility
“A keen sense of versatility”: having a strong ability to adapt to different situations, tasks, or roles with ease and effectiveness. This person is highly flexible, can handle a variety of challenges, and can switch between different activities or responsibilities...
The Risk of Living
“There is always a certain risk in being alive, and if you are more alive, there’s more risk.” —Henrik Ibsen, A Doll’s House” This is a sentiment that feels deeply true to me especially as I come up on my 43rd birthday. There’s something about creeping into your...