All by Matthew Burgess
A common question on purpose is “what am I here for?” or “where do I fit?”. Maybe by looking for ways we can contribute to the communities that we choose to belong to - or the ones we feel drawn towards, we free ourselves (slightly) from the burden of having to find ourselves first?
A common experience on the quest for purpose or meaningful work is the feeling of being surrounded by fog. Fog happens when the amount of possible options obscures the ability to find the ‘right’ ones. Sometimes I think the quintessential question on purpose is “but what should I do?" Here is an experiment that might help you find out.
If what we seek remains resolutely invisible, can we find out more about it by noticing its effect on surrounding bodies?
During a series of interviews with members of creative teams during a work project, the observation emerged that '“creativity is like a set of tools for being you”. Using this as a starting point, I intend to begin a (meandering) exploration of the potential relationships between creativity and the search for a more meaningful life.
What does purpose feel like? From the way her voice cracks as she describes what she was born to do, I think off-road racer and all-round automotive luminary Jessi Combs knows.
Thinking of our legacy as a body of work can be daunting should we dare to compare ourselves to luminaries such as Toni Morrison or David Bowie. But if we consider that the legacy is not the work itself, but the effect it has on those that encounter it, then what previously seemed like an unclimbable peak can instead become a territory for exploration.
A short thought investigating the idea that the purpose journey contains two types of quest: exploring (the challenge of finding a path) and mountaineering (the challenge of following one).
Trying to set goals for your life can be daunting. How might we describe our purpose using actions or behaviours we can practice now?
Do we need to know our destination before setting out on a purpose journey? I wonder if a more useful question to ask in these circumstances could be ‘how will I navigate’?
