How to find purpose (& actually profit from it)

Have you ever stopped and asked yourself:

"Wait, why am I doing this again?"

This unanswered feeling of dread represents a kind of "mini-crisis". For the most part, this feeling or voice remains dormant throughout the majority of our lives.

The mundaneness of our day-to-day rarely provides us with any immediate consequence of scale to reflect and reveal our folly.

It's only when we're confronted with the big decisions in life, that the consequences of not having our ducks in order are truly felt.

"Why did I elect these subjects"
"Why did I pick this career path"
"Why did I choose this partner"

We convince ourselves that we're in the driver's seat by obsessively managing our daily routines, but casually outsourcing our lives.

"What pays the most?"
"Would my parents approve?"
"What is acceptable by society?"

We seek comfort in the collective and absolve ourselves of personal responsibility, then blame the world for duping us when things don't go our way.

Heart of the Good Life: Unifying fantasy & reality

Here's the harsh truth:

If you don't create your own goals you will build someone else's, and pay for it with your life.

I'm not saying to quit your day job. A 9-5 can be a stepping stone or a gravestone, depending on whether or not you have a plan.

The first step to avoid the fate of the 99%, is to point the spearhead of your life toward a high noble aim. A goal that you create, a kind of inner compass that guides you towards your north star.

It is within our own creations where meaning is born.

"Noble aim?"
"Is this dude high?"
"How can I pursue a fantasy when I live in reality?"

I totally agree. Money is extremely important. We've all got bills to pay and to ignore that half of the equation is to ignore reality.

Consider then, a world in which: Work & play, business & life, reality & fantasy, are not distinguished as separate entities, but as an entirety.

A union between the world of matter (material), and the world of what matters (meaning), that represents the heart of the good life.

Every heart requires a vessel to give it life, a kind of medium connecting the two worlds. Let us call this vessel, this lifeblood — your personal brand.

If all of this sounds like poetic kerfuffle, I totally get it.

Allow me to paint a picture and breakdown the philosophy into 3 components:

1. Your Problem is Your Purpose

From now on, I want you to think of your life's purpose like an umbrella.

At the top, it covers a wide area, floats above your head, and serves an ultimate purpose. It represents the highest abstraction, your grand plan, your reason for being.

At the bottom, it is narrow and offers a touchpoint where you have direct control over the domain you choose to navigate. It represents the local level, the immediate area of influence, and your direct responsibilities.

They appear as separate components but they are one entity.

Most people disconnect the two, and either have their heads in the clouds — neglecting their daily tasks, or are caught in the weeds from their desire for total control — missing the bigger picture.

Your purpose or "calling" in life can be faintly heard like the raindrops on top of your umbrella. But, it can be felt more clearly through the sensation of pain at the local level.

Pain is nothing more than a sensation signifying movement or motivation to solve a problem.

Our efforts to avoid pain through fear, suppress pain through shame, or numb pain through substances — is often why purpose is missed.

Our problems serve as our purpose and is our starting point.

2. Your Project is your Product

Purpose, therefore, can be described as the process of overcoming.

This process of overcoming is in essence, a personal project and is defined by:

i) a desired future
ii) an undesirable present
iii) a system of value that bridges the two.

A system that can replicate success, no matter who is driving, is a viable project. This viable project takes the form of a product or service when it is shared.

Sharing the right solution with the right people is in essence, education through marketing & sales.

Leverage social media as a catalyst for volume and distribution and you've got a formula for a personal enterprise.

3. Your Brand is your Power

You must eliminate from your mind the idea that social media is limited to narcissists with WiFi, models in bikinis, and out-of-touch mainstream conglomerates.

Your brand is nothing more than a vessel for self-improvement, a means to monetize your mastery, and a symbol of your character.

Gaining "profit" does not have to be financial gain (at least not in the beginning), but can be something as simple as perceived authority.

Like recommending the perfect horror film to a horror enthusiast, you will gain a perception of authority, increasing the likelihood that they will "buy" from you again.

Over a long enough period and attracting other enthusiasts alike, your authority in that domain grows.

As authority grows so does your reputation.
As reputation grows so does your leverage.
As leverage grows so does your brand.

As you continue to follow your inner compass, overcome your problems, and expand your influence, you reach a level of power where you can write your own ticket ($), and buy your own freedom.

This is the path to power.

Thank you for reading.