Purpose
A long time ago, I was talking on the phone with someone about purpose.
The person on the other end, she was having a rough time figuring out what she wanted in life. She would change her mind as soon as another potential option flashed across her thoughts. And each time she changed her mind, she became more unhappy and frustrated.
“I’d like to live in a different place. A place like Paris or somewhere that has something happening. There is nothing here where I am now.”
“I’d like a lot of money. Enough money where I could travel wherever I wanted. I feel trapped here without any way to pay for the things I want.”
“I want to make music, to finally feel as though I’m an artist. Nothing I’ve ever made has been any good. Just for once, I’d like to feel like I’ve done something to validate all the time I’ve spent practicing.”
I replied:
“Well, suppose that you pick _one thing. Just one. If you single something out, and you are willing to get it at any cost, it would be hard not to get it.”_
“But I don’t know what I want! I want all of those things.”
“Well then, I suppose you have to find something that has all of those things within it.”
By this time, she had gotten quite frustrated. So she spat my question right back in my face.
“Well then, David, what do you want?”
The interesting thing I’ve found about talking with people is that it always clarifies my own thoughts. Before I started having this conversation, I wasn’t quite sure how to answer this question. But the back and forth lead me to an answer that I still hold to today.
“I want my life to be an adventure. As long as the road ahead of my is filled with glory, I’ll always be happy.”
Thinking back to this conversation has always been my method to determine whether or not to change course when faced with a major decision. At every fork in the road I ask myself: “will this choice lead to adventure.” If the answer is “yes” I pursue it no matter where it leads.