Something startling was brought to my attention over the weekend…
A new study, published in JAMA Current Open and reported on by NPR, discovered that ‘people without a strong life purpose were more than twice as likely to die within a four-year time period compared with those who had one.’
Twice as likely to die!
As someone who has coached and trained others for more than three decades, this revelation had an immediate and highly emotional impact on me.
Like many coaches, my biggest mission is to leave the world a better place than I find it each day. I achieve that by training individuals to discover their unique brilliance and inner confidence. Together, we make the most of their abilities and expertise as we craft an authentic business in service to others.
This is my purpose.
But these new findings reveal that we still have a lot of work ahead of us (you and me both!). The study, which analyzed data from 7,000 American adults found:
“People who didn’t have a strong life purpose — which was defined as “a self-organizing life aim that stimulates goals” — were more likely to die than those who did, and specifically more likely to die of cardiovascular diseases.” (Source: npr.org)
It’s hard not to see this for what it is: people who need us dying of broken hearts.
One of the highest aims as a professional Whole Person Coach is to instill the self-actualization that leads one to successfully achieving their stated goals. Purpose, in other words.
Have you discovered your true purpose?
Forbes recently offered a short checklist on pursuing meaningful work. In the article, work was considered meaningful if it met the following four criteria:
- My work helps me help my family
- My work allows me to use my talents
- My work supports something bigger
- My work lets me be me
How many of these can you check off your list?
The life-fulfillment we derive from purpose is individual to each of us. As we just learned: it’s critical to longevity, yet far too illusive for many.
If you are searching for greater meaning in life and work, now is your moment. For what greater purpose than instilling purpose in others?
Read NPR’s full story on the essential nature of purpose here
