1 00:00:08,920 --> 00:00:12,720 Speaker 1: Hi, everybody, It's Carly Talley here for this week's Mojo Monday. 2 00:00:13,920 --> 00:00:16,920 Speaker 1: So have you ever stopped to think about what it 3 00:00:17,079 --> 00:00:20,800 Speaker 1: truly means to live a life of meaning and purpose? 4 00:00:22,160 --> 00:00:27,000 Speaker 1: What would that life look like for you? In our 5 00:00:27,040 --> 00:00:30,760 Speaker 1: Western culture, we often equate finding meaning and purpose with 6 00:00:30,840 --> 00:00:34,360 Speaker 1: the big things, our goals, our dreams, and what we're 7 00:00:34,400 --> 00:00:40,120 Speaker 1: striving for, and purpose can become this kind of abstract idea, 8 00:00:40,360 --> 00:00:43,880 Speaker 1: something we need to search for, and it's usually tied 9 00:00:43,960 --> 00:00:46,920 Speaker 1: up in our work. So if we don't find meaning 10 00:00:47,000 --> 00:00:50,559 Speaker 1: in our work or our job, it's easy to feel 11 00:00:50,680 --> 00:00:55,160 Speaker 1: unfulfilled and we can end up asking ourselves what's the point? 12 00:00:55,440 --> 00:00:58,720 Speaker 1: Or is or is this what my life has become? 13 00:01:00,000 --> 00:01:03,920 Speaker 1: And I've definitely been there. I've spent a lot of 14 00:01:03,960 --> 00:01:07,120 Speaker 1: my life searching for something that would bring me a 15 00:01:07,200 --> 00:01:10,840 Speaker 1: sense of purpose or fulfillment. And I guess through that 16 00:01:10,920 --> 00:01:13,960 Speaker 1: searching and a lot of study and self reflection, I 17 00:01:13,959 --> 00:01:17,080 Speaker 1: have a different view of life now than I have 18 00:01:17,200 --> 00:01:21,120 Speaker 1: done in the past. But I do know that feeling 19 00:01:21,160 --> 00:01:24,520 Speaker 1: of being stuck within the search, if that makes sense. 20 00:01:25,680 --> 00:01:28,640 Speaker 1: So what if we shift our perspective for a moment, 21 00:01:29,080 --> 00:01:31,800 Speaker 1: and this is what has really helped me So instead 22 00:01:31,840 --> 00:01:36,720 Speaker 1: of thinking about your entire life and the big purpose, 23 00:01:37,720 --> 00:01:44,080 Speaker 1: ask yourself what would a meaningful, purposeful day look like today? 24 00:01:44,640 --> 00:01:46,800 Speaker 1: So if you got to the end of today and 25 00:01:46,880 --> 00:01:50,520 Speaker 1: you could reflect back and say, my life today was 26 00:01:50,640 --> 00:01:54,920 Speaker 1: filled with meaning and purpose, what would that actually look like? 27 00:01:56,280 --> 00:01:58,760 Speaker 1: So this question might be easy for some or it 28 00:01:58,880 --> 00:02:02,880 Speaker 1: might feel hard to answer, depending on where your mind 29 00:02:03,000 --> 00:02:09,440 Speaker 1: is at. When we're consumed by anxiety and overwhelm and stress, 30 00:02:09,639 --> 00:02:14,120 Speaker 1: our sense of purpose can become really clouded. But here's 31 00:02:14,160 --> 00:02:19,000 Speaker 1: the key, I said, a sense of purpose. If we're 32 00:02:19,160 --> 00:02:21,959 Speaker 1: waiting for the right environment, the right time, or the 33 00:02:22,040 --> 00:02:26,720 Speaker 1: right feeling to finally experience purpose, we might end up 34 00:02:26,760 --> 00:02:31,880 Speaker 1: waiting for a very long time. So Japanese psychiatrist Shoma 35 00:02:31,960 --> 00:02:38,560 Speaker 1: Marita made a distinction between sensing a purpose and serving 36 00:02:38,680 --> 00:02:42,440 Speaker 1: a purpose. So, as Marita said, you don't need to 37 00:02:42,680 --> 00:02:48,160 Speaker 1: feel purposeful to live purposefully. So I'll just repeat that, 38 00:02:48,520 --> 00:02:54,480 Speaker 1: you don't need to feel purposeful to live purposely. So 39 00:02:54,560 --> 00:02:58,079 Speaker 1: purpose isn't a feeling that we wait for, it's an 40 00:02:58,160 --> 00:03:04,440 Speaker 1: action that we choose. So to find meaning in everyday life, 41 00:03:04,800 --> 00:03:09,440 Speaker 1: you have to take action. Instead of focusing solely on 42 00:03:09,600 --> 00:03:13,240 Speaker 1: the big goal. You can shift your focus to what 43 00:03:13,560 --> 00:03:17,280 Speaker 1: you need to do today, So you can't reach the 44 00:03:17,320 --> 00:03:21,560 Speaker 1: top of the ladder without climbing each rung, and every 45 00:03:21,800 --> 00:03:26,320 Speaker 1: rung of the ladder holds meaning and purpose. It's the 46 00:03:26,440 --> 00:03:29,920 Speaker 1: small things that we do every day that are often 47 00:03:30,040 --> 00:03:34,800 Speaker 1: where we can find our sense of purpose. Doctor Brian 48 00:03:34,840 --> 00:03:38,880 Speaker 1: Ogawa reminds us that we do not wait for purpose. 49 00:03:39,720 --> 00:03:44,560 Speaker 1: Purpose waits for us. So if you're looking for purpose today, 50 00:03:45,240 --> 00:03:48,520 Speaker 1: start by opening your awareness to everything that you do 51 00:03:49,080 --> 00:03:53,240 Speaker 1: and do it well. Whatever the task, however small, approach 52 00:03:53,320 --> 00:03:57,120 Speaker 1: it with purpose and intention. A sense of purpose will 53 00:03:57,120 --> 00:04:01,120 Speaker 1: then naturally flow on. And why not to get too 54 00:04:01,160 --> 00:04:04,840 Speaker 1: distracted by the thoughts of the future, because when you do, 55 00:04:05,200 --> 00:04:08,920 Speaker 1: you risk missing the meaning that's right here, right now. 56 00:04:09,400 --> 00:04:12,840 Speaker 1: It's this delicate balance between striving for how you want 57 00:04:12,880 --> 00:04:16,640 Speaker 1: things to be how you want to be, and accepting 58 00:04:16,760 --> 00:04:22,320 Speaker 1: what is right now. So feel empowered by your choices 59 00:04:22,360 --> 00:04:26,120 Speaker 1: and actions in the present moment. You'll find purpose in 60 00:04:26,160 --> 00:04:29,840 Speaker 1: the small everyday tasks when you approach them with focus 61 00:04:29,960 --> 00:04:34,360 Speaker 1: and care. So things like washing clothes, doing the dishes, 62 00:04:34,480 --> 00:04:38,400 Speaker 1: making lunches, or driving the kids to school can feel boring, 63 00:04:38,760 --> 00:04:40,839 Speaker 1: or feel like a hassle, or just something that you 64 00:04:41,040 --> 00:04:45,400 Speaker 1: have to do. But these are all purposeful actions. So 65 00:04:45,440 --> 00:04:49,760 Speaker 1: if you're fully present, consciously aware of why you're doing 66 00:04:49,760 --> 00:04:54,080 Speaker 1: these tasks, you'll find meaning in them. If you're distracted, 67 00:04:54,200 --> 00:04:57,760 Speaker 1: if you're seeing these tasks as obstacles, you'll miss out 68 00:04:57,800 --> 00:05:01,680 Speaker 1: on the fulfillment that comes from them. These small, essential 69 00:05:01,880 --> 00:05:07,240 Speaker 1: life things that keep our lives moving forward. And in relationships, 70 00:05:07,279 --> 00:05:11,000 Speaker 1: we find purpose by consciously connecting with others, even in 71 00:05:11,040 --> 00:05:15,000 Speaker 1: small ways. So maybe sending a text or calling somebody 72 00:05:15,040 --> 00:05:18,360 Speaker 1: because you're thinking of them. You know that can bring 73 00:05:18,440 --> 00:05:21,880 Speaker 1: meaning and purpose because it's these simple acts that not 74 00:05:21,920 --> 00:05:27,040 Speaker 1: only bring joy to others, but also to you. So 75 00:05:27,240 --> 00:05:29,400 Speaker 1: one of the challenges is if you are in a 76 00:05:29,480 --> 00:05:33,440 Speaker 1: job that you really don't like, and finding purpose can 77 00:05:33,600 --> 00:05:38,120 Speaker 1: be very challenging, but it's still possible if you shift 78 00:05:38,160 --> 00:05:41,719 Speaker 1: your focus and your perspective. So here's some ways to 79 00:05:41,800 --> 00:05:46,200 Speaker 1: find purpose in a job that doesn't that you're not enjoying. 80 00:05:46,800 --> 00:05:49,560 Speaker 1: So even in a job you don't enjoy, just showing 81 00:05:49,640 --> 00:05:53,200 Speaker 1: up and giving your best effort is a purposeful action. 82 00:05:54,040 --> 00:05:57,880 Speaker 1: Being fully present and committed to the quality of your work, 83 00:05:58,040 --> 00:06:01,880 Speaker 1: no matter how you feel about what you're doing, is meaningful. 84 00:06:03,080 --> 00:06:05,800 Speaker 1: You can focus on what you can learn on the job. 85 00:06:05,920 --> 00:06:09,599 Speaker 1: So maybe you're improving your communication, or your time management, 86 00:06:09,760 --> 00:06:13,719 Speaker 1: or your problem solving skills, or even perhaps if you're 87 00:06:13,880 --> 00:06:18,240 Speaker 1: working on your emotional kind of response to things, so 88 00:06:18,400 --> 00:06:23,000 Speaker 1: you could work on responding differently to stressful situations or 89 00:06:23,160 --> 00:06:27,320 Speaker 1: to difficult people. Even in the tough jobs, there's always 90 00:06:27,360 --> 00:06:32,920 Speaker 1: an opportunity for both professional and personal growth, and purpose 91 00:06:33,040 --> 00:06:37,080 Speaker 1: at work can come from supporting your colleagues or your customers, 92 00:06:37,560 --> 00:06:40,679 Speaker 1: you know something. Sometimes just making someone's day a little 93 00:06:40,680 --> 00:06:44,240 Speaker 1: bit better can make your work feel more meaningful. And 94 00:06:44,400 --> 00:06:47,760 Speaker 1: giving to others is a very powerful source of purpose. 95 00:06:48,960 --> 00:06:52,359 Speaker 1: And even if your role feels small, consider how it 96 00:06:52,400 --> 00:06:55,320 Speaker 1: fits into the bigger picture of the company or the 97 00:06:55,360 --> 00:06:59,039 Speaker 1: industry that you're in. You know, your work contributes to 98 00:06:59,120 --> 00:07:03,720 Speaker 1: something larger, even if it's not directly aligned with your passions. Now, 99 00:07:03,720 --> 00:07:07,920 Speaker 1: I was thinking about the frontline workers during the COVID lockdowns, 100 00:07:07,920 --> 00:07:10,240 Speaker 1: and the people that were going to work every day 101 00:07:10,280 --> 00:07:13,800 Speaker 1: in the supermarkets, the cleaners, the truck drivers that were 102 00:07:14,360 --> 00:07:18,240 Speaker 1: making sure that we could get food. They kept the 103 00:07:18,280 --> 00:07:21,840 Speaker 1: world moving, They kept us moving, and many found this 104 00:07:22,200 --> 00:07:26,679 Speaker 1: renewed sense of purpose in their roles. So by opening 105 00:07:26,760 --> 00:07:29,840 Speaker 1: up to these new perspectives and focusing on doing the 106 00:07:29,920 --> 00:07:33,480 Speaker 1: small things well, you can find purpose even in the 107 00:07:33,480 --> 00:07:39,600 Speaker 1: most difficult job settings. So today, rather than getting lost 108 00:07:39,640 --> 00:07:42,400 Speaker 1: in thoughts of what could be or what should be, 109 00:07:42,920 --> 00:07:45,840 Speaker 1: focus on the small things in front of you, do 110 00:07:45,960 --> 00:07:50,400 Speaker 1: them well and trust that purpose will follow. So have 111 00:07:50,640 --> 00:07:53,480 Speaker 1: a great week everyone. I hope it is full of 112 00:07:53,600 --> 00:07:56,600 Speaker 1: meaning and purpose, and I will catch you next week.