Meaning & Purpose in Life

I will feel more fulfilled when completing my PhD! 7 years down--hopefully this is the year! I ran across some recent interesting stats: 73% of Americans say it’s important to pursue greater purpose and meaning in life, yet only 25% have a clear sense of their purpose in life. In interviewing 18 educational leaders and 5 students, most people found their meaning and purpose in their spiritual lives and in their family relationships. Yet surprisingly the majority of them discovered that the greatest satisfaction and fulfillment in their lives came through exercising their calling and passing on their passions, knowledge, and beliefs to others. These generative expressions of teaching, caring, loving, serving, leading, guiding and intentionally investing in others with their time, talents, and resources provided the context of their legacy.

I am interested in perspectives of those on this forum. What brings you the most meaning in your life? Do you have a calling or purpose in life? After nearly completing my dissertation on these weighty topics, I am very interested in your perspectives. I just completed an online course to help answer some of these most difficult questions and help people figure out their “why” in life and practically turn this introspection into an action plan. I am now translating the content of this course into book format, so your thoughts would be timely and helpful!