The Little-Known But Astonishing Gift Of A Life Purpose
The real health outcomes of a finding a reason to be alive.
Imagine being awoken each morning by the pulse of excitement coursing through your body; a deep sense of life direction permeates your mind, and you’re barely able to contain the aliveness that bubbles within you. Now, imagine the implications this could have on your health and quality of life.
This is the power of knowing your purpose.
The problem is, most of us have bought into the commonly held misconception that purpose is out of our control. We think it’s something given to us, and if we don’t feel one by a certain age then we simply don’t get one. So, we give up trying. We become accustomed to a life without one.
This is a great tragedy for humanity because, not only is purpose important for living a more fulfilling life, but it can have a serious impact on our biological health and length of life, too.
In this blog, we'll delve into the profound importance of purpose in our lives, exploring the scientific evidence that supports its transformative effects on our health and well-being. From improved mental health to increased longevity, purpose has the power to shape every aspect of our existence. But first, let’s understand the reality of purpose.
There is no single climatic moment that reveals your purpose.
You probably think, if I have a purpose, then how come I don’t know what it is? Why hasn’t it presented itself to me?
Many people run into this complication because they expect their purpose to be revealed to them in a certain way. We imagine there’ll be a single climactic moment in our lives that leads to an understanding of why we’re here and while a small percentage of people might have their purpose revealed through an aha moment like this, in general it reveals itself through small developments over time. It’s not forced upon you or presented to you all at once; it comes from within and gently unfolds or unravels as you experience more of life.
We all have essential building blocks, deep within our psychology, that make up the foundations of who we are. These are already in place for all of us, and they effect what manifests in our environments. As we flow through our lives, we can piece together all the threads of what’s happening externally, and get a relatively clearer picture of who we are and how that informs our lives.
Your purpose can be found in common threads, events, thoughts and ideas that swim to the surface when you disengage from the societal expectations that surround you and start listening to the softer voices within you. These voices are the primary sources of your desires and needs in this life, and it requires fully engaging with these voices, over a long period of time, in order to really get clear on what your purpose is.
Health, longevity, resiliency and purpose
The belief that you don’t need to identify your purpose is not technically wrong; you don’t need one to live a life that feels fulfilling. But it's important you know that scientifically speaking, those who are accustomed to not having a purpose tend to have less-desirable outcomes in life.
I’m not just refering to happiness or a sense of satisfaction, but to real health outcomes. In fact, several recent studies have shown that those who consider themselves not to have a purpose are reported to have an overall worse quality of life compared to those who feel driven by one. Here are a few areas of health where a strong sense of purpose and direction in life has been found to have positive effects:
Mental health
In a study done in 2021 [1], it was found that individuals with a clear sense of purpose tend to have more positive behavioral, physical, and psychosocial health experiences than those who report not feeling purpose-driven or fulfilled in life. Over the course of four years, the researchers found that those who felt the most purpose and direction had lower mortality and better physical health compared to those who felt the least in control. Specifically, they had a lower risk of conditions like stroke, lung disease, physical limitations, memory problems, chronic pain, and rated their overall health higher. Feeling a sense of purpose was also linked to healthier habits, like being more active and having fewer sleep issues; feeling happier and more satisfied with life; feeling less depressed, hopeless, and stressed; and feeling less lonely while having more contact with friends. These findings suggest that feeling a sense of purpose is important for humankind’s overall health and well-being.
Risk of disease
A 2022 study [2] aimed to determine whether having a strong sense of purpose in life could help older adults avoid developing high levels of a protein called C-reactive protein (CRP), which can indicate inflammation and potential health problems. Over the course of 8 years, nearly 7,000 adults over 50 were studied to determine their likelihood of developing high CRP levels based on their reported sense of purpose felt at the beginning of the study. They found that having a stronger sense of purpose in life was associated with a lower incidence of chronic inflammation in the body, which indicates a lower risk of chronic health conditions related to aging, such as neurodegenerative diseases, heart disease, and diabetes, all of which tend to involve increased inflammation as a significant risk factor.
Longevity
A different study published in 2020 [3] examined some of the behavioral reasons for the correlations seen between a sense of purpose and longer life.
They realized that many of these health issues were mitigated because those who felt they had a purpose in life were less likely to start engaging in unhealthy behaviors over time. Among the subjects who already reported following recommended guidelines for healthy behaviors when the study began, those who had a strong sense of purpose were less likely to become physically inactive, have trouble sleeping, or gain unhealthy amounts of weight during the study period. Even after considering factors like initial health status and depression, the link between having a sense of purpose and avoiding physical inactivity, sleep problems, and unhealthy weight gain remained strong. This suggests that helping older adults find or strengthen their sense of purpose can be a useful strategy for interventions aimed at encouraging healthy behaviors.
Resiliency
Another interesting health outcome associated with having a strong sense of purpose is increased resiliency. A 2013 study [4] found that people who have a strong sense of purpose are better at finding personal meaning and significance in life's challenges, which helps them cope with stress and trauma more effectively. This is because having a purpose in life can provide a framework for making sense of challenges and setbacks, by providing people with a deeper sense of direction, meaning, and motivation. So when faced with obstacles or setbacks, individuals who feel they understand their purpose are more likely to view these challenges as opportunities for growth and learning, rather than insurmountable barriers. A sense of purpose acts as a guiding force, helping people navigate difficult situations with resilience and determination and even strengthening their sense of purpose further for having gone through challenges.
The length of your life depends on discovering your purpose
A sense of purpose is available to every human being. The misconception that we must wait for it to be given to us is detrimental to our health. Leading a fulfilling and purpose-driven life is not just about being happy—your health and quality of life is quite literally what’s at stake. When I finally started to put together all the pieces of my desires and started to recognize what my purpose actually was, it was life-changing.
It’s a beautiful piece of knowledge, that each of us has the ability to choose to prioritize ourselves—our happiness, our mental and physical health, and our longevity in this life. And the good news is, in so many ways, the work is already being done for you just by your continued existence. What you have to learn to do is wake up to your purpose, embarking on a dedicated exploration to unearth and develop into a form that you can more easily recognize as a purpose.
References
[1] Hong, J. H., Lachman, M. E., Charles, S. T., Chen, Y., Wilson, C. L., Nakamura, J. S., VanderWeele, T. J., & Kim, E. S. (2021). The positive influence of sense of control on physical, behavioral, and psychosocial health in older adults: An outcome-wide approach. Preventive medicine, 149, 106612. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ypmed.2021.106612
[2] Guimond, A. J., Shiba, K., Kim, E. S., & Kubzansky, L. D. (2022). Sense of purpose in life and inflammation in healthy older adults: A longitudinal study. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 141, 105746. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psyneuen.2022.105746
[3] Kim, E. S., Shiba, K., Boehm, J. K., & Kubzansky, L. D. (2020). Sense of purpose in life and five health behaviors in older adults. Preventive medicine, 139, 106172. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ypmed.2020.106172
[4] Schaefer, S. M., Morozink Boylan, J., van Reekum, C. M., Lapate, R. C., Norris, C. J., Ryff, C. D., & Davidson, R. J. (2013). Purpose in life predicts better emotional recovery from negative stimuli. PloS one, 8(11), e80329. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0080329