Your One Wild and Precious Life: Three Books on Purpose

“The Alchemist” is a book I read every year around my birthday. It is a short, easy-to-read book that raises questions I never want to stray from. How do you find your life’s purpose? Is it ingrained in us from the time we’re born? Is it something we know in our bones but then forget and need to reclaim? Is it even real?

Three books are on my mind as I contemplate these questions:

· The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

· Theo of Golden by Allen Levi

· When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi

Each one offers a different lens on purpose. One is a fable about following the dream you were born with, one is a novel about finding purpose through connection, and the last is a neurosurgeon’s memoir about purpose in the face of mortality. I’ll give you the punchline first: purpose may not be something you find at all. It may be something you create, one choice and one conversation at a time.

‘The Alchemist’

The premise of “The Alchemist” is that we all have a Personal Legend that we’re born with. As life goes on and we find comfort in the mundane, we lose sight of our destiny. By questioning our assumptions, and being brave enough to get out of our comfort zone, we can rediscover our destiny and life’s purpose. For some people, this looks like starting a meditation and journaling practice, sitting in stillness and seeing what comes. For some, it may mean working with a partner (therapist, coach, mentor) to really question and clarify your goals. For some, it means an epic journey traveling to new places to relearn yourself. And some people are content with the everyday, which is where I remind myself that there is no right or wrong way to live. For me, though, I only get one life and want to experience it all!

‘Theo of Golden’

One of my favorite books of all time is “Theo of Golden.” From the outset, you can sense that there is more to Theo than we’re presented with. As the book goes on, and without giving spoilers, Theo finds his purpose in the small town of Golden, and it ultimately brings people together, helps them live their life’s purpose, and builds community. He finds his purpose through connection and discussion with the people in his direct community. How fabulous, and how available to all of us! We all have people we can interact with if only we choose to. How might those conversations shape and change your life?

‘When Breath Becomes Air’

Finally, “When Breath Becomes Air.” In this memoir, Paul Kalanithi, a young neurosurgeon, wrestles with his life’s purpose after being diagnosed with terminal cancer. He weighs two versions of his life: one in which he lives to an old age, first practicing neurosurgery and then turning to writing and literature, and another in which he knows his time will be far shorter than he expected. As his life is cut short, you find him questioning his true purpose and passion. What would you do with the rest of your life if you knew it was ending soon?

‘Why I Walked Away from the VP Role’

It’s no wonder this topic is on my mind as I’ve spent the last few years searching for my own purpose. I’ve found my life partner and have two kids, a dog, a cat, and a house. Through business travel, I was lucky enough to see much of the world, and I worked my way up the ladder into a VP position many people envied. From the outside, I had everything I was supposed to want.

Yet life is short, and I want to experience all it has to offer. Did I want to spend my energy on meetings about meetings, traveling to wonderful places only to sit in more meetings? Or did I want to live out my true purpose: building community and helping others on their journey? I considered for a time going into politics and policy work for the causes close to my heart. In the end, I realized the biggest impact I could have was to help others find their purpose and free up their energy to share their gifts with the world. That impact reaches further than I ever could alone. And I haven’t left those causes behind: giving back to them has been built into The Uncaged L.A.B.’s business plan from day one.

‘How to Start Creating Your Purpose.’

So, how do you begin creating your purpose? Each of these books offers a clue. First, question your assumptions. Like Santiago in “The Alchemist,” notice where comfort has quietly replaced curiosity, and be willing to step outside your comfort zone, whether that’s through journaling, stillness, travel, or working with a coach. Second, look around you. As Theo shows, purpose often grows out of connection, and the people who can help you shape yours may already be in your life. Finally, remember that time is finite. Kalanithi’s story is a reminder not to wait for the perfect moment to start living the life you want.

As Mary Oliver asks in “The Summer Day”: “Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?”

Let's create our Purpose:

1) If you broke out of your comfort zone, and fear didn’t get in your way, what would you be doing with your life?

2) Do you believe purpose is something you find or something you create?

3) Who in your life helps you shape yours? How can you expand this network?