What do you believe in?

Do you believe that your life's purpose is already decided? And that all we have to do is to figure out what that purpose is, so that we can best fulfill it?

You may or may not have a strong feeling one way or another, but I think that most people believe this at least subconsciously. This is manifested in thoughts of "I need to figure out what my passions are" or "I just need to figure out what my purpose on Earth is."

This may seem like an odd subject to cover in an MBA blog, but the question of one's purpose and passions are ones that beleaguer many HBS students. To whom much is given, much is expected... and HBS students love getting every question right... including what impact we were "meant" to have on this world.

Many people probably don't believe their purpose is pre-determined, but we act that way anyway. We act like there is some ledger somewhere high in the metaphysical sky, which says the following:

"[Insert your name here], a smart and gifted 20-something, born in [insert your birthplace], his/her purpose in life is [insert the all-important purpose here]."

We go through life like that sentence has been filled out for us already, and all we have to do is just discover, or decode, what it says. Hence the eternal question of "what is my purpose in this world?" By asking such a question, it implies that people believe the answer comes from somewhere else - from an outside source. All we have to do is "figure it out," and if we don't figure it out, we run the risk of disappointing others; whether that be your friends, your parents, your peers, your society, or perhaps your religion. Nobody wants to go through life only at the end to figure out they lived for the "wrong" purpose, or even worse, missed having any sort of purpose at all. As I said, HBS students like to get every question right.

What I would like to argue, is that no such ledger exists. No such sentence has been written. It is not in fact your duty to figure out what your purpose is in life, but to decide what your purpose is in life. It is your job to fill in the blanks to your own sentence.

This idea can at first be met with some resistance and discomfort. It is after all quite comforting to think that our life already has a purpose (even if we don't know it). That we are indeed part of some grander plan. That it's just a matter of figuring it all out. It's a lot more troubling to accept that there is no such thing. That we are responsible for choosing our own purpose. And that if we don't choose, our lives will have, by definition, no real purpose.

However, after the initial resistance to the idea, it can start to actually be reassuring, and quite liberating. We don't have to worry about disappointing some grander plan, or upsetting some unquestionable system. We don't have to figure out what we think we were "destined" for, or to fear the "wrong" answer. It frees us to no end. We are the ones who choose our own purpose, and while some decisions may be better than others, the only wrong answer is to squander this gift which we have been given.

The sooner in life we accept this, the sooner we can actually come up with a way to internalize and handle this extremely amazing gift. The sooner we are able to master this question, the sooner we are actually able to live out our own purpose driven life. I would wager that people like Bill Gates, Richard Branson, William Buffett, and Barack Obama, didn't just try to figure out their purpose, but at one point decided what their purpose would be.

Do not worry if you don't know the answer on how to fill in the blank to your own sentence. As long as we are here on Earth, the idea can never expire. We can always fill in our own blank, and we can also change and correct it. For some of us, a compelling drive or urge will make it easy. For others, it will be more difficult. But the sooner we accept this, the sooner we can do it, the happier we will be, and the greater the positive impact we can have.

Disclaimer: This post's thoughts are a confluence of many thoughts and existing ideas. I have stated nothing particularly original; just my own interpretation of an old philosophy.

One's place in the world...or... how to pick a career

I was at a recent conference and heard a simple but brilliant perspective on finding one's place in the world. The assumption is that we are all seeking a greater purpose; a state in which we feel like we are accomplishing what we were destined for. Some seek this all the time, while some may not have these thoughts until much later in life, but it's safe to say that many probably evaluate their life in terms of purpose and place at some point or another.

One key note to make is that no matter how great one is in achievement, he will have equally great weaknesses, just like the rest of us. It's not that great athletes only have strengths and no weaknesses, they have plenty of weaknesses, they just happen to capitalize on their athletic ability. Similarly, successful politicians, CEOs, and leaders of all sorts have deep weaknesses, but are able to dramatically leverage their strengths. The fact is, Tom Brady might not make a great CEO, Abraham Lincoln probably wouldn't have been a great football player, and CEOs can make for terrible politicians. It's not the people that are therefore necessarily "great" in absolute terms, but it's rather how they apply themselves. The following diagram helps convey the message:

If one is able to identify and pursue the intersection of all three circles, the question of one's place and purpose in the world becomes much clearer. To help define the above:

• Ability - One's ability in a certain skill or task
• Passion - One's passion for that certain skill or task
• Value - How much does society value that certain skill or task

As depicted by the size of the circles above, most items fall into one exclusive circle. That is, we are good at it, but we don't care for it and nobody values it anyway. Still many others fall in just two circles. For example, we have a deep passion for it, and it's valued by society, but we're just not good at it. If one can find something he is good at, has a passion for, and that skill is valued by others, that is the sweet spot. Excelling in that field can probably lead to immense success, whether spiritual, financial, or otherwise.

This analysis would ideally be applied to career searches, but that is easier said than done. Most people tend to find jobs intersecting Abilities and Value, but not Passion. In other words, they find jobs that pay a lot, and that they can do decently well, but are not passionate about. This often leads to eventually changing one's job or having a mid-life crises. Similarly, other types of people may find jobs that only intersect Abilities and Passion, such as perhaps a struggling artist.

I'm not suggesting one can "think his way" through this exercise to figure out his sweet spot. Even for the most successful, this is probably a life long process. However, thinking in these terms, and identifying the issues which make us happy, motivate us, and can make us ultimately successful, may be a key ingredient to achieving that success.

What makes us happy?

One thing I've noticed common to most HBS students is an intense drive toward achievement. If we follow Maslow's hierarchy of needs, we pursue self-actualization and self-transcendence as the ultimate goal. As defined by Maslow, this means to "...have unitive consciousness and plateau experience ... and to have or to have had peak experience (mystic, sacral, ecstatic) with illuminations or insights." It also means to have achieved spiritual self-sufficiency, authenticity, meaningfulness, humility, and cognitive self-understanding. In order words, achieving one's full potential as a human being.

With such lofty goals, it's no wonder that so many HBS students are left with unresolved desires and anxiety about making their mark on this world.

Although I haven't had my "transformational" section experience yet (it will be interesting to revisit this subject in a year), on the surface it seems many HBS students are one pyrmaid level below the top: Esteem. They are tactically driven by tangible achievement, votes of confidence and success, and are consciously or unconsciously seeking the respect of others in this world. I suppose this is a natural position in life for a 20-something on his/her quest towards greater intangible success; one just has to see it as a phase rather than an end state to truly appreciate the personal dimensions and context of the HBS experience.

So what does make us happy?

Wouldn't it be nice if we could track several hundred Harvard graduates across the depth of their lives, monitoring, observing, recording, and evaluating what brings one true happiness? Can we confirm or deny the age old sage that money can't buy happiness? Amazingly, Harvard has been conducting exactly such a study on the same group of graduates for the past 72 years! The study tracked 268 Harvard men throughout their lives; the ones still with us are well into their 80s.

With a group so privileged and ambitious, and with such a strong drive to be successful and make a mark in the world, is it a surprise to anyone that a third of the participants exhibited some sort of mental illness - if only temporarily - by their 50s? At the same time, it should be of little surprise that some of the participants also filled the job of the oval office, the US cabinet, and countless powerful boards.

The article is well put together and reveals a lot of surprises. Although it tends to dwell on esoteric academic references, it also addresses more puzzling questions such as "What college aged personality traits predict political affiliation?" "What variables best predict health later in life?" And of course... "What brings us happiness?"

On a personal note, it was reassuring to read that every life, no matter how it is presented or projected to others, is filled with personal tragedy, personal growth, setbacks, eloquence, complexity, empathy, and connection. We all live through the full spectrum of emotion. We also know there is no playbook for happiness - we all just do the best we can on this one way journey.

I invite you to learn from what must be one of the deepest studies in positive psychology ever compiled.