Live your purpose.

Do you think your life has a purpose? 

One divine assignment you’re here to fulfill?

I don’t know that I’ve ever really thought about it in those exact terms. 

But I’ve always felt a deep sense I was meant to be doing more than whatever I was doing.

If there’s a book out there on finding your calling, you’ll probably find a copy of it on my bookshelf dogeared with 3,757 highlights and cryptic notes in the margin.   

While insightful, most of those books never gave me the magic bullet I was searching for.  

Lately, I’ve been thinking about purpose from a different angle. 

Less capital P Purpose and more just regular old purpose.  

I drove by this billboard on the road today and it said, “You have a purpose” in a lively cursive font. 

I thought, “Do I?”

While contemplating this, I randomly listened to an interview with the author Liz Gilbert on the Quitted podcast, hosted by Holly Whitaker and Emily McDowell.

Liz tells this story about randomly seeing a guy working high-up on a shaky ladder. 

She didn’t think the situation was safe, so she decided to intervene. 

Liz crossed the street to hold this guy’s ladder for 30 minutes, unbeknownst to him.  

As she was walking away, Liz thought “What if that was the entire purpose of my life? It’s just as good a f#cking guess as anything …” 

Goosebumps. 

In two minutes, she put into words exactly what I’ve been trying to wrap my head around. 

That it’s all subjective. 

You might have many purposes throughout your life. 

You might have many purposes throughout your day. 

Maybe your only job is to be present to your purpose - whatever that may be - in the moment.  

Walk with your toddler. 

Take in the flowers as they bloom. 

Hold the ladder for a stranger.  

I’m curious… Do you think we have one grand purpose in life? Or is it more about living purposefully today? I’d love to hear from you in the comments.