Nov 14, 2023 By Nick Jacobs 4 min read

From a very early age, I realized that I wanted to work toward making things in this world better than I found them. Maybe that was because both of my parents were living examples of this philosophy. Throughout their lives they always engaged in helping, supporting, and assisting their neighbors, relatives, friends, and strangers.

My mother’s favorite quote was attributed to the religious leader John Wesley, who said, “Do all the good you can, in all the ways you can, to all the people you can, in every place you can, at all the times you can, with all the energy you can, as long as ever you can.” And that is what they both tried to do.

It wasn’t until my 50s when I saw the phrase “purpose-driven-life” being used to describe Angelina Jolie’s adoption of children from multiple countries, that it struck me. Mom, Dad, and I had found our pathways to living a purpose-driven life. If you are lucky enough to have identified your own purpose in life, you know it can be a very transformative journey that far surpasses all the ordinary routines of normal daily existence.

To achieve this purpose, there must be an alignment of values, actions, and goals with a much deeper sense of meaning and contribution to something greater than yourself. If you do achieve a purpose-driven life, there is very often a sense of fulfillment, motivation, and overall well-being that fills you with satisfaction.

One of my college philosophy papers focused on the thesis that deep down, everything is intrinsic. In other words, even altruism and doing good for others is about making you feel better about yourself, and that is a huge benefit of being a giver. To some, that may be a bold disclaimer, but if doing something for others supports one’s stronger self-image, that’s okay, too.

One of the challenges of following a road to creating this greater good is it requires a deep ongoing dive into self-discovery. This journey demands reflection on not only your values but also your interests. It encourages you to independently analyze what brings you genuine fulfillment and happiness.

Once you have come to an understanding of this deeper level of yourself, you will also be able to identify any unique talents, passions, and capabilities that, when properly harnessed and appropriately directed, can make a positive, long-lasting impact on the world. Living a purpose-driven life allows you to have a clear sense of direction which can be an amazingly powerful force toward overcoming both challenges and setbacks.

Living with a positive motive encourages you to set meaningful goals that align with your values. It means not pursuing success for success’s sake. When you’re on a purpose-driven journey you focus on achievements that contribute to a sense of fulfillment and the betterment of the world. These goals serve as guideposts that help to direct and motivate you on the path to this more consequential life.

Often, this unique path leads you to commit to continuous growth and learning which is fed by your pursuit of purpose as you experience and encounter additional challenges and opportunities requiring other skills and deeper knowledge. The pursuing of lifelong learning enhances your discrete development and helps to equip you with the tools needed to impact your chosen area of concentration.

With a greater sense of community, additional resilience against adversity, and seeing failure as an opportunity for continued growth, your life will be fulfilled in ways that go beyond the simple pursuit of success. You will not only find individualized fulfillment but also that you are contributing to the creation of a better world.

Be it a life providing service to others, environmental stewardship, spiritual, philanthropic, or discovery oriented, like that pebble thrown into the lake, your self-created positive ripple could create the wave that extends far beyond those individual lives.

Nick Jacobs is a Windber resident.