“With the pace of life accelerating, in a world of change, it’s not easy to maintain our balance and sense of direction. Yet we strive to do so, because a sense of direction, toward a meaningful goal, may be the better part of happiness. In this pursuit, the journey may indeed matter more than the destination—but without a destination to aim for there is no journey; we can only wander. …
When my seeking ended and the practice began, I came to understand that what we all need, even more than a happy feeling, is a clear purpose—a meaningful goal or mission that connects us with other human beings. As Viktor Frankl wrote in his book Man’s Search for Meaning, this fundamental need for purpose and direction may be as important to our psychological growth as eating is to our biological growth. …
I wrote this book for anyone seeking deeper insight into themselves and their lives, but especially for those at a crossroads, facing a challenge or change, when ‘business as usual’ no longer applies. Join me now as we explore the four key purposes that provide meaning and direction in a changing world.”
~ Dan Millman from The Four Purposes of Life
Dan Millman is one of my favorite teachers and deepest inspirations.
His book The Way of the Peaceful Warrior was one of the very first self-help books I ever read and it changed my life—leading me to read as much of his wisdom as I could. (For curious souls: The very first self-help book was The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People—which I read at 21 over 20 years ago now.)
This is our third Note on his great books. More coming soon. For now, check out Everyday Enlightenment + Body Mind Mastery.
This is a super concise, quick-reading book (150 pages) in which Dan synthesizes wisdom from many of his other books—shining light on how we can engage in the four purposes of life to create meaning in an ever-changing world. (Get a copy here.) (And check our Purpose 101!)
It’s packed with Big Ideas and I’m excited to share some of my favorites so let’s jump straight in!
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