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purpose

14 essays

1. Ever Feel Like Giving Up?

   I do. It gets lonely out there traveling by myself, spending entire days without talking to anyone sometimes, hanging out in countries where I don’t speak

2. How to Write a Life List

   What if we could come to the end of our lives with true fulfillment, looking back on a rich history of experiences, relationships, and accomplishments?

3. Chasing Daylight: Some Thoughts on Mortality

   I recently read two books about the choices people make when faced with the knowledge of their forthcoming death.

4. “What Should I Do With My Life?”

   When I started AONC, part of the message I hoped to share was that it’s OK to pursue an independent dream or idea.

5. Life Is Full of Things You Can’t Fix

   Broken hearts. Mistakes that changed the course of a life. Things that went wrong through no fault of your own, and the things that were your fault.

6. It’s Not How Much Email You Get, It’s the Lack of Purpose in Your Life

   If you misidentify a problem, your proposed solution probably won’t work. Let’s say you have a headache, so you decide to amputate your leg.

7. The Light of the Oncoming Train Strengthens the Mind

   Dear Self, Your problem is that you think everything matters. The things that you do every day, the tasks that occupy your mind and draw on your energy—you

8. Don’t Feel Pressure to Find Your Life’s Purpose at Age 21

   I got an email from a reader who wrote in with a question I’ve heard many times in different ways.

9. Habits of Highly Effective Real People

   “Everybody talks about wanting to change things and help and fix, but ultimately all you can do is fix yourself. And that’s a lot.

10. When You Need to Escape, Build Your Own Countdown Clock

    *My brand-new book, Born for This, is all about helping you find the work you were meant to do. This series explores some of these lessons.

11. Working Hard at Something That Doesn’t Matter

    “Our greatest fear should not be failure but succeeding at things in life that don’t really matter.” Last year, pre-pandemic, I went to a three-day yoga

12. What to Do About That Thing You’ve Been Putting Off

    You know how there’s something you’ve been putting off? Maybe you’ve been putting it off for a long time.

13. Would You Live Your Same Life Over Again?

    Among other things, the German philosopher Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche was known for an outrageous mustache that frightened away potential soulmates.

14. Develop Your Dominant Questions

    One time, Will Smith was working on a film set in Toronto. It was the middle of winter and they were shooting night scenes, so the actors and crew worked 6pm