Living on Purpose

Have you ever been driving somewhere and suddenly you’re at your destination, but you have no idea how you got there? You kind of blanked out, and before you know it, you’ve arrived, but you completely missed the journey. It’s a pretty common experience, and sometimes we don’t just have short drives like that, we have entire days. We crawl into bed and wonder where the day went, how we spent our time. Some people experience much of their lives that way, looking back on weeks and months and years with few memories and very little awareness of the journey.


I’m sure there are certain temptations to living on autopilot, but the most obvious is that it is easy. It is infinitely easier to coast through, doing what needs to be done each day and zoning out as much as possible whenever possible.
The problem is that if you live like this, you miss life. You miss everything. And what’s more, the world misses you. Ephesians 2:10 says “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God created in advance for us to do.” I’ve cited this verse before, and I’m sure I will again. God made you, and He has specific, unique purposes for your life. It is possible that you could do these things while on autopilot. It is incredibly likely that you would miss many opportunities, many connections, and much joy. Once again, I am talking about the call to live an engaged, connected, and meaningful life, and to live it on purpose.

Part of this call means living intentionally. By becoming aware of your days and your minutes, of your experiences and emotions and behaviors, you can become more actively engaged in your life. There is power in intention. Imagine that at the end of a long, hard day you decide to take a shower, put on some comfortable clothes, and curl up on the couch. You have the option of going through the motions, zoning out and letting the evening slip away. Or, you could think about the shower, soft clothes, and time relaxing as a way to take care of yourself. You could think about it as recharging your batteries, finding refreshment after a day that drained you. The intention can make a world of difference in your experience. Similarly, imagine that your two year old is throwing yet another temper tantrum. Are you just managing the fit, trying to survive until bed time? Or are you aware that you are nurturing and training your child, helping him or her to become the person they were made to be? Once again, the intention can make a world of difference in your experience.

So how do you become more aware, of both your experiences and your intentions? First of all, become aware of the narrative of your life. Take a step back and look at your life like you would a book or a movie. You are the main character. What is your purpose? What obstacles are in your way? What purposes and intentions do you want in your life, and what actions do you take to reflect these to the world? Once you are aware of this narrative, work to keep it going. A journal can be a great tool. Writing things down helps to cement them in our memory, which increases our awareness. Maybe you’re not a writer, but you love to take pictures or scrapbook. Work on these activities for every day life, not just special occasions. Take pictures of your walk with your dog, scrapbook a day at the park. If none of these ideas fits for you, perhaps you could work on verbal recollections. Just identifying a high point and low point of the day can help keep the narrative running, and can keep you aware of the life you are living.

In addition to become aware of the narrative of your life, I encourage you to become aware of the purposes behind your behaviors. Think about why you do the things you do, and think big picture. Why are you having dinner with your friend tonight? Maybe it’s because investing in relationships is important to you, and this dinner provides the opportunity to strengthen a friendship that you value. This is helpful even in the most mundane daily activities. Why are you going grocery shopping when you really do not want to go? So that you can provide food and nourishment for your family. Grocery shopping is another way to communicate love and care and to provide for the people you love. Becoming aware of your purposes and intentions can add meaning to your days, keeping them from blending seamlessly into one another.

There are times when autopilot is not a bad thing. There are times when you pull in your driveway and feel happy to be home, regardless of how you got there. However, this is no real way to live a life. Live with purpose, intention, and meaning. There is much to be gained from the journey.