I came across a quote the other day that perfectly sums up why I do what I do. It’s from Joseph Campbell, the guy known for The Hero with a Thousand Faces/Hero’s Journey and The Power of Myth, etc.:
“If you want to help the world, teach people how to live in it.”
I had to stop for a moment and just sit with that.
When I was younger, I dearly wanted to do something to make the world a better place. I thought that, because I was smart, maybe I should become a scientist on the space shuttle, even though I wasn’t inherently interested in it.
I got involved in international activism, trying to reform the United Nations to end war, but I discovered I was more interested in individuals than systems.
I started writing and speaking on podcasts, using my background in social psychology to help people who were unhappy understand why they were stuck and how to move forward. It felt like I’d found my ikigai: the intersection of my passion, what I was good at, and what others needed.
But there was part of me that wondered if I should be doing more.
I took solace in Howard Thurman’s assertion, “Do not ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, because what the world needs is people who have come alive.” Helping others shift their internal stories, changing how they see themselves and watching them come alive filled my heart to overflowing.
Still, there was something missing in my own story. I knew this was my calling; I just couldn’t see how it fit into the larger picture of societal change.
And then I read the above quote, and everything clicked.
Here’s the thing: I’ve already been doing what I believe I am here to do. I was already making my contribution to the world. What changed was that, with a slight shift in awareness, I understood on a visceral level why this work matters so much. And with that understanding, my motivation has deepened as well.
I love what I do — even if others may not think it “important” or “relevant” in the face of all that is going on. But it is my contribution, and it matters.
Are you struggling with understanding your own contribution to the world?
Are you struggling simply to breathe?
I would love to help you find your way. Drop a comment or send me a message, and let’s talk. ❤️