PURPOSE ANXIETY

 Tim Ferriss: I was asking you about choosing projects. I want to ask you about anxiety, specifically purpose anxiety. What is purpose anxiety?

Elizabeth Gilbert: Well, the story that most of us were taught was some variation of each of you was born with one unique offering, special spark that is only yours, and only you can deliver on that thing. It is your job. It is your job to find out what that thing is that only you can do.

"Meanwhile, there’s, what, almost eight billion people on the planet. So already here’s some pressure because it’s got to be something that nobody else can do, which is going to be unlikely because there’s a lot of us. And you should find out what that is very young, and then you should become the master of that thing. And you should devote the 10,000 hours way before you’re — out of adolescence, you should already be pouring yourself into this purpose that you are here to serve, and you should become the very best at that thing.

And then, it’s not enough to become the best of that thing, you have to monetize it. And it’s not enough to monetize it, you also have to create opportunities for others and make sure that they’re also being served by this purpose.

And if all of this sounds exhausting, you are not off the hook even when you die because you must leave a legacy. And you must change the world.

And I hardly know anyone who doesn’t suffer from purpose anxiety. And I know people who are living lives that look from the outside, they have achieved tremendous purpose, and it’s a scarcity anxiety. So they’re up at night wondering if they’ve done enough? Have they done the right thing? Have they left enough of a legacy? Is this where their energy should have gone? It’s a theology that is going to leave you unsatisfied because there’s no way to know that you have achieved it.

And what would be the opposite of a purpose-driven life? Would be, I think, a life of presence. It’s also focused entirely in the future constantly. And I don’t think there’s any way that you can live a relaxed or really truly rich or meaningful life if you’re constantly thinking about your fucking legacy.

I’m sorry. But it’s like that’s it. You’re like, “How much did I make? How much did I leave? How much did I impact?” Meanwhile, the world is happening, and you’re in it, and you’re missing it."

Ooof... if you haven't listened to this episode on the Tim Ferris Show, I highly recommend it.