Could Lacking Purpose Shorten Your Life?

I recently watched the Netflix docuseries “Live to 100: Secrets of the Blue Zone” where author Dan Buettner visits five unique communities worldwide where people live extraordinarily long and vibrant lives.

As someone who’s had multiple centenarians in my own family (grandfather until 105 years old and great-grandmother until 102 years old), I was curious about the difference in lifestyle, behavior and mindset they possessed vs how most people live their lives today.

Unsurprisingly, things like intentional eating and natural movement came up. Most people are already familiar with the positive impact of diet and exercise, but there were two other major factors to longevity that I wasn’t expecting.

1. Mindset - A sense of purpose, a sense of peace and faith in something greater than you (larger perspective)

2. Connection - A deep sense of belonging and connection to loved ones (family, friends, community)

As someone who specializes in helping people find clarity on their life path, I found it particularly interesting that they mentioned a “sense of purpose” as something contributing to longevity.

The fact that many of these Blue Zones had a specific term for purpose is very telling. The Okinawans have the term “Ikigai” or “reason for being”, and Costa Ricans have “plan de vida” or “why I wake up in the morning”.

Reflecting on my grandfather and great-grandmother, I remember how they were still kicking till the day they passed. My grandfather had his sense of purpose as an active church member and community gardener supplying food for his fellow elderly. My great-grandmother woke up daily to take care of her great-granddaughter as the primary caretaker while her daughter was overseas working. True reasons to keep living.

What I find ironic is that when it comes to conversations about longevity and “living well”, everyone seems to focus on diet and exercise. It’s a multi-billion dollar industry trying to sell us the most effective fitness routine, the latest food regimen, the healthiest supplements or elixir with the promise of a long and healthy life.

However, this myopic view of what it means to thrive in today’s world assumes we are merely PHYSICAL beings…

But we can’t ignore the fact that we are also PSYCHOLOGICAL and SPIRITUAL beings….

With specific psychological and spiritual needs.

So why do we think that nourishing our passions or getting clear on our higher purpose is seen as an afterthought to taking care of our meat suits?

The problem isn’t that we lack the resources.

The problem is we are unwilling to take the steps to actually thrive in our lives.

(Yes, I know this is some tough love)

But based on the Blue Zone studies….NOT having a clear purpose or direction in our lives can increase our risk of mortality and decrease the quality of our lives.

So…what are we ACTUALLY doing to intentionally move beyond survival and into purpose and growth?

If you’re reading this, you probably care about living with positive impact and meaning…not just surviving.

You probably already know deep down that there’s more to existence than living for the weekends…

But perhaps you’re feeling stuck on discovering what that is because of your:

• Fears/Excuses/Limiting beliefs

• Distractions/Avoidance tactics

• Unsupportive or misaligned community/friends

I don’t want any more people to lose years of life wandering in the dark of misalignment and disconnection.

So here’s some reflection questions and invitations to take ACTION towards a longer, more purpose-driven life.

Consider this your wake-up call…

QUESTIONS: