The Difference Between Meaning and Purpose
Meaning and Purpose are the two sides of the happiness coin
We have spent much time talking about purpose. What it is. The difference between Small P Purpose and Big P Purpose. And finally, how we build a life full of it by pursuing what I call purpose anchors. In fact, we have used the “p” word so often that you might be already sick of it!
And maybe that is appropriate. Purpose is only half if the happiness equation. It turns out, actually, that meaning is just as important. And it some ways, we should probably even consider it first.
At this point, I suspect, you are asking a very appropriate question:
Aren’t meaning and purpose the same thing? Or at least related?
A very important question with a very important answer: no! Meaning and purpose are actually two very different entities. While we have gone to great lengths to describe purpose on this Substack, it is time we switched gears and delineated the very important differences.
Meaning—in its most simple form—is the way we cognitively think about our past. It is the stories we tell ourselves about ourselves. These stories are often only somewhat based on actual fact. Often they are colored with our emotions, feelings, poor memories, hopes and expectations. This sense of meaning is a major ingredient when it comes to happiness. Happy people tend to tell themselves heroic stories about their past where they had agency to effect the outcome. Unhappy people tend to tell themselves victim stories about themselves where they lacked agency to control the outcome.
How does this differ from purpose? While meaning is about our past, purpose is all about our present and future. Meaning is steeped in thoughts and thinking while purpose is all about taking actions. Meaning helps you see that you are indeed enough (and you always were!), while purpose allows you to use that enoughness to build a gratifying life.
The key here (as illustrated) is that you need both. Meaning will help you cognitively interpret your past in such a way as to feel enough. Once there, purpose will help you build the life you want to live.
Many people come to my coaching practice trying to get to happiness by creating a sense of purpose in their life. But after some work, we realize that there is an abundance of opportunities for purpose. What they are really struggling with is meaning. Until they create a healthy sense of meaning, they are not ready to build the life they want to live.
So how do we build meaning into our lives? To do that we often have to not only dive into the generational trauma that has been handed down by our parents, but also rewrite those negative narratives and replace them with something much more positive.
Which, of course, will be the topic of our next Wednesday post.
Did you catch this week’s episode of Earn & Invest (Click to listen)?
Path to Purpose Coaching
Over the last year, writing my new book The Purpose Code, I have spent a huge amount of time thinking about, writing about, and discussing purpose. I have offered one-on-one and group coaching to my mastermind group, Wealth With Purpose. These discussions stem from my real life encounters with dying hospice patients as well as the numerous interactions I have had with people after reading Taking Stock.
What I've found is that most of us who listen to the Earn & Invest Podcast struggle with three basic issues:
How do I define purpose in my life?
How do I transition to a more fulfilling career?
What is enough money look like? Enough life?
To help navigate these waters, I have decided to offer the Path to Purpose coaching program. This is one-on-one coaching with me to help you further define purpose, direction, and career. Sessions will be spread over five weeks with a goal to provide a more concrete and enjoyable path to crack the purpose code and start living your life now whether you are broke, pre financial independence, financially independent, or beyond.