What really drives us. (and no, it isn’t discipline)
Your five-year plan…
You can plan your life like an entrepreneur on caffeine – with to-do lists, vision boards and five-year goals.
But then life comes along, slaps you in the face, and suddenly all you want is to walk barefoot through the rain or sit silently on a park bench staring at the sky.
Sounds silly? Maybe.
But that’s exactly where the truth is.
Because the moments that really drive us are rarely big plans or shiny successes. They’re small, imperfect and sometimes just there.
We tend to forget that, because we think our drive has to be loud, big and visible. But life whispers, it doesn’t shout. It shows itself in those small moments that move us when we least expect it.
Meaning is often where nobody looks.
Deepak Chopra, whose words often do more than a meditation retreat, puts it like this:
Purpose isn’t on your CV, it’s in what fascinates you without any effort.
And no, it doesn’t have to be anything earth-shattering.
Maybe it’s:
- your favourite podcast in the car or while cooking
- a conversation that goes completely off the rails but hits you right in the heart
- the feeling of understanding someone without many words
- tinkering with your car (nobody gets why you love it so much)
- cooking a dish only you can really get right
- petting strangers’ cats on the street
Or yes, maybe it’s simply your dog looking at you as if you were the best thing that ever happened to them.
What drives people?
Not money. Not prestige. Not six-packs or TikTok trends.
But:
- curiosity about what you don’t know yet
- moments of real connection
- making things that weren’t there before
- laughter nobody planned
- and sometimes simply a calm that doesn’t feel empty
We want to feel that we’re alive.
Not just function, but feel something real – even if nobody likes it.
Your purpose doesn’t have to impress anyone.
Your purpose doesn’t need a big stage. It doesn’t have to be visible or measurable.
It often shows up in small moments. In what comes easily to you while others struggle with it. In what you do without anyone having to ask. Maybe it’s writing. Listening. Organising. Creating. Maybe it’s simply your way of seeing things. Purpose has nothing to do with job titles or expectations. It isn’t loud. Sometimes you only notice it once you stop searching for something “meaningful”. It’s where you’re real. And where you don’t feel you have to prove yourself.
So what…?
Purpose isn’t a business plan.
It’s a voice that says:
“Hey, this is you. And this – this is yours.”
And if you ever forget?
Then go outside.
Sit down somewhere.
And listen for what calls you back.
Maybe it’s a song that suddenly puts everything in you in order.
Maybe a glance that catches you for a moment.
Or a dog looking at you as if it has long known the way.
It doesn’t take much. Just the courage to be still for a moment.
The rest will find you.
