We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Michael Baszler. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Michael below.
Michael, so good to have you with us today. We’ve always been impressed with folks who have a very clear sense of purpose and so maybe we can jump right in and talk about how you found your purpose?
Hey Rahul,
Sorry this took so long. I kept having other work pop up as I was writing this. Also, this took much longer than I expected. I just wanted it to be something empowering and meaningful to those that read it. I hope that it can provide some hope and clarity to others.
THOUGHTS ON FINDING ONE’S PURPOSE IN THE AGE OF DISTRACTION AND DIFFUSION
How does one go about “finding their purpose?” I think for many, finding purpose is elusive, like trying to grasp something ever-changing and formless. The phrase itself – “finding your purpose” – denotes that purpose was lost to begin with. So where do we go to look for it? Does it necessitate some swashbuckling adventure? Am I supposed to join the Peace Corps or voyage to Antarctica? As someone who is neither particularly adventurous nor adept at finding lost things (EVERY pair of sunglasses I’ve ever owned is currently missing), I used to worry that I might never find my purpose.
I first thought about purpose at age 17. I had just finished reading The Alchemist. In the book, the protagonist discovers his life’s purpose, his “personal legend,” through a recurring dream. I’ve had some meaningful dreams in my life, but never found my life’s purpose while napping. I obsessed over finding my purpose, but failed to come up with anything that was meaningful and specific. Maybe it was easier just to ignore the idea of purpose altogether. However, the quest for purpose was difficult to forget. As Morpheus says in The Matrix, it was like ”a splinter in your mind” that gnawed at me until I came up with something authentic to my soul.
For most, purpose is sold to us or foisted upon us by external forces. The self-help genre has turned finding one’s purpose into a platitude. Corporations are happy to fill the void of purposelessness of any employee, so long as the employee’s purpose improves the bottom line and pleases shareholders. And as our society becomes increasingly secular, the idea of divine intervention, of discovering one’s purpose during a moment of dazzling epiphany, a moment in which the clouds part, and a blinding light provides to us in perfect clarity the life purpose we’ve been missing this entire time, seems less and less likely. If you’ve found your purpose through religion, I’m happy for you – and I mean this. I’m not opposed to religion, it’s just not for me.
If I’m honest with myself, when I first started asking, “what is my purpose?” I was intimidated by the question. It felt like whatever the answer was would have consequences for the rest of my life. I’d better get it right!
Frustrated with the lack of ANY kind of answer to the question (that did not feel phony or superficial), I began asking myself other questions: what is purpose? Why is purpose important? Is one’s purpose found, discovered, or is it given to us by another?
As I pondered, I had the realization that finding my purpose involved some level of CHOICE. After several unsuccessful years of waiting around for my purpose to reveal itself, I had a sinking feeling that finding one’s purpose involved a DECISION. I started accepting that my purpose would not be bestowed upon me – but that I was responsible for CHOOSING it (terrifying).
I decided that I wouldn’t sit around waiting for my purpose to be delivered to me like an Amazon package, and that finding my purpose was to be a combination of fate (serendipities of life) and decision. What I had missed from the book in my youth, was that while the protagonist is given his purpose given in a dream (aka fate or a chance encounter in life) – he CHOOSES to follow it. He could have stayed home.
But what if I chose wrong? The fear from this question was enough to keep me stagnant for a while longer, before I understood that finding my purpose would be a PROCESS. It’s dynamic, fluid. As living beings, we are in a state of constant flux. Our purpose also evolves with us. And perhaps that’s a good thing. I don’t know if the decision I made as an 18-year old about my purpose should still be the same purpose that I cling to 15 years later. It was probably likely that the initial path taken was not 100% correct. We all change and grow. The things that we find most meaningful change as we age.
This leads us to another important pillar of purpose – MEANING. If we really are to devote our lives to a calling, it will inevitably involve pain, sacrifice, frustration, losing hope from time to time, etc. It will also involve a great deal of devotion to learning or mastering a subject or set of skills through focused practice and feedback from those who are further along than ourselves.
Because following our purpose will inevitably involve challenges, MEANING is the thing that will keep us going when times are dark. Meaning is subjective – what is meaningful to me might mean nothing to you, and vice versa. To find what is meaningful, can sometimes be difficult, especially when all we can think about is paying the next round of bills.
Sometimes it’s helpful to return to earlier, more carefree years to remember what our initial loves and fascinations were. I found returning to childhood to be a useful exercise – remembering the things that I could get lost in for hours. Anything that made time disappear.
For me, those things were stories, and a curiosity about other people. I remember being lost in books for hours on end. One of my first flashbulb memories was the feeling of really liking when I understood what other people were feeling. Lastly, in regard to meaning, search for something beyond yourself. You don’t need to set out to save the world (an impossible task for one being), but I believe that we humans are at our best when we are living in service of one another. For me, I want my purpose to affect the lives of others in a positive way.
When you do find your purpose, resist the need to go out and tell others right away. Keep it to yourself. Nurture it. Clarify it. Make it crystal clear before unveiling it, and realize not everyone will understand or find your purpose valuable or meaningful.
TO SUMMARIZE:
Finding one’s purpose involves making a decision: a choice to follow something meaningful.
Purpose is a process of discovery: of ourselves, of life, and reality itself. Purpose is a path that unfolds before us as we take decisive action towards something specific.
Lastly, COURAGE and PATIENCE are critical. It takes courage to pursue what is truly meaningful to us in this superficial world. It takes patience to realize that we won’t find the answers to the most important questions in a day, a month, or perhaps even a decade. That doesn’t mean the search isn’t worth it. The things that we cherish most in life rarely come without struggle, and this struggle makes us more confident, competent, and self-loving individuals.
I still don’t have all the answers, but the points above hopefully will provide others with a trail of breadcrumbs that they can follow and come up with their own conclusions. Ask yourself “what is my purpose?” over and over, and try not to be afraid of the answer – the answer may mean making some significant changes in your life, and change is always scary.
Thank you for reading until the end – I hope this helps you in your quest for finding your purpose.
**If you’re curious about my purpose…
At this moment, my purpose is developing the necessary skills to be a prolific writer who creates stories that touch millions of lives and prompt self-reflection, laughter, and a sense of connection to humanity. To be a husband that supports and grows with my wife. On a societal level, helping local and state government officials enact legistlation that prevents institutional investors from buying single family homes, which is a pillar for building wealth. Currently, the wealth gap has never been higher in American history.
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
I am a screenwriter and actor. I feel extremely privileged that I have a career in the arts, and being part of stories that are entertaining, thought-provoking, and give the audience a sense of connection.
Before we go, maybe you can tell us a bit about your parents and what you feel was the most impactful thing they did for you?
The most impactful thing my parents did for me was allowing me to pursue my own desires, and allowing me to fail, while still encouraging me to keep going.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: mike_baze
