Stop the Rat Race: The Spark that Discovered My Life Purpose
Title: Stop the Rat Race: The Spark that Discovered My Life Purpose
How do you see yourself in 20 years? If the answer is 'retirement,' I have a tougher question: How do you see yourself in retirement?
Are you finally doing what truly matters, or are you still just filling your time?
Life in the Information Age: The Comfortable Treadmill
If youâre over 40, youâre caught in the 'daily grind.' I understand that. We work hardâwe must hustleâonly to fall right into that relentless earn-and-spend cycle. We buy the things we need, the things we want, those expensive summer vacations, and winter snowboarding trips.
But when the quiet moment hits, youâre left with a whisper: Is there all there is? All the bells and whistles leave us hungrier for satisfaction, not fuller. For some of you, you may be feeling lost in an endless maze.
You feel a nagging discomfort that goes beyond the traffic jam. You know your time is worth more than those trade-offs, but thereâs a second, heavier layer of stress: the world is chaotic and volatile.
Turn Loss to Build
The pressure is immense: looming economic uncertainty, massive layoffs, and the real fear of AI taking over millions of jobs, completely disrupting the societal fabric. If youâve been laid off, you havenât just lost a job; youâve been given a profound gift of time. That job title was temporary, but your purpose is permanent. This is your chance to stop letting the system define your worth and use this time to build your needed foundation.
Internal Radar Calling You
Plus, your moral compass is screaming at you to look at these other threatsâsocial inequalities, climate disasters, crossing over planetary boundariesâand find a way to contribute. But you feel powerless, small, and unsure where to even start. It all just adds to your burnout.
Comfort is not freedom, itâs really a comfortable treadmill
Dare to be Different: The Declaration of Independence
Some of you may be thinking: 'Why not just eat, drink, be merry, and don't worry about the noise?' This mindset is not by accident; it's by design. Corporate greed and sophisticated marketing schemes have weaponized your desire for comfort. They don't sell you freedom; they sell you a temporary fix for your underlying lack of purpose.
They tell you that comfort is freedom, but it's really a comfortable treadmill.
This is the crucial difference: The consumerist mindset relies on you being distracted and unfocused. But when you have a Life Purpose, you build an internal filter. This purpose strengthens your stand against the relentless demands of the outside world. It ensures that your next career move, whether itâs a job, a business, or a completely new direction, is based on your core contribution, not just a paycheck. Your authenticity makes you indispensable.
It allows your individual ideas and unique contributions to rise above the noise of corporate messaging. You stop living life as a passive consumer chasing the next dopamine hit, and you start living as an active creator pursuing an unshakeable goal.
Your purpose isnât an optional hobby; itâs a declaration of independence. It strengthens your stand; it turns your âNoâ into a principled stand, protecting your time, energy, and money from everything that doesnât serve your highest potential. Thatâs true liberation.
Iâll share my blueprint in this blog. That's just the start. In upcoming content, I'm guiding you through my 6-step process to find yours.
The Search for Purpose: The Alchemist Journey
I have been asking, âWho am I? Why am I here?â since I was a teenager in Hong Kong. But it wasnât until around 2003 that I got serious. I read Pastor Rick Warrenâs book, The Purpose Driven Life, and it really pushed me to dig deep.
For me, my journey started with a belief: I wasnât here by accident. I believe I am âfearfully and wonderfully madeâ with a destiny waiting for me to discover.
My job wasnât to invent a purpose, but to find the one already instilled in me.
Inclusion Matters
Now, I know not everyone shares that same faith, and that is 100% okay. Your answer to the âWho am I?â question will be different, and it should be! The important thing is that we all start from the same place: a place of radical honesty about what truly matters to us right now.
The False Starts
This exercise was not smooth sailing. I went back to my childhood, looking for clues. I thought my purpose was all about performance and encouragement through song.
I pursued this seriously! I even entered a big contest, similar to Canadaâs Got Talent, and was profoundly disappointed when I only advanced to the circle of 30. I sang part-time in small cafĂŠ lounges, but it never materialized into bigger shows. I realized that while singing brought me joy, it was a hobbyâsomething I do for pleasureânot the mission I was put on this earth to fulfill. Thatâs an important lesson: Not every passion is a purpose.
The Alchemist Journey
After years of discussions, reflections, and using resources like Lifekeys and the E-Myth Revisited, I realized I wasnât just defining a purpose; I was building my Personal Legend as told by author Paulo Coelo in The Alchemist.
A Personal Legend is the grandest way you fulfill your purposeâitâs the mark you want to leave on Earth. We use these four termsâPurpose, Mission, Vision, and Legendâto create a complete map. I was determined not just to have a purpose, but to live that mission in the grandest way possible.
The Blueprint Revelation: Your Blueprint for Freedom
After all that soul-searching, those false starts, and two decades of refinement, I was able to finally put the pieces of the puzzle together. This is the Blueprint for Freedom that has guided every big decision Iâve made. So, what did I find?
Purpose, Mission, Vision, and Personal Legend Blueprint
The Journey of Becoming
For me, having these four statements has provided an unshakable core that guides me every single day. I use it to filter my entire careerâfrom counselling individuals to project management in organizations and teamsâIâm always actively serving my purpose.
The core of what I offer hasnât changed in 20 years, only the clarity has evolved. Now, I simply fine-tuned the purpose, added the target audience (people over 40), and clarified the method (minimalism). Thatâs the power of having a clear framework: It allows you to evolve without losing your way.
A Message to the Discouraged
Even if you feel completely lost or discouraged today due to laid off, remember this: The value isnât in the job title you lose or the salary you chase. The value is in the person you are actively becoming. Finding your purpose is your best defense against feeling discouraged because it teaches you that your self-worth is non-negotiable. Itâs tied to your intrinsic mission, not to an employment contract. The future is uncertain, but your purpose is not. Start your journey today.
The Mortality Question
Now, I want to address something vital: mortality. None of us know how long we will live, or how long we can stay healthy. This purpose isnât about reaching some perfect destination before we die.â
Even if I were to die tomorrow, the process of finding and becoming the person required to fulfill this mission holds true. It is not the destination; it is the journey of becoming that makes a life mission worth striving for. The value is in the constant striving, the intentional action, and the person you are today.
How about You (Call to Action)
If you feel that tugâthat need to articulate your life purposeâyour time is now. You donât have to spend 20 years figuring it out like I did.
In the next blog post, Iâm giving you the tool: My 6-step Process. Stay tuned for that.
In the meantime, if you would like a PDF file on the framework with my personal example of the purpose, mission, vision, and personal legend, please check this link. Itâs free.
So, letâs revisit that original question. Fast forward 20 years. How do you see yourself? Are you ready to stop filling your time and start doing what truly matters?
Drop a comment below and tell me: What is the one word you hope defines your next 20 years?
