Life On Purpose: How Living For What Matters Most Changes Everything by Victor J Strecher explains what purpose is, why it is so good to have one, and how to get your purpose. Victor also extolls the benefits of SPACE (Sleep, Presence, Activity, Creativity, and Eating Well). This book is a must for any professional development library.

Part One: A Harbor – 1. Crossroads

• We start with the tragic death of Victor’s daughter at the age of nineteen and how her voice helped him find his purpose. This was coupled with Victor Frankl’s Book Man’s Search for Meaning that tells how people with a strong reason to live, purpose, where more likely to survive the Nazi death camps. People who score higher on a seven-point purpose scale live longer, sleep better, are less likely to become depressed, and are more relaxed. They are also less likely to suffer from Alzheimer’s disease. The side effects are more friends, more happiness, deeper engagement, and even better sex.

2. Origins of Purpose

• There are two kinds of happiness. Hedonic happiness happens when we do things to seek pleasure as in hedonism. Eudaimonic happiness comes when we seek personal growth, improved relationships, and a better connection with our community. People who are good at one are usually good at the other although eudiamonic happiness is more likely to make you happier overall as it deals with self-discovery.

3. Our Best Purpose

• Some know early in life what they were born to do. Purposes are often more aspirational than practical. If you set your goals high, the better you aare likely to perform. Consider separating your goals into family, career, and community. Strong purposes lead to longer, healthier lives.
• At the end of this chapter is a six-step plan for finding your purpose. Start by selecting you three favorite values from a list of fifteen. Then think about people or fictional characters that you want to emulate. Now take the headstone test. What would you want your headstone to say after to die? Next create individual goals for family, career, and community and then assemble an overall purpose. Finally, post your purpose where you will see it every day and share it with others.

4. Self-Transcendence

• According to Maslow, self-actualization is the pinnacle of human existence. Frank suggested that real fulfillment in life occurs only when a person transcends the self. John Wooden said, “what you are as a person is much more important than what you are as a basketball player.” The students who try to master course material with a purpose will outperform those who focus solely on their grade.
• Scientists have seen transcendent (altruistic) behavior in other species like elephants, dolphins, chimps, and whales. It also seems that children have it well before it can be taught. A transcendent purpose results in a greater return. It’s also more fun. Organizations that help workers focus on their purpose have more engagement, greater productivity and lower absenteeism. Are you getting paid by the brick or are you building a cathedral?

5. Miracles, God, and the Afterlife

• We start with the story of how Victor’s daughter recovered from six heart attacks in one evening. He wonders if this was a miracle and if miracles exist? This brings up questions about the existence of God and the afterlife. While he doesn’t tell us if he believes in either, he leaves us with the question, would we change our purpose if we knew for sure that both either existed or didn’t.

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