Purpose isn't just some grandiose, once-in-a-lifetime discovery. It's not a single "aha" moment where suddenly everything clicks.

Instead, we can view a sense of purpose as an ongoing narrative that evolves with our unique sensitivities* and experiences - and the meaning we make about those sensitivities and experiences.

*a sensitivity is related to what we notice in our external and internal environments. What do we seem to notice that many others don’t?



The following are 5 keys that emerge from systems-thinking and neuroscience research as it relates to Purpose

 



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#1 - PURPOSE ISN’T ALWAYS A GRANDIOSE THING

A sense of purpose can be something that lights us up and motivates us to strive to contribute something unique and special.

But... as we'll see from the research...

purpose can also be about understanding that we are all playing a part of bigger, interconnected systems.

 

Our sense of purpose is tied to the systems around us—our families, communities, even the universe—and understanding how we fit into these complex, interconnected webs.

From the neurons firing in your brain to the city, family and community you live in, everything operates as a system.  By viewing ourselves as part of these systems, our brain activity opens up to new types of connectivity. We start to see patterns, connections, and roles that we can play.

 



#2 - BRAIN CONNECTIONS IMPROVE WHEN WE THINK OF OUR INTERCONNECTEDNESS

Brain research shows higher connectivity of important brain networks in people who see the world from a larger, systems view

What research points to is that this kind of systems approach to narratives also activate particular networks in the brain that help us become more agile, and more adaptive.

 

Systems-related purpose is tied to a shift in perspective.

It’s about going beyond the  "here-and-now" (or "there-and-then"), and creating abstract narratives that reflect broader systems, processes, and contexts.

It’s about connecting dots that transcend what is directly observable in a situation.

Here is an example* that illustrates the difference:

We see two people cutting stones.



* One of them describes their purpose or function by saying  ‘my purpose is to cut stone’ . That would be A concrete, here-and-now description.

* In contrast, the other person says  ‘I am building a place for community to gather’.  This goes beyond the here and now and begins an abstract projection of what a larger system that their actions are contributing to.



 *from the Open University course on Managing Complexity



New, pioneering brain research is looking at how this kind of narrative building wires the brain and improves life outcomes.

In particular, work by Mary Helen Immordino-yang and colleagues, is looking at the long-term effects of purpose and transcendent narratives in terms of mental health, relationship skills and academic performance in adolescents.

Their research points to three main components of narrative-building, supported by three of the brain's major networks: affective salience, effortful attending, and broader reflection:



* Affective recognition: aka., feel the emotional 'juice' of why an issue is important  (Salience Network).