Chapter 5: Personal Development is Life’s Purpose

“We make our world significant by the courage of our questions and the depth of our answers.”

– Carl Sagan

A survey published by the American Council of Education concluded that among 171,509 students screened, the highest goal held by 68.1% was developing a meaningful philosophy of life. Another statistical survey conducted by John Hopkins University, and sponsored by The National Institute of Mental Health, found that among 7,948 students at 48 colleges, only 16% said their goal was to make a lot of money whereas 78% wanted to find purpose and meaning.

This search has been with mankind since the beginning of time. It has been the aim of all religions and all philosophies throughout time to provide us with tools, paths, and understanding to give us greater peace of mind, purpose, and meaning.

The new cosmology

The search for meaning and purpose seemed to be at its height entering into this new millennium. For two years in a row, Trinity Western University successfully hosted an international conference on the “search for meaning in the new millennium”, and a simple search on Google for “meaning and purpose” will reveal 70,000 websites addressing the subject.

Yes, even though surveys reveal most believe that we live in better times, there is the continual search for what it’s all about. As Albert Einstein said: “To be religious is to have found an answer to the question, ‘What is the meaning of life?’” For some, this may hold true, but for many this doesn’t seem to cut it anymore, and rightfully so.

The true answer lies in continuous growth and development, not settling on a particular view, faith, or understanding. Paleontologists believe that human beings have inhabited the Earth for at least four millions years (or 4.4 Million, according to the American Anthropologist, Tim White). Homo erectus seems to have come onto the scene two million years ago and Homo sapiens, similar to what we are today, about 200,000 years ago, leading us to some new thinking about humans and the new cosmology.

Different from traditional secular or religious perspectives, this new cosmology offers a radically different understanding. Diarmuid O’Murchu describes it as follows:

“The new cosmology claims that creation itself is the primary revelation, that God’s life and love become visible and tangible first and foremost in the unfolding of universal life. In this context, each of the religions is deemed to be a particular crystallization of God’s revelation for a specific time and culture. Spirituality, rather than religion, is the central concern of the new cosmology. It seeks to explore the spiritual meaning of the evolutionary process over the billions of years before humanity ever came to be.”³⁵

But not all hold to this new cosmology in this sense. Dr. Hugh Ross, a respected scientist, claims a very different perspective on the evolution of man. In fact, he claims there is no evolution what-so-ever:

“In the late 1980s and early 1990s, a number of studies examined the mitochondria DNA (mtDNA) of women from all over the world. These studies suggested that the last common ancestor of modern man (actually women) appeared within the last 200,000 years, which is much more recent than previously thought. Refinements in the measurements lowered the original estimates to 135,000 years, and finally to 100,000 years (and as discussed below, even possibly 50,000 years).

“Another interesting feature of the hominid fossil record is the apparent disappearance of Homo sapiens between 80,000 and 40,000 years ago. From an evolutionary perspective, it has been proposed that Homo sapiens’ populations plummeted to near extinction and then, for some unknown reason, bounced back in full force about 40,000 years ago. The sudden appearance of modern humans in the fossil record at 40,000 years ago is in complete agreement with the biblical date for the appearance of mankind. Given that the fossil record is so sparse and that the dating is problematic beyond 35,000 years ago, it is uncertain as to the true identity or true time of appearance of the Omo Kibish and Skhul and Qafzeh finds.

“It is quite conceivable that these specimens may not even be Homo sapiens, given their behavior. If these specimens are not true humans, then the absence of Homo sapiens in the fossil record between 40,000 and 80,000 years ago may actually represent the extinction of those particular species of bipedal primates, or reflect the fact that Homo sapiens did not appear on Earth until about 40,000 years ago. If this is the case, then the sudden appearance of modern man at 40,000 years ago can be attributed to the special creation of man by the Creator.”³⁶

I had the privilege of having dinner with Dr. Ross and his local chapter affiliates prior to a university lecture, at which time I had the opportunity to ask him if I understood his interpretation correctly.

I asked, “Doctor, are you saying that human beings were just instantly created some 40,000 years ago and have no ancestral ties to any of the other life forms?”

“Yes,” he replied.

His belief is that man was formed separate from the rest of creation approximately 35-50,000 year ago by God. To me, this seemed unbelievable and wondered if he was trying to make his science fit his theology, but Dr. Ross is a respected scientist and supports his view with solid academic research. Truthfully, I find it is the only way for much of evangelical theology and the story of salvation and Jesus to make any real sense.

In any case, this is a scientific and theological debate which has been debated throughout the six thousand years of recorded human history, and should be debated. It is in this process of questioning, debating, and challenging that we grow as human beings. Here is where I would like to remind us of two quotes I used at the beginning of this book and the beginning of this chapter, respectively:

“As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.” – Proverbs 27:17, NIV

And:

“We make our world significant by the courage of our questions and the depth of our answers.” – Carl Sagan

I believe that religion will have to go through a radical transformation, as will all bodies of intellect and wisdom, as we grow and understand more about ourselves and the universe we live in. Religion, especially Evangelical Christianity, seems to have tremendous pressure to reconcile its theology with the new story of the universe. I have read dozens of books from priests, pastors, scholars, and believers that are expressing the need to rethink our positions and grow to a deeper level of understanding. It should be obvious that much of our past thinking, being dogmatic on doctrines or view points, has led to much of the problems in our world and has certainly suppressed our opportunity to grow. As the website Religious Tolerance says:

“Religion is a unique force in society. It promotes both good and evil. Historically, it has helped to abolish slavery. It has promoted racial integration, equal rights for women, and equal rights for gays and lesbians. It has motivated individuals to create massive support services for the poor, the sick, the hurting, and the broken. Conversely, it has been used to justify slavery, racial segregation, oppression of women, discrimination against homosexuals, genocide, extermination of minorities, and other horrendous evils.

“Religion drives some to dedicate their lives to help the poor and needy, for example: Gandhi, Albert Schweitzer, and Mother Teresa. It drives others to exterminate as many ‘heretics’ as they can. Consider the mass murder, as in Bosnia, East Timor, India, Korea, Kosovo, the Middle East, Northern Ireland, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Tibet, and so on. In short, religion has the capability of generating unselfish love in some people, and vicious, unadulterated hatred in others. It has immense energy to motivate individuals to achieve great good and profound evil.”³⁷

For me, it is a relief to hear that many are thinking out of the box and are willing to accept that we don’t have it all figured out, but that we need to try to approach life from a different angle. Diarmuid O’Murchu, in his book, Reclaiming Spirituality, says his goal for the book is “to retrieve the long-lost subverted tradition of spirituality, and to reestablish its primary significance in the human search for meaning and purpose in life. Religious faith today does not follow a linear progressive process of gradually expanding understanding and progressively deeper commitment.”

Changes are taking place in the church, like any other organization, and maybe it’s time for a radical change in our thinking. As Thomas Berry says:

“The arrogance continues, even though the consequences are so evident. At this time, the questions arise concerning the role of the traditional religions. My own view is that any effective response to these issues requires a religious context, but that the existing religious traditions are too distant from our new sense of the universe to be adequate to the task that is before us. We cannot do without the traditional religions, but they cannot presently do what needs to be done. We need a new type of religious orientation. This must, in my view, emerge from our new story of the universe. This constitutes, it seems, a new regulatory experience that can be understood as soon as we recognize that the evolutionary process is, from the beginning, a spiritual as well as a physical process.”³⁸

There is a trend away from organized religion. Last year, the Vancouver Sun had a series in the newspaper called the “Decade of God”, which communicated that there was a fervent desire in the seeking hearts of people in Vancouver. People were changing churches and religions because of a lack of fulfillment, satisfaction, and results in life, with the fastest growing religion being non-church. This trend away from organized religion is for good reason, and the dissatisfied is understandable as ‘the church’ or ‘religion’ itself lacks the ability to encourage growth.

My experience is that the local church or parish is more interested in you to conform to a particular way of thinking than to grow to new levels of understanding. They seem to be more bent on who’s right or wrong, hanging on to their doctrine instead of guiding personal and spiritual development, which is where I contend we will find true purpose and meaning in our lives. As Matthew Fox says:

“When it comes to religion, many of the most thoughtful young adults are really post denominational. They want spiritual experience and the ethical responsibility it implies, but they are not committed to the ‘us-versus-them’ ideology that has accompanied so much of the history of the institute of religion.”

Better said are the words from the controversial bishop, John Shelby Spong, in his book, Why Christianity must Change or Die:

“The task of the church, for example, becomes less that of indoctrinating or relating people to an external divine power and more that of providing opportunities for people to touch the infinite center of all things and grow into what they are destined to be.”³⁹

Another one of the many priests, scholars, and theologians rethinking their faith and recognizing that the traditional patriarchal structure of religion slows – or more accurately, chokes and retards – spiritual growth, Diarmuid O’Murchu, says:

“Orthodox spirituality, of all the religious traditions, suffers from extreme asphyxiation. Within the religious systems, the breadth and depth of God’s creativity has been virtually choked by well-intentioned but largely misguided gurus. Only by the death and destruction of formal religion can we hope to reclaim spirituality where it truly belongs, where it has flourished for billions of years.”

I believe that new cosmology thinking is on the right track: It is for us to “grow into what [we] are destined to be.”

The origin of purpose and meaning

Purpose and meaning in life do not come from a belief system of information and experience you have gathered, as such is purely subjective and more than likely inaccurate. We have got to accept the fact that we ‘know’ very little – we need to be more humble beings seeking to grow and learn, especially from our past, of which we seem to be such terrible students.

Human arrogance is at the top of our problems: Thinking we know just because we read, saw, did, or experienced. The fact is we know very little. We used to believe the world was flat and the Earth was the center of the universe, and if you thought any different you would have been burned at the stake. What we know about the universe, and the more we unravel the meaning of life, the more aware we become of how little we actually know. It is currently estimated that we understand a little more than one-percent of the entire evolutionary process. Advances in science, medicine, and all bodies of knowledge continually grow, expanding our awareness and understanding. The worst thing you can do is think that you have it all figured out or that your understanding is 100% correct. This attitude marks one as arrogant or insecure and is precisely what leads to the very destructive side of the human personality.

Purpose and meaning do not come from any external circumstance either, but as difficult times may be part of the process, they at least shape your character. This is what Viktor Frankl learned in the concentration camps of Auschwitz:

“I had to teach despairing men that it did not really matter what we expected from life, but rather what life expected from us. They needed to stop asking what the meaning of life was, but think they were being questioned by life, daily and hourly, and the answer must consist in right action and conduct. Life ultimately means taking the responsibility to find the right answer to its problems and to fulfill the tasks which it constantly sets forth.”⁴⁰

Learning to ask questions, take responsibility, and act in a forward direction may be more meaningful than anything else that Frankl discovered.

Purpose and meaning do not come from your faith or religion, even though they can be powerful sources from which many draw. Frankl concludes his more recent book, Man’s Search for Ultimate Meaning, with comments that are empirically evidenced by tests and statistics: People who regard themselves as irreligious are no less capable of finding meaning in their lives than those who consider themselves to be religious. We have the Freudian principle which states our ‘Will to Pleasure’, the Adlerian principle which states our ‘Will to Power’, and Frankl’s logotherapy principle.

Dr. Frankl suggests the search for meaning is the primary motivation in life, which is where he derives its name: ‘Logos’ is a Greek word which denotes ‘meaning’, giving us ‘meaning therapy’. According to logotherapy, we can discover the meaning of life in three different ways, by:

1. creating work or doing a deed;

2. experiencing something or encountering someone, ultimately love;

3. and by the attitude we take regarding unavoidable suffering.

It is clear that our relationships and love for another, even animals, can provide a deep sense of meaning and purpose; but even those require maintenance, commitment, and growth (which we talked about in Chapter 3). Doing good deeds and helping others always builds self-worth, which is why volunteering is highly recommended in the therapy of those who are depressed. Our Federal Government and Corrections Department gathered research regarding recidivism, and concluded that:

“Self-esteem was one of the factors least likely to be changed through programs and learning, they felt an individual’s self-worth and esteem would naturally grow when an individual contributed back to society.”⁴¹

If you want to build your self-esteem, give of yourself freely without expecting something in return and apply the biblical principle, it is better to give than it is to receive. The building of our character, our self-esteem, and our self-image plays a significant role, as well, which is why many people – mostly men – find tremendous satisfaction, purpose, and meaning in work, accomplishments, and making progress.

Franklin D. Roosevelt said, “Happiness lies in the joy of achievement and the thrill of creative effort,” and Thomas Wolfe said, “If a man has a talent and learns somehow to use the whole of it, he has gloriously succeeded and won a satisfaction and a triumph few men have ever known.” Women on, the other hand, tend to find more satisfaction, purpose, and meaning in relationships. Both paths require goals for growth and development, which leads me to the most significant area in which humans find purpose and meaning: Our future!

Our future vision

Our vision for the future is the most compelling, motivating, and meaningful thing we have. Victor Frankl concluded one of his concentration camp experiences with these words:

“It is peculiar that man can only live by looking to the future.”

This point is further illustrated by the dramatic demonstration Frankl had with a block warden in a camp. The warden had confided in Victor one day, saying:

“I had a dream last night: A voice told me that I could wish for something, and I should only say what I wanted to know and my questions would be answered.”

He asked to know when the war would be over: He wanted to know when the camp would be liberated, and when the sufferings would end! He had this dream in February, 1945, and confided in Viktor at the beginning of March. Frankl then asked what the dream voice had answered, to which the warden replied, “March 30^th!”

When the warden told Viktor about his dream, he was still full of hope and confidence that the dream voice would be right, but as the dream date drew near, war news reached the camp that it would be highly unlikely that anything would change by the dream date. By March 29^th, the news had not changed and he started to become very ill and ran a fever. On March 30^th, the day the prophecy was to be, he became delirious and lost consciousness. On March 31^st, he was dead. The loss of hope had dramatically affected the man’s ability to fight off typhus, and so his body became victim to the disease.

This is a powerful illustration of how our belief systems affect our life. It was Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche who said:

“He who has a ‘why’ to live can bear almost any ‘how’.”

One of the main purposes of this book is to encourage people to set goals, to create and design a compelling future, and to help them overcome much of the fear, insecurity, negativity, emptiness, and any lack of hope. I believe that most of the seeking and ‘soul-searching’ can be better fulfilled by having goals and a compelling future, as opposed to accepting some faith or religion that is constantly changing. Have a positive, hopeful future as you pursue greater understanding of your faith, yourself, or whatever else you choose to be important. Whatever you get told and accept or choose can only be better understood by change attained through your personal development: Your growing awareness of yourself, others, and the greater forces acting with us.

I recall my personal experience struggling with my desire for more growth and understanding within my faith at the time, many years ago. It seemed that every time I questioned, my question would be squashed by set doctrines that people bought into, unwilling to explore or challenge.

It was obvious that I was either to conform to the ways of the faith or suppress my need to understand more deeply – but neither was going to happen. Confused as to whether I was doing something wrong or not, I ventured out anyway, exploring the deeper theology of Evangelical Christianity, Catholicism, and Judaism only to find great disagreement and contradiction. Greatly troubled by what I felt in my heart for these differences and divisions, I looked up at my mission statement, reviewed my goals, and said, “It’s okay. I have purpose, meaning, and direction in my life.” It was another time my goals for the future and personal mission statement gave me a deep sense of peace and encouragement to press on.

This vision for a hopeful future gave me strength as I realized that nobody really knows and that mankind has this wonderful gift and ability to grow into ever more conscious and aware beings, and that this gift would be badly abused if we were not to use it and change every aspect of our beings as we evolve into the future. It is the future that holds the greatest opportunity: Look at most of our past as human beings, look at the mistakes we have made, abuses we have performed, and evils we have committed, and look at your own past and tell me how many things you would change. This is the key: Change! Develop and grow into a more conscious being and borrow from the future so you can act differently in the present.

The existential vacuum

We do not lack time, we lack direction that could be filled by our goals and intentions for the future. Time, in fact, is part of the problem; but it is not too little but too much time: Leisure time and idleness are the devil’s workshop. David K. Reynolds, who I referred to earlier, begins his book with the view that we live in an era of leisure:

“Technologically-advanced countries or developed nations live with a freedom from life-threatening insecurity like never before in human history. Without the purpose of the struggle for everyday survival, we find an increasing number of people drifting into lethargy, drugs, and suicide.”⁴²

Frankl seems to agree that the boredom – using the term ‘existential vacuum’ – is showing up to cause more problems than stress: Not knowing what to do with spare time leads many to sexual immorality, depression, aggression, and addiction, and many traces of suicide can be traced back to this phenomenon. Frankl says that today, man’s ‘will to meaning’ is frustrated on a world-wide scale, and feels more and more people are haunted by this existential vacuum, or feeling of emptiness. This feeling manifests itself in boredom and apathy. Boredom indicates a loss of interest in the world, while apathy betrays a lack of the initiative to do something in the world, to change something in the world. Webster’s New Illustrated Dictionary defines ‘apathy’ as a “lack of feeling, emotion, or sensation” or an “indifference, or lack of interest.”

People are simply wanting answers to their problems, but seeking an answer is the wrong approach. The solution is to grow to new levels of awareness and continue questioning. In the fictional book, The Celestine Prophecy, a wise priest advised a man by saying:

“The problem in life isn’t finding the right answer but identifying our current questions.”

Engaging yourself in quality questions over and over again is engaging yourself in the miracle of the process of growth: The process of looking, the process of seeking, and the process of finding. Isn’t this what scripture asks and promises?

“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives; he who seeks, finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.”⁴³

Scripture also says:

“Make every effort to add to your faith, goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord, Jesus Christ. But if anyone does not have them, he is near-sighted and blind, and has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins. Therefore, my brothers, be all the more eager to make your calling and election sure. For if you do these things, you will never fall, and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.”⁴⁴

These verses tell me to grow, to increase virtues in life, and to be effective and productive. The process is of continuous improvement and, more importantly, the process of continuous understanding. Knowledge is the path to understanding, to becoming a more aware and conscious human being. The process of discovery never ends, but understand that one can develop, that one can fine-tune the way in which we go about it and become a significantly more alive seeker, experiencing life to its full.

Our society is caught up in instant gratification that never provides lasting fulfillment. I advise people to work on the things they can’t measure and they stand a far better chance of success. Things you can’t measure are the qualities that personal development produces: The virtues of wisdom, understanding, awareness, emotional intelligence, character, vision, and leadership, to name a few.

Frankl talks about meaning as a whole:

“One must consider to have ultimate meaning: There must be meaning beyond one’s self, meaning of the universe or, at the very least, meaning of one’s life as a whole.”

He uses the analogy of a film: A movie is made up of many clips which all have meaning, but only upon seeing the whole movie do you get the complete picture. You can create a complete picture for yourself, design a life, and strive to make it a reality. That is the power of the vision of which your goals are the fuel. This is what I have accomplished with the Life Goals Planner, a tool with which people can engage in the process of designing a life that provides purpose, meaning, and direction. Establish your goals and strive to be the most that you can be.

Chapter 5 Application

From your prioritized goals and values, create your personal and family mission statements. Read the Life Goals Planner, a truly excellent tool for beginning the process of growth based on your chosen values and life’s goals.