Why We Do What We Do

What will you do with your life?

Here’s the thing about life. We only get one of them. No one that I know wants to look back on their life and say, “I was just going through the motions. I wasted my life.” On the contrary, people want to lead a life that’s worth living.

In her oft-cited poem “The Summer Day,” the late Mary Oliver wrote, “Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?” I admire Oliver’s writing and her spirituality. Nevertheless, I think that a different question goes to the root of things. “Why are you doing what you do?”

Photo by Anthony Tori on Unsplash

Our lives feel meaningful when we have a reason to live. No matter what the world throws at us, no matter how challenging or bleak the circumstances, we’ll feel a sense of purpose and keep on going when we have the kind of reason that can inspire us and sustain us.

While it may not have been Oliver’s intended meaning, I hear her words as encouragement for her readers to pursue what they love to do, even if the world keeps telli…