Find Your Life's Purpose Instantly With 3 Powerful Questions | Tyler Cerny | TEDxJCU

Summary

The speaker emphasizes the importance of finding life's purpose, suggesting that instead of starting with 'why,' we should focus on 'who' we are called to serve. Life transitions often lead to confusion, but clarity emerges when we identify whom we can help and the problems we can solve. Our purpose is tied to serving others, which brings fulfillment, peace, and joy. Aligning with the Creator's purpose brings true significance, passion, and peace. The message encourages using our unique strengths to serve others, validate our purpose, and make a meaningful impact.

Takeaways

• 😀 Finding life's purpose is crucial for fulfillment, but many people struggle to define theirs.
• 🧐 Only 25% of Americans truly know their life's purpose, according to a study by The New York Times.
• 🤔 Life transitions, such as marriage, graduation, or trauma, often lead to confusion about one's purpose.
• 😞 Confusion can lead to depression and lack of motivation, sometimes lasting years or even a lifetime.
• 🔄 The cycle of unfulfilling purpose involves transition, confusion, momentum, and ultimately unhappiness if the purpose is misaligned.
• 🙌 Purpose is predetermined by a higher power, not something we create ourselves, but something to align with.
• 🧠 Serving others activates a 'helper's high,' releasing chemicals like dopamine and serotonin that provide fulfillment.
• 💡 The key to purpose is service: asking 'Who am I called to serve?' and 'What problems am I called to solve?'
• 💼 Solving bigger problems leads to greater financial reward and personal fulfillment.
• 🙏 True purpose is validated by peace, passion, and the willingness of others to pay for the value we provide.

Q & A

What is the speaker's main message about finding life’s purpose?

The speaker emphasizes that instead of starting with the question 'why are we here,' we should focus on who we are called to serve. Our life's purpose was predetermined by our creator, and when we align with that purpose, we find happiness, fulfillment, and significance.

What percentage of Americans know their life’s purpose, according to the New York Times study?

Only 25 percent of Americans truly know their life’s purpose, according to the New York Times study mentioned by the speaker.

What are the four steps in the 'cycle of unfulfilling purpose' outlined by the speaker?

The four steps in the cycle of unfulfilling purpose are: 1) Transition, 2) Confusion, 3) Momentum and clarity, and 4) Unhappiness and lack of fulfillment.

How does the speaker define the word 'purpose' based on its etymology?

The speaker explains that 'purpose' comes from 'p-u-r,' meaning 'set forth beforehand' and 'pure,' and 'pose,' meaning 'to suggest or intend.' Thus, purpose stands for 'the purest suggestion or intention set forth beforehand.'

How does the speaker relate the purpose of a chair to finding personal purpose?

The speaker uses the analogy of a chair, where its purpose is defined by its creator. If the user's purpose for the chair (e.g., using it as a bed) is out of alignment with the creator's intention, it leads to frustration. Similarly, in life, when our purpose is not aligned with the creator's intent, we experience unfulfillment.

What are the two most important days in a person’s life according to the speaker?

The two most important days in a person’s life are the day they are born and the day they find out why, a quote attributed to Mark Twain.

What happens to our brain when we help others, according to the speaker?

When we help others, our brain releases dopamine, serotonin, and oxytocin, giving us a feeling of happiness and fulfillment, often called the 'helper’s high.' This feeling is similar to what we experience during activities like sex, consuming sugar, or using social media.

What are the three key questions the speaker suggests asking to discover our life’s purpose?

The three key questions to discover life’s purpose are: 1) Who am I called to serve? 2) What problems am I called to solve? 3) How am I called to solve these problems?

How does the speaker define success in relation to solving problems?

The speaker states that success, and consequently financial gain, is tied to solving problems. The bigger the problems we solve, the greater the rewards. Identifying and solving significant problems leads to both personal and financial success.

What three indicators does the speaker mention to confirm that someone is living their purpose?

The three indicators are: 1) Peace — having inner peace with what you’re doing, 2) Passion — enjoying and looking forward to your work, and 3) Profit — people being willing to pay for the solution you provide, allowing you to support yourself and others.

Outlines

00:00

🎯 Discovering Life's Purpose and the Cycle of Unfulfillment

The speaker discusses the universal desire for meaning and purpose in life, emphasizing that many people struggle with finding it. A New York Times study revealed that only 25% of Americans know their life's purpose. The speaker introduces the 'Cycle of Unfulfilling Purpose,' which includes four stages: transition (significant life changes), confusion (a loss of direction), momentum (finding clarity and purpose), and unhappiness (realizing that success does not guarantee fulfillment). The speaker stresses the importance of breaking this cycle to achieve true happiness by aligning with one's predetermined life's purpose, set forth by a higher creator.

05:00

🧠 The Helper's High: How Serving Others Leads to Fulfillment

The speaker explains how the human brain is wired for service, referring to a phenomenon called the 'helper's high.' When we serve others, the brain releases feel-good chemicals like dopamine, serotonin, and oxytocin, similar to how it reacts to addictive activities such as sex, consuming sugar, or social media. The speaker contrasts external forms of self-serving behaviors with the internal joy that comes from serving others, suggesting that this is the healthiest and most fulfilling addiction. The speaker then poses the questions: 'Who am I called to serve?' and 'What problems am I called to solve?'—arguing that solving problems for others directly correlates to both personal fulfillment and financial success.

Keywords

💡Life's Purpose

Life's purpose refers to the reason for one's existence, the underlying goal or objective that provides meaning and direction in life. In the video, the speaker explains that discovering one's life's purpose is crucial for finding fulfillment, contrasting those who wander through life without knowing their purpose with those who align their actions with their creator's intentions.

💡Transition

A transition represents significant life changes or events, such as getting married, graduating, or losing a loved one. In the video, transitions are identified as the first step in a cycle of unfulfilling purpose, often leading to confusion and a sense of lost direction.

💡Confusion

Confusion in the context of the video is a state of uncertainty about one’s identity, purpose, or next steps in life. It typically follows a transition and is characterized by a lack of clarity and direction. The speaker highlights that confusion can persist for long periods, sometimes even a lifetime, unless addressed.

💡Fulfillment

Fulfillment is the state of happiness and satisfaction that comes from living in alignment with one’s true purpose. The speaker contrasts a life of unfulfilling purpose, where success may not lead to happiness, with one where fulfillment is achieved by aligning with the creator’s purpose for us.

💡Creator's Purpose

The creator’s purpose refers to the idea that our life’s purpose has already been predetermined by a higher power (the Creator) with pure intentions. The speaker argues that true fulfillment comes from aligning our actions with this preordained purpose rather than creating our own purpose.

💡Service

Service is the act of helping others and is central to finding meaning in life according to the speaker. The brain is biologically wired to feel good when we serve others, which the speaker describes as the 'helper's high.' Serving others is portrayed as the pathway to significance, purpose, and fulfillment.

💡Helper’s High

The helper’s high refers to the brain’s release of chemicals like dopamine and oxytocin when engaging in acts of service. This natural reward mechanism provides feelings of happiness and satisfaction, similar to those from other addictive behaviors. The speaker uses this concept to show the power of selfless acts of service.

💡Problems

Problems are challenges or obstacles that individuals are meant to solve as part of their life’s purpose. The speaker emphasizes that identifying the problems one is called to solve is essential for finding purpose, and solving bigger problems typically leads to greater rewards, both emotionally and financially.

💡Peace

Peace in the context of the video refers to an internal sense of calm and assurance that one is living in alignment with their true purpose. The speaker mentions peace as one of the indicators that a person is on the right path, alongside passion and the ability to be paid for one’s work.

💡Passion

Passion is a strong enthusiasm or excitement for the work one does. In the video, the speaker describes passion as an indicator that one has found their purpose. If someone lacks passion, they might need to reassess their direction to ensure they are aligned with their true calling.

Highlights

Finding life's purpose is a common desire, but instead of starting with 'why,' we should end with it.

Only 25% of Americans know their life's purpose, with many feeling lost or unfulfilled.

The 'Cycle of Unfulfilling Purpose' has four steps: transition, confusion, clarity, and eventual unhappiness if misaligned with true purpose.

Life transitions can lead to confusion, a stage that may last from days to a lifetime, impacting personal direction.

Achieving success without alignment to one's true purpose can still result in unhappiness and a lack of fulfillment.

True happiness and fulfillment come from aligning one's life with a higher purpose, particularly one set by the Creator.

Purpose is the 'purest suggestion or intention' set forth by the Creator before we were born.

Living in alignment with the Creator's purpose prevents frustration and brings fulfillment.

The two most important days in life are the day you're born and the day you discover why, referencing a quote by Mark Twain.

Serving others is key to finding significance, purpose, and meaning, shifting the focus from 'me' to 'who am I called to serve?'

Scientific research shows that helping others activates the brain's reward centers, similar to other pleasurable activities.

Identifying who you are called to serve and the problems you're meant to solve helps clarify your purpose.

Solutions to problems can come in many forms, and innovation plays a crucial role in addressing issues efficiently.

Formulating a personal purpose statement involves identifying the people you help, their problem, and how you solve it.

Peace, passion, and payment are three indicators of whether you're aligned with your life's purpose.

Transcripts

[Applause]

finding our life's purpose isn't that

what we all want don't we want more

meaning significance and purpose in our

life

a lot of us will ask ourselves

why are we here

I'm here to tell you instead of starting

with our why we should end with it

New York Times did a study that only 25

percent of Americans truly know their

life's purpose

people are just wandering through lives

not knowing why they're here there's

people in this room

and this statistic blew my mind

and as I started to understand purpose

as I traveled around the world it took

me about 10 years to understand what my

life's purpose was

and I wrote a book and one of the graphs

I created in is the cycle of

unfulfilling purpose and there's four

steps the first one is a transition we

all experience transitions in our life

it can happen in many forms we can have

a kid we can get married we graduate

school we can leave the sport that we

thought we were going to be a

professional at

something traumatic could happen to us a

loved one could die something happens in

our life that changes everything

leading us to the Second Step which is

confusion not knowing who we are anymore

not knowing what our next step lacking

Clarity and lacking Direction in our

life

this could be depressing and

unmotivating

and the scary part is this could last

for days

maybe years maybe decades maybe even a

lifetime for some individuals

then there's the third step that if

we're able to get out of confusion we're

able to build momentum we're able to

create results in our life we get

Crystal Clarity on what it is that we

need to do and we think we found our

life's purpose we found the job and

purpose is the reason why we do what we

do so I could be going to this job I

could be working my way up providing for

my family I could have purpose but if I

then come to the fourth step which is

unhappiness and lack of fulfillment

that's the ultimate failure and I look

up and I ask is there more to life than

this

when we need to step out of the cycle

and find our life's purpose because when

we find our life's purpose we have

happiness and fulfillment and we have a

desire to want to do more and be more

because finding purpose is actually easy

but living our life's purpose and having

fulfillment is life-changing

so if we look at the word purpose p-u-r

the prefix is used to set forth

beforehand

it's also used in the word pure so it's

without blemish the purest intention and

then pose is to suggest or intend so

purpose stands for the purest suggestion

or intention that we set forth before

him so if we look at these chairs in

this audience the user can Define the

purpose right so some of you guys in the

back are using it as a bed you find the

purpose there I see you guys back there

some of us use this purpose as an

opportunity to learn and grow

and then some other people use that as

an opportunity to rest their lower back

and our knees right the purpose of the

chair is defined by the user

but what about the creator of the chair

the invention

what was the purpose when the Creator

made the chair

and if the user's purpose is out of

alignment with the Creator's purpose

we're going to have unfulfillment and

frustration right if I try to use this

chair as a bed and that's not what the

purpose of the chair was from the

Creator I'm going to struggle

same thing with our life

our life's purpose was already

predetermined before we were made it was

set forth beforehand

this changed everything for me because I

thought I had to create purpose I

thought I had to create my life's

purpose but our creator

the highest being with purest intentions

with no flaw decided our purpose before

we even here on this Earth

so you guys can decide if you want to

use your purpose or the Creator's

purpose in your life

because the two most important days of

our life are the day we find out why

and the day we were born one of my

favorite quotes from Mark Twain so our

job is just to align ourselves with our

Creator's purpose for ourselves

so the first question instead of why am

I here

we ask ourselves who am I called to

serve because when I step into a place

of service

I immediately have immediately have

significance purpose and meaning in my

life

it shifts the conversation from you to

who

it's not about me anymore

I think about who can I help and who can

I serve

and the reason why I know this is

because our creator has designed us this

way so here's a photo of our brain it

lights up like a Christmas tree when we

serve individuals this is called the

helper's high it's a lot of research

done on this your brain releases

dopamine serotonin oxytocin we feel

incredible

it's also the same feeling that we have

when we have sex

consume sugar social media substances

like drugs and alcohol and serving other

people all five of these are extremely

addictive you guys can decide which

addiction you want to have and the first

four there

are things that we do externally to

serve ourselves only ourselves and the

last one is something that has already

been built within us internally that we

can use to affect other people

externally

so then the next question is what

problems am I called to solve so who am

I called to serve start with someone

that you can relate to that you that you

have similar experiences with and then

the second problem is well the second

question is what problems am I called to

solve because this is how we get paid

now who likes to get paid in here right

everyone

because the problems that you solve

are in direct correlation to the amount

of money in your bank account because

the bigger the problems the bigger the

solution

the smaller the problems the smaller the

solution

so start with someone that you can

relate to that you would like working

with then figuring out then figure out

what problems do they have and what

problems did you overcome in your life

and usually these can be found with

traumatic experiences life experiences

that only you can talk about I guarantee

you there's someone else that has gone

through the same situation and problem

that you can help

and then the last question is how am I

called to solve this problem and this is

where you guys can get creative because

there's a thousand different ways to

solve one problem and with technology

every single day a solution is being

created but this is the easiest part

once we know who we're called to serve

and what problems we're called to solve

the solution becomes very evident and

from a logistical and strategic

standpoint we want to create the most

effective and efficient solution to the

problem so we can help the most amount

of people in the world

so who am I called to serve what

problems am I called to solve and how am

I called to solve this problem

this is going to create our purpose

statement

I help who with their problem through

the solution so I help young adults and

business owners that lack Clarity and

confidence and direction in their life

by helping them find their life's

purpose through Live Events books and

presentations

and we've been doing that for the last

several years

so I validate my purpose with my why

then this is when we come with the

question why do we do what we do look at

your purpose statement then you ask

yourself why do I do it am I doing it

for myself

for selfish gain am I doing it because I

genuinely care and want to help others

or am I doing it because I want to serve

my creator

because when we serve our creator and

that's at the epicenter of our life

we're expressing the highest form of

love because that was what was expressed

when we were created and what's going to

happen is you're going to have three

indicators you're going to have peace do

you have peace with what you're doing

with it because if I think I have

purpose and I don't have peace I have to

realign myself second thing is do I have

passion do I actually enjoy what it is

that I do because we're all designed

with different strengths and abilities

on this Earth to enjoy different things

so am I excited do I look forward to the

day ahead am I excited to do what I am

doing right now and the last thing is

are people willing to pay me for it

because we're supposed to provide for

our loved ones and be able to use money

as a vehicle to help other people in

great causes as well

so our life's purpose is to serve our

creator by serving others specifically

through your purpose statement and you

guys can fill in the blanks there

so start with the who

end with the why and validate it with

that I look forward to serving the world

together thank you

[Applause]