What’s Your Why?

Decades ago, a nineteen-year-old outdoor adventurer and self-taught blacksmith named Yvon Chouinard began creating his own rock-climbing gear. Though he had never aspired to become a businessman, he started selling parts out of his car so he could continue doing what he really loved: surfing and climbing. Chouinard’s small business grew beyond his expectation. By his early thirties, what became known as Chouinard Equipment was the largest climbing tool company in the US.24

In 1973, Chouinard founded Patagonia, an outdoor apparel company. He was resolute in doing business his way, with sustainability as the forefront of his mission. Chouinard was determined not only to use Patagonia as an avenue to make money but also, according to their purpose statement, to be “in business to save our home planet.”25 He did this by establishing local and global efforts to help protect the environment and each year giving away 1 percent of sales to nonprofit organizations.

In 2021, Chouinard began to plan for his succession. Rather than pursuing the conventional approaches of selling the company or taking it public, he created a third option. In September of 2022, Chouinard announced that, instead of “going public,” Patagonia would “go purpose,”26 which for him meant giving away the entire company to a trust and nonprofit. Outside of money reinvested into the business, all future profits would be used to help fight climate change and defend nature. In an open letter, Chouinard wrote, “Instead of extracting value from nature and transforming it into wealth for investors, we’ll use the wealth Patagonia creates to protect the source of all wealth.”27

Chouinard is not the only businessperson to initiate such a bold philanthropic move. In an op-ed piece published the following month, Hobby Lobby founder and CEO David Green announced that, inspired by Chouinard’s purpose-driven initiative, he would give up ownership of his business. His reason? “I chose God,” he said.28

“I was just a steward, a manager of what God had entrusted me,” Green continued. “God was the true owner of my business. That stewardship gave me a greater responsibility. I wasn’t supposed to take the profits of the business and use them for myself. I also had a responsibility to the employees that God had put in my charge. This is why our company pays a minimum wage of $18.50 per hour, why we close on Sunday (which had been our most profitable day of business), and why we close by 8 p.m. every day.”29

“Going purpose” isn’t something only rich businesspeople do. It is what every human being is created to do.

Think back to the five levels of purpose we talked about on page 69. Where did your level of purpose fall on that scale? Are you between two levels? I challenge you to reach Level 5. Living at Level 5 will help you sleep better,30 be physically healthier,31 have a lower risk of depression,32 better manage stress,33 and even live longer.34

Hold on, there’s more. When you contribute your character and use your unique skills to help ease the suffering of others, you also will enjoy a deep sense of meaning that is more fulfilling and lasting than a dopamine hit or fleeting pleasure. Getting out of bed in the morning will be met with optimistic anticipation instead of a groan or the slap of a snooze button.

Isn’t it time to start getting excited about waking up and imagining what’s possible? You can begin to write a new life story by moving toward your purpose.

If you don’t know your purpose, take a few minutes and try answering the following question:

Why do you exist?

To: _____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________

Remember the formula I mentioned earlier in this chapter for discovering your individual purpose?

Individual Purpose = grow in character and skill to alleviate suffering and help others reach their full potential

Think about your strengths related to your character, skills, and talents. Any insights you gained in the last chapter, on self-awareness, can come into play here, especially if you’ve discovered your strengths in a personality test. Using the formula above, determine your individual purpose in each area of life listed below. If necessary, write down more than one. (Don’t be afraid to write it down if you think it might change. Just think about one for the time being.)

Career: _________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
Relationship: ____________________________________________
____________________________________________________
Faith: __________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
Finances: _______________________________________________
____________________________________________________
Health: _________________________________________________
____________________________________________________

Now that you have your purpose written down, how does it feel? How can you let that motivate you?

I hope it helps you remember that you deserve so much more than watching your life trickle away while merely existing, doing the bare minimum to survive, or living solely for pleasure or comfort. You were not created to live a life that counts for nothing. You are on this earth to contribute, to add value, to use your skills to alleviate suffering, and to help others unlock their potential—and to know the deep joy each of these things brings.

Watching my mom battle and overcome cancer taught me priceless lessons. This matriarchal hero used her suffering to create a more meaningful life. Her choice to step into the fight with hope and purpose unleashed a robust intention of making moments count. Realizing time was precious, she stewarded it wisely and with great purpose. My mother modeled for me the significance of creating memories and not wasting time.

If you want to experience deep fulfillment, long-term happiness, and positive life impact, you must determine your purpose. When you are armed with purpose, you become powerful. By unleashing this power, you become a hero far greater than any actor in a cape and costume. You were born for this.

What are you waiting for?

…

<small>24. Bethany Biron, “The Rise of Patagonia: How Rock Climber and Activist Yvon Chouinard Created One of the World’s Biggest Outdoor Brands from the Trunk of His Car,” Insider, September 17, 2022, https://www.businessinsider.com/rise-patagonia-yvon-chouinard-history-photos-2022–9#ready-for-a-new-adventure-in-1965-chouinard-teamed-up-with-tom-frost-to-create-chouinard-equipment-with-a-focus-on-redesigning-climbing-tools-to-make-them-stronger-lighter-simpler-and-more-functional-7.

25. Jeff Beer, “Exclusive: ‘Patagonia Is in Business to Save Our Home Planet,’” Fast Company, December 13, 2018, https://www.fastcompany.com/90280950/exclusive-patagonia-is-in-business-to-save-our-home-planet.

26. Yvon Chouinard, “Earth Is Now Our Only Shareholder,” Patagonia, accessed August 14, 2023, https://www.patagonia.com/ownership/.

27. Chouinard, “Earth Is Now Our Only Shareholder.”

28. David Green, “My Decision to Give Away Ownership of Hobby Lobby: I Chose God,” Fox News, October 21, 2022, https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/decision-to-give-away-ownership-hobby-lobby-chose-god.

29. Green, “My Decision to Give Away Ownership.”

30. Arlener D. Turner, Christine E. Smith, and Jason C. Ong, “Is Purpose in Life Associated with Less Sleep Disturbance in Older Adults?” Sleep Science and Practice 1, no. 14 (2017), https://sleep.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s41606–017–0015–6.

31. Alimujiang, “Association Between Life Purpose and Mortality.”

32. Alimujiang, “Association Between Life Purpose and Mortality.”

33. Fei Li et al., “The Role of Stress Management in the Relationship between Purpose in Life and Self-Rated Health in Teachers: A Mediation Analysis,” International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 13, no. 7 (2016): 719, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4962260/.

34. Alimujiang, “Association Between Life Purpose and Mortality.”</small>

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