Valerie B., Feb. 10, 2023
Just tonight I was relaxing, finally at the end of the week, and got lost in a TED Talk rabbit hole. (Certainly a wealth of good examples of public speaking to learn from!) I came across this video by Mark Leruste about the illusion and reality of what it means to be an entrepreneur.
He talked about what it’s like finding a purpose, whether one is an entrepreneur or not, which reminded me of my speech this week about finding a meaning in life.
Perhaps the most eye-opening part of the video was when he mentioned Sir Ernest Shackleton’s supposed ad in a London newspaper in the early 1900s:
Men wanted for hazardous journey.
Low wages, bitter cold, long hours of complete darkness.
Safe return doubtful.
Honour and recognition in event of success.
One would think that no one would answer an ad like that. According to Mark Leruste, however, 5,000 men answered the ad, to be part of Shackleton’s infamous Antarctic expedition on the ship Endurance.
And this event wasn’t an anomaly. In 2013, the company Mars One advertised for volunteers to be sent on a Mars colonization project. Being among the few lucky ones chosen as the first humans on Mars, it sounds glamorous, until the catch: there would be no return.
200,000 applied.
Mark Leruste then mentioned the reason why so many would be so crazy to take up offers like these: “It’s a deeper yearning for a sense of purpose.”
We’d do anything to chase that “sense of purpose.”
How do we find that purpose? He answers, “Follow the breadcrumbs.” All the little things we’re interested in, they point to a direction. He mentions, if we’re interested in barbecues, or violins, those are a sign.
I think that no matter where we are in life, whether just starting out, transitioning through a new life stage, or already later in life, I think we can still reflect and make sure that we’re chasing that purpose. We know we've found that purpose when we'll stop at nothing to reach it.
The human drive can be astonishing. I'd imagine Shackleton and his crew had to have an intense sense of purpose to have spent over two years stranded with next-to-no supplies at the bottom of the world. (Highly recommended book on this subject.)
Now, in the 21st century, we can still have just a little bit of that endurance also, if we're are pursuing the purpose we're meant to live.
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