KQED News Mind/Shift – Linda Flanagan
“Purpose comes from believing that the world needs improving and that you can help, according to William Damon of the Stanford Center on Adolescence, and author of The Path to Purpose. Traumatic events like the one Bacon experienced can trigger a sense of purpose, Damon said, but tragedy isn’t a prerequisite to developing a purposeful outlook. Purpose is critical, because it is linked to dedication, energy and resilience — “psychological goods,” Damon said, that most aspire to. “Purpose is the number one, long-term motivator in life,” according to Damon. Unlike passion or ambition, which focus on the self, purpose touches on the needs of the wider world.”(more)