Harvard professor and happiness researcher Arthur Brooks describes meaning through three powerful dimensions:

• Coherence – making sense of life’s chaos and seeing the patterns.

• Purpose – aligning your daily actions with your deeper values.

• Significance – knowing your life matters and understanding your impact on others.

Together, these three lenses create a framework for a life that feels intentional, anchored, and fulfilling.

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Reflections & Wisdom

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When I speak to executives and CEOs, I often ask: “Have you defined your life purpose? Not your mission or vision, but your ‘why’?” In most rooms, less than half raise their hands. Some admit they’ve never thought about it, while others share inspiring clarity. What I’ve learned is that purpose is about bringing forward the music in your heart, the unique symphony only you can share.

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Here are a few key lessons on purpose:

• Purpose takes many forms. You can have a job purpose, a career purpose, a family purpose, or a broader life purpose. What matters is living with intention and contributing positively—whether to your team, community, family, or the world.

• Purpose evolves. As your life and relationships change, so will your “why.” When you feel adrift, Brooks suggests asking yourself three questions—unplugged, with pen and paper: Why do things happen the way they do in my life? Why do I do what I do? Why does my life matter, and to whom? This activates deeper reflection and clears space for new insights.

• Purpose fuels health and resilience. Research from Harvard and the Blue Zones shows that having a strong sense of purpose lowers heart disease risk, strengthens immunity, reduces stress, and even lengthens lifespan. It also enhances creativity, problem-solving, and persistence—serving as a “biological shield” and a mental anchor during uncertainty.

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 For deeper exploration, here are two inspiring podcasts interviews:

• Ayse Birsel, Design the Life You Love

• Ammar Charani, Purposehood