Debbie talks with Richard Leider about aging with purpose, the fallacy of "finding" your purpose, and how to practice daily.
Today, Debbie talks with Richard Leider about aging with purpose, the fallacy of "finding" your purpose, and how to practice daily.
Richard is considered a pioneer of the global purpose movement. Yes, the "purpose movement" is a thing. The topic of finding meaning and purpose has come up repeatedly on this podcast. It's key to a life well-lived, we’ve been told. But how DO you live a life of purpose? Are there any shortcuts or secrets? That’s what Debbie wanted to find out from Richard.
Richard Leider is the author of 11 books, many of which have been bestsellers, and recently co-authored the book "Who Do You Want to Be When You Grow Old? The Path of Purposeful Aging." He's very much on the right path for himself. At 77, he’s working, writing, and still, happily, honing his own purpose.
Together, they talk about the idea of purpose in elder hood, and why it is crucial to longevity. They discuss purpose as a verb: it’s not something you find but it’s something you “do” via purposeful living. Richard shares his story of a profound encounter with author and Holocaust survivor Viktor Frankl in 1968 and how that unlocked his lifelong fascination with purpose.
They also get into what he calls in his book the Ultimate Conversation - the one about death that you should have with your family but also with yourself.
And Richard shares what he does everyday to practice being purposeful. This might be the secret, if there is one. This is a great conversation with a man who is truly living what he talks and writes about.
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