The best of you
The best of you
Thank you for joining us at the end of week 43 of 2025. We are down to single figures for the number of weeks left in this year.
Last weekend, I had the privilege of spending quality time with some of my dearest loved ones. I don’t get to see them in person often, so having the opportunity to connect in person is very meaningful. Furthermore, throughout 2025, I’ve had the wonderful opportunity to spend most days doing work I find challenging, fulfilling and meaningful, in equal measure. Although my circumstances have been far from perfect, I would say this year has been a good one thus far (touch wood).
Over the past week, I’ve come across three social media posts that reminded me of something important: Whenever I’m not spending my time on meaningful pursuits and relationships, things that are bad for me become much more enticing!
(Sidenote: I have to hear something three times before paying attention.)
The first comes from a man called Steven Pressfield, speaking with Andrew Huberman on his podcast:
“Many people live their entire lives and never enact their real calling. So that real calling, whatever it is, if we don’t do that in our life, that energy doesn’t go away. It goes into a more malignant channel, and it shows itself in addiction, alcoholism, cruelty to others, abuse of others or ourselves, any of the vices that people have, because that original creative, divine energy [remains]. If we yield to our own resistance and don’t evolve that, then bad things happen. On the other hand, if we do follow that, we open ourselves up to becoming who we really are.”
The second was posted by Brad Stulberg, a performance psychology author I enjoy reading:
“When we’re cut off from connection and meaningful pursuits, we seek intensity wherever we can find it – even disorder begins to look appealing. But this chaos is really a counterfeit version of feeling alive. A more authentic, lasting and fulfilling version is found in creating, contributing, committing to a craft, coaching a team – doing real things in the real world that have an impact on real people.
When we are contributing and giving our all to something valuable, Stulberg concludes, we don’t have time or feel the need to gossip, get involved in drama, go down social media rabbit holes, get stuck into the comments section, drink too much or join online mobs.
From personal experience, this proves true. When my days are filled with meaningful tasks and people, dumb, harmful and meaningless distractions are just not enticing.
So what to do?
I can’t tell you what to do, but I can make a suggestion: Spend more time doing things, with people, that mean something to you. It will take being more deliberate, but it is okay to start small. You might need to take some time to figure out what moves your needle and you will definitely need to put in the effort to develop that gift, but the resulting experience will be absolutely worth it.
The last post was made by James Clear, author of Atomic Habits:
“Which activities are the best expression of you? Can you spend five minutes doing one of them today?”
Think about the activities that are the best expression of acting out the best version of you, and do that for five minutes. As a start. Just to see how that makes you feel. Then take it from there.
Struggling to figure out what your special contribution or purpose might be? Reach out! Our coaching process is aimed at helping you find out and develop it.. You can reach us at info@purposeworks.co.za.
At PurposeWorks we are all about Making You and Your Work Rock. Our focus is on Organisational Health and Design, Employee Centered Culture, Leadership Development and Performance Coaching. For more information on how we can help you create a work environment that rocks, develop a great team, become an inspiring leader or unlock your personal excellence talk to us at info@purposeworks.co.za.
