The Neuroscience of Purpose

hiddenbrain.org/podcast/you-2-0-what-is-your-life-for/

One of my favorite things to do is go paddleboarding on Lake Michigan with my dog. She is agoraphobic and refuses to take walks, so this is one of the few activities we can do together. It's calming, refreshing, feels safe. The other day when we were out on the water I had this strong urge to keep paddling. I thought, "What if I just never stopped and paddled straight over to Michigan (I am located on the Chicago side)?" Turns out, some people have done this, but it takes careful planning and preparation and can be quite dangerous because this great lake often resembles an ocean with large swells of waves to catch you off guard. I let this raw and unencumbered thought pass and left the beach.

On my drive home, I listened to The Hidden Brain podcast. In this episode, "Your Life 2.0: What is your Life For?" the host, Shankar Vedantam, is interviewing public health specialist, Victor Strecher, about his research on the power of purpose. Turns out, Victor has also thought of kayaking clear across Lake Michigan after his 19 year older daughter died of heart failure and, in his grief, he was searching for a salve to regain a reason to live. Like me, he also didn't go through with this feat, but what he did next changed his life. He started asking himself what mattered most. The answer was teaching. So, he returned to the classroom. In this simple act, he regained a sense of purpose and found what was worth living for again after the death of his daughter.  

​This episode of Hidden Brain is packed with compelling stories of real people doing the real work of  finding purpose in their life- their anchoring "Why" - that gives them true meaning, and by extension, a life legacy.  Victor explains that one of the first steps to finding our purpose is to determine what we value. He's not talking about surface level hedonic values, like your appearance or money or, in my case, when I was in high school, I thought my purpose was to follow my hunky boyfriend around like an obedient puppy dog. He's talking about what he called "self-transcending" values. Those values that exist in a realm bigger than ourselves, like compassion, kindness, education, social justice. When what we do in the world on a daily basis is in alignment with our transcending values, we become much more resilient and primed for growth and evolution.

And, there's science to it-- "People with transcending values have less activation in a part of the brain that relates to fear and aggression called the amygdala. They have more activation in a part of the brain that relates to executive decision making, long-term orientation, a future orientation, and that's called the ventral medial prefrontal cortex, right up in the front of the brain. It's a very modern part of the brain. Humans have more than any other animal by a large amount."

At which point in the podcast I realized that my dog needs a sense of purpose because agoraphobia is strongly linked to intense fear and this part of her brain must be on fire!...but, I digress...

If identifying our life purpose is linked to our core values, that is a good place to start. Yet, I've always hated this question, "What do you value?" because it seems so big and esoteric, vaguely defined. Coincidently, at the start of the school year, it's often a community-building activity we do in our classsrooms to set the tone. But, what does it even mean and how do I identify what I value? Of course I value kindness. So what. In this podcast, Victor Strecher gives us a tangible example. He says, look at your cell phone. What is the wallpaper of your smartphone? Whatever image is posted there gives you a clue to what is important to you and is linked to your core values upon which you can build your purpose.

My smartphone image often rotates, but at the moment, it is graffiti streetart that I saw in Southern France this summer of The Little Prince. That classic tale reminds us that what truly matters in life is invisible to the naked eye—things like love, friendship, and human connection. Adults often lose sight of what’s truly important while chasing power, money, or status. Children see the world with clearer hearts driven by wonder, authenticity and imagination; three values I hold dear.

There are a range of benefits from having a strong purpose. Scientific research provides evidence that it can relieve depression; give you hope, energy and will power. Purpose is a form of mental and physical resilience that can reshape your brain and boost emotional regulation. It is a coping strategy in the midst of adversity. We must persist in our purpose and organize our lives around the things that matter most.  

In this podcast, we are reminded that life is finite. We're only here briefly in the grand scheme of the universe. So, what are you going to do with the precious time you are given? How do you want to spend your time? Is what you spend your time thinking and engaging in related to your core values and what you find meaningful? What are you obsessed with? And, if you don't know the answer to any of these questions, start by becoming a careful observer your life.

For me, my "Why" might not be traversing Lake Michigan with my dog, but it is helping others (dogs included) find their inner compass. That's what keeps me going. That is the kind of legacy I'd like to leave behind.  How about you? Maybe it’s time to find your “Why.” 


Resources:
Purposeful - app to identify your purpose and write a statement of purpose
Living on Purpose by Victor Strecher
Hidden Brain Podcast: You 2.0: What Is Your Life For? (June 30, 2025)