The Stories That Will Never Be

Who is your favorite artist?

Who is your favorite writer?

Who is your favorite film director?

What if they had done something else instead?

We hear a lot about the rejects who kept going and found fame. Michael Jordan was kicked off his high school basketball team before becoming the greatest basketball player of all-time. J.K. Rowling was turned down by 12 publishers before Harry Potter became the best-selling book series in history. The Beatles were turned down by numerous record labels before becoming the highest-selling band ever.

But what about those that didn't catch a break? What about those who eventually moved on instead of trekking through to success?

This is an interesting thought experiment. It's as much an introspective and self-motivating tool as it is a means of understanding the value of pursuing purpose.

There are a few definitions, but when we talk about purpose, we're typically referring to the one above. The thing that gets us up in the morning. The thing we look forward to at the end of the day. The thing we're working towards, or the thing we're working on. It comes in many shapes and sizes, and it can even be a culmination of many things.

However, the unfortunate reality that underpins the thought experiment from before, is that many people never find their purpose. It's as elusive as it is inspiring.

It's incredibly difficult to say what it is that leads someone to their purpose, and it's rare that a prescribed approach works out of the box. Many whose purpose comes from spirituality might claim it's found one way, while others whose purpose is found in more physical pursuits might claim another. But as varied as people are, so too are the objects of innermost motivation.

In other words, I don't know how everyone finds their purpose. It's not one-size-fits-all.

But what I do know, is that purpose will never be found if it isn't pursued.

I don't want to think about a world where Linkin Park gave up before their first two albums came out in my tweenage years, or where Amber Hageman hadn't paid the bills (big "thank you" for that one) while Eric Barone built eventual cult classic video game Stardew Valley, or where the incredibly powerful anime film, A Silent Voice, was never produced. I have such strong ties to and memories of so many pieces of music, art, movies, shows, and so on, that it's honestly difficult to think about a world where those things had not been made, and what my life would be like had it not been so profoundly influenced by them.

So yes, it's an interesting thought experiment that serves as a helpful reminder to pursue my own purpose, but it also stresses to me the importance of encouraging others to find theirs and live it out.

If you haven't found yours yet, keep looking. Don't settle. I believe every person on the planet has a profound purpose. The scope may differ, sure. But the value of purpose is not measured by the breadth of impact, but rather the depth. More people know Paul McCartney's name than Chester Bennington's, but the latter's impact on me is immeasurable. 

You've heard a million times that the journey is more important than the destination. That's true. But the most important part of the journey is not squandering it, and if needed, there's no better time to reevaluate than today. Whether or not you see it happen during your life, the impact of pursuing your purpose may just change someone else's.

Who knows how many meaningful pieces of art were just waiting to be made, but never saw the light of day purely because the intended maker's pursuit of purpose was hung out to dry too soon. 

No one will tell your stories unless you do, and there's no greater tragedy than the stories that will never be.