Dr. Anna Loves:

Finding Purpose

I received 3 very interesting books for Christmas by Robert Greene – “The 48 Laws of Power“, “The Laws of Human Nature“, and “The Daily Laws“

I found them absolutely fascinating! Ancient wisdom and philosophy distilled and examples of how all humans have drives, motivations, even when they themselves may be unconscious of them. Detaching yourself from your emotions and mastering self control, resisting conformity and having a sense of purpose are key in life.

“He who has a why to live can bear with almost any how”

~ Friedrich Nietzsche ~

This quote particularly resonated with me because I always tell my boys to ask “why”.

Why are you doing it? What is your primary purpose? Wealth, fame, reputation, service, inner peace, comfort, challenge? I was a very driven young woman but now my primary purpose is to live my life with optimism, joy, and teach by example. In today’s world, we humans face a predicament. As soon as our schooling ends we are thrown into the work world, where people are ruthless and competition is fierce. Some of us had parents that met our needs and guided us as best they could, sometimes being overprotective.

Today, we have a new world order, a technological revolution, and the advice of our parents may be totally antiquated in this new fast paced society.

For some of us we are excited by the changes and have a smorgasbord of opportunities. We try different jobs, we embrace flexibility and enjoy our freedom.

For others, they are frightened of the chaos, and opt for a career that is practical and hopefully lucrative. That was me in my career as an anesthesiologist. I felt increasingly bored, no longer engaged in the work, and was trying to find different diversions. This is dangerous because it can lead to hobbies that are taken up and abandoned quickly, addictions of all kinds, and continual unrest and searching because we all have dreams and a sense of our own potential.

I wasn’t a natural mother, after all I was groomed to be a “career woman” but family is really what has brought me the most joy in my life. There is no perfect parenting manual but it’s important to live life leading by example. They may not listen but they will copy.