Power In Purpose

Each of us found ourselves serving for different reasons. Each reason powerful and driving in its own way. All our reasons as varied as the servant warriors who don the uniforms each day and protect our nation, our cities and our homes. But, we share one thing in common…purpose. Our work, our lives, our mission gives us purpose. That purpose propels us forward. It drives learning, growth, challenges us in many ways, and creates social networks that last a lifetime. Many of these things can be quite difficult in the moment. I don’t mean to romanticize our lines of work at all. But, the truth is that in spite of the stressors, in spite of the challenges and difficulties, there is great power in purpose. Servant Warriors, especially when functioning as a team with a well defined mission (purpose) can accomplish great things.

So what happens when a servant warrior driven by purpose reaches the end of that first servant warrior career? Or, what happens when that career is cut short by injury, politics or some other force beyond our control? Well, in my experience, some drift. Lacking purpose, lacking team, lacking motivation and social connections that previously acted as thier GPS they simply drift.

I drifted. Everyone needs to decompress after a life of stressful service. No one disputes that least of all me. I realized that I was adrift when I found myself standing in front of the family washer and dryer with our vacuum next to me and one of my dogs looking up at me. As I separated lights from darks in preparation for washing I also separated the delicates from the items that could be dried, I had the following epiphany: I used to carry a machine gun to work, I was responsible for a SWAT team, a narcotics unit, high risk operations in the capital of a major state of our country. Now, I’m separating laundry for the 100th time, talking to the dog and contemplating my grocery list. Nothing wrong with any of that, but, I was adrift and I needed purpose. This was not enough. I needed to learn new things. I needed someplace where people relied on me for something. I needed to build new social connections, take on responsibility other than the laundry and the scintillating conversation with the dog and generally chart a new course instead of drifting.

The benefits of “re-charting” and finding new purpose are vast. Learning new things, challenging yourself and establishing new social connections can keep older adults mentally sharp and even delay the onset of dementia or Alzheimer’s Disease. Our circles of friends and acquaintances shrink as we age and expanding that circle is wise as it leads to more instead of fewer engagements. If your “re-charting” means employment (it doesn’t have to) that can mean a supplemental source of income at a time when most of us need it (anyone look at healthcare prices for retirees?). Recent studies have shown that cultures where people work longer also tend to be cultures where they also live longer. The list of potential benefits is quite long and could certainly chew up a blog of its own.

So, why do people chose to drift? I suspect that some don’t recognize it as drifting. They may see it as “relaxing”. Why should they go join a club, volunteer, or get a part time job? They already worked a full career. Another reason may just be because it’s damn difficult. It’s tough to make yourself go do things with people you don’t know. To fill out applications, to risk rejection, to force your brain to learn new and challenging things. Damn. Its tough. But, wait, servant warriors are tough people and the consequences of not having purpose are dire! They include but are not limited to physical decline, mental decline, isolation, depression and premature death. If you are reading this and have not retired from your servant warrior job, I challenge you to plan to chart a new course after retirement. If you have retired and have not, I encourage you to do so. And, if you have “re-charted”, then I applaud you and ask that you tell others about the things it does for you.

One of the things that I realized pretty quickly when I got out there and attempted to correct my drift was that this chapter of my life was not like the earlier chapters. In earlier chapters, we have little in the way of resumes, experience, knowledge and understanding. We are likely not sought after as we don’t have much in the way of any kind of skillset to offer a prospective employer. This chapter is different. We come with all the stuff. We come with a long resume, long lists of skills, all kinds of things that make us attractive to employers and experience and training that makes retired servant warriors people employers want on their payroll. Once you get out there, once experience, leads to another. If you don’t like what you are doing, bounce to the next and don’t settle for anything except the job that makes you happy and fulfilled. You earned it. Go get it. Don’t settle for anything less than a new course that takes you into waters that makes you happy.