I was just thinking about some advice I was given, and I thought I would write it down. Giving advice is uncomfortable for me; but I do it often enough anyway, so I can't play coy. This particular bit of wisdom is not mine, but I'm sharing it. I've condensed it from some things a very important old pipe-smoking man taught me over the period of time I knew him into my own interpretation. He taught me that there are three things we need to do in life to be alive: The first is to take care of business (survive), the second is to take care of ourselves (thrive) and the third is to take a purpose (derive).
In taking care of business, we take care of the things that we need to do to keep breathing, keep shelter over our heads and keep our neighbours from lynching us. This includes working, caring for our families and enough social conformity and consideration that we don't deliberately antagonize others.
We take care of ourselves in looking after not only our physical health, but our mental health and our happiness. We allow ourselves the things we need in life, even if we don't get everything we want. Sometimes we need to be a bit selfish, and this isn't bad or wrong.
When we take a purpose, when we try to derive some meaning for our lives, we're no longer just surviving and marking time; we're accomplishing things. For many of us gifted people, this contributes greatly to taking care of ourselves as well, but it's a side-effect. The main effect simply lies in having that reason for living. It could be spiritual or as pragmatic as you please. Nothing in this world other than a human being (with the debatable exception of dolphins) has this quest for meaning.
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