This series challenges the glossy promises of self-help formulas and explores a more grounded, human-centred approach to purpose. Drawing on insights from survivorship bias, ancient wisdom like the Book of Job, and the quiet strength of living with integrity, these reflections invite you to redefine success on your own terms. You’ll find a compassionate perspective that honours complexity, values presence over performance, and sees life purpose as the unfolding of your truest self.
The Problem with the Success Formula
Tired of success formulas that promise transformation but leave you feeling like you’ve failed? This post explores the hidden pitfalls of popular self-help advice, including survivorship bias and the myth of tidy life stories. It offers an alternative – a more compassionate, meaningful way to define success on your own terms. If you’ve ever felt like you’re doing all the right things and still not getting anywhere, this one’s for you.
When Life Doesn’t Add Up
What if life doesn’t go to plan – even when you’ve done everything “right”? In this gentle, grounded reflection, I explore how ancient wisdom like the story of Job can help us make sense of disappointment, loss, and spiritual unease. This piece is an invitation to let go of tidy formulas and walk a more soulful path – one rooted in integrity, not guarantees.
Why Living with Integrity matters more than Success
In a world that urges us to strive, transform, and succeed, what if the deeper calling is to live with integrity instead? This gentle reflection explores why staying true to your values-especially when the outcome is uncertain-can be more meaningful than chasing an ideal future self. It’s about presence over performance, authenticity over certainty, and living a life you can truly stand behind.
We all share the same life purpose
What if life purpose isn’t something you find, but something you become? This post offers a gentle reframe: that we all share the same essential purpose – to grow into our truest selves and live with meaning and integrity. Whether through quiet acts or bold ventures, our paths may differ, but the deeper calling is shared. A soulful invitation to honour the journey of self-actualisation, in your own authentic way.
Relevant book reviews
In The Power of Purpose, Richard Leider invites readers to see purpose not as a grand, elusive calling, but as something woven into daily life. Through three life stages-Discovery, Integration, and Transformation-he offers practical exercises to clarify values, uncover strengths, and find meaning in small, intentional acts. A warm, accessible guide for cultivating resilience and living with purpose at every stage of life.
In Fortitude, Bruce Daisley challenges the myth that resilience is all about personal grit. Instead, he highlights the vital role of community, supportive relationships, and social context in building true inner strength. Critiquing the corporate “bounce back” mentality, Daisley offers a compassionate, research-based alternative that reframes resilience as a shared endeavour. A timely, thought-provoking read for anyone ready to look beyond self-help slogans and embrace a more connected approach to well-being.
In Be Your Future Self Now, Benjamin Hardy offers a practical, psychology-based guide to aligning today’s actions with the person you want to become. Drawing on concepts like identity-based change, prospection, and growth mindset, he shows how small, consistent steps can lead to lasting transformation. A motivating, research-backed framework for anyone ready to live with greater intention and actively shape their future self.