Making Meaning

“For we not only create stories as metaphors for life, we create them as metaphors for meaningful life, and to live meaningfully is to be at perpetual risk.” Robert McKee

What’s my purpose?

Is there a plan for my life?

Is there an author of that plan?

Is the author God?

Some of life’s greatest questions cause us to go inside, seek, and question. These questions often lead to more of the same, until we finally come up for air and have no answers.

The vastness of life can cause us to feel like a burr of metal, an insignificant shaving that’s been ground off a wheel, that connects to a bigger wheel, that turns a lever that creates a widget, maybe a bolt or a bracket. It’s easy to feel insignificant in life.

Is that us? That burr stuck in the machine, questioning “What’s this life for?”

I’ve asked these life-begging questions, which often seem to float off into the void and disappear without reply.

How many questions do we need to pose before we decide that some questions are unanswerable? Could the answer be—stop asking?

What if the solution to life’s great questions is to be okay with no answer?

And instead of continuing to ask, begin to tell: stories, songs, riddles, lullabies, jokes, rhetoric, something … anything except more unanswered questions.

I’ve kept a coffee mug on my desk for more than fifteen years now. It reads,

Life isn’t about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself.

1. First, decide who you want to be. This is more of a character question, but it can lead to a life path. The decision will show you what to point your life at. Do some soul searching to find your direction, and then begin to chase it, but remember, as the Russian Proverb states, “If you chase two rabbits, you will catch none.”

2. Once you have decided who you want to be, you should decide on your ONE daily practice. This is the cornerstone practice that will get you closer to who you’ve decided to become. There will be more you’ll have to do, but identifying the ONE thing you MUST do will give you the start of your priority list. You can always add to your list, just not at the risk of sacrificing your one thing.

3. Be strategic about your inputs. Finding your inputs is the most important support function to your ONE thing. For example, if you wanted to become a great screenplay writer, what inputs would you need in your life? A steady dose of McKee, the originator of the opening quote, might be a great addition to your inputs. To a large degree, we are what we consume, so allowing only vetted inputs is one of the great disciplines you can add to your life. This will support your ONE daily practice, which will build up to supporting your chosen life direction.

Limiting the number of suggestions I’ve given is purposeful. It can be overwhelming to try to implement ten life-changing practices, or tips, or anything for that matter, so I’ve chosen my top three.

Here’s the interesting and encouraging news that I hope will spur you along your journey. If you’re asking, “What’s my purpose?” or any of the opening list of questions, you are much further ahead than most people around you.

The 75th most Googled question in July of 2026 in the U.S. was “What is the meaning of life?” It was searched 170,000 times as of July 6th.

Here are the top 5 questions Googled during the same period:1

1. What is my IP - 980,000

2. How many days until Christmas - 860,000

3. What is today - 710,000

4. What does 6 7 mean - 580,000

5. How many weeks are in a year - 530,000

Back to our opening quote, “For we not only create stories as metaphors for life, we create them as metaphors for meaningful life, and to live meaningfully is to be at perpetual risk.”

I believe there’s a lot of meaning packed into this statement. But I’ll let you interpret that for yourself. What I want to draw out is that we all tell stories for meaning.

We tell stories about our past trials and triumphs, those things that have helped shape us. We tell stories of where we are today, our jobs, relationships, and family. And we tell stories about our future—travel, retirement, dreams—all the things we hope for.

But these are not the stories I want to draw your attention to; instead, the stories we tell ourselves are of paramount importance. They guide our actions, our thoughts, our lives, day by day, and we underestimate how important they are.

If you’ve struggled to define who you want to be—your life direction—you should survey the stories you’re telling yourself. For most people, the work begins there, and here is more great news: you’re the author. You can begin your rewrite whenever you choose.

Here’s what this looks like in practice.

I have life goals, but they are so big that I break them down into yearly goals, and this year, to support my goals, I’ve created a manifesto, something I repeat to myself daily. This is really just the story I tell myself, so that I will begin to believe it and act that story out into existence.

You can do the very same thing. It will take some risk, some change, some telling of new stories, but remember you’re the author, and sometimes, Life isn’t about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself.

I hope something I’ve shared helps you begin creating yourself.

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