PIXAR’S ‘SOUL’: THE SEARCH FOR PURPOSE VS. THE JOY OF LIVING

Guilty as sin—my pursuit of purpose has consumed me more than I ever wanted.

Funny how, out of all possible triggers, a Disney movie becomes your wake-up call. Soul hits different this time around.

The main character is stubbornly set on his purpose—to be a jazz musician. He lives and breathes jazz music, but disregards everything else. At one point, he looks back at his life as a gallery of moments and realizes he never truly lived—not fully, not joyfully.

I can give you a synopsis, but the internet is there to serve you. And I want to focus on the soul of the story.

For most of our lives, society has primed us to find that purpose—the one thing we’re allegedly born to do. That’s not necessarily wrong until they drill in your brain how “grand” that purpose is supposed to be.

It makes us believe that without chasing one huge dream to extraordinary heights, we might as well be living a meaningless life.

Dull. Colorless. Mission-less. Listless. Directionless. Ordinary.

Somehow we think the only thing that should matter right now is our bigger-picture goal…and then we’ll be happy. Then we’ll bask in that tasty glory of joy, freedom, and success.

That’s where society failed me.

I’ve been fortunate enough to recognize this passion and purpose in me at an early age. A singular fire burning so bright it led to a fulfilling career, wonderful experiences, and an above-average resumé.

The problem came when I couldn’t use that fire to fuel my aspirations to make a difference when I moved overseas.

I felt lost without the proper avenue to do what I was destined to do. I felt helpless and confused when I should have recognized the simple things I had accomplished. My role wasn’t VIP-level, but I did help the young souls I could.

That matters more than I dare to admit and I’m only realizing this now.

Not to downplay my struggles, the mix of experiences took a toll on my mental health. But I was blindsided by my obsession with this one big thing I was supposed to be doing. I was sent here to teach and I couldn’t.

That held me back from appreciating the simple moments that used to spark joy and the beauty in the ordinary that used to fascinate me. Like sushi, the pretty sakura, famichiki, and the fact that I was living someone else’s dream just by being in Japan.

I had my breakthrough, but it took a while. There were social, emotional, and mental gaps I needed to fill. Because unlearning things takes time. Reconditioning your whole being is a complicated process. But once you’re out of that loop, you would never want to return.

We’re overly conditioned to create our versions of a “successful and purposeful” life. The glamorous. The biggest difference. The one thing that changed the trajectory of the century.

We were told we could do any of these things—and it’s true—we could.

But no one told us not to get lost in the sea of chasing, hustling, and grinding to the top.

They failed to tell us we actually need to take in every moment on the way there.

They didn’t say the joy of living has a much higher ROI, than a human’s endless search for purpose.

They forgot to tell us to live.

It took a movie to inspire me to write this long-overdue piece.

But let me tell you this now:

Success is a state of mind—you can find it in the joy of living.

Stay Soulful,

Jopaz