How to know your life purpose in 5 minutes?

Adam Leipzig

On the last evening?of my 25th college reunion,?there was a party in a tent?with dancing, and music, and noise.?So much noise that a lot of us?started to drift out of?the tent?so we could hear each other talk?and catch up with classmates?that we had not seen?in more than 2 decades.

昨天晚上是我25周年大學聚會，我們在帳棚里面舉辦了一個派對。里面充滿著音樂舞蹈與喧鬧。因為太吵了，所以我們很多人就到帳篷外面，這樣我們就可以聽到彼此的聲音，我和這些朋友已經二十多年沒見了。

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As I talked with my friends?I made an astounding?discovery:?80% of them were unhappy with their lives.?"I feel as though I've wasted my life,?and I'm half way through it," they said.?"I don't know what my life is all about."?

在聊天過程中，我有一個驚人的發(fā)現(xiàn)：80%的人并不滿意他們目前的生活。他們說：“我的人生已經過了一大半，但總覺得都在浪費我的人生。 ” “我不知道我生命的意義”

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I was privileged to go to Yale,?and we were standing on a summer evening?in the middle of Yale's old campus,?and the people that I was speaking with?were privileged, and highly educated,?and financially well off,?and in positions of power.?And they had the first house,?and the second house,?and they had the first spouse,?and the second spouse.(Laughter)?And 80% of them?were unhappy with their lives.?Who was happy, the 20%??

當初我以優(yōu)異的成績進入耶魯大學，在我們站上耶魯舊校區(qū)的夏天晚上，和我說話的人都是受過高等教育，且都很有錢勢與地位。他們買了第一間房子、第兩間房子，娶了第一個老婆、第二個老婆。（笑聲）但80%的人都不滿意現(xiàn)在的生活。那么誰滿意呢，剩下的20%？

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Well, we had studied literature?and Renaissance rhetoric,?and we were the theater people,?and the history geeks.?We had studied classes?for the joy of learning,?not because we thought they were going?to put direct us to a specific job.?We still got jobs,?we were living our lives expansively,?with life's ups and downs,?and we did not feel?that we had wasted a single minute.

我們學過文學以及文藝復興的修辭學，我們既是戲劇控，又是歷史迷。我們讀書是因為興趣，不是為了找到一個特別的工作。雖然我們還是找了工作，過著奢侈的生活，雖然時好時壞，但我們從不覺得自己虛度了光陰。

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And as I spoke?with the 20%, the happier 20%,?I discovered that each of them knew?something about their life purpose?because they knew five things:?who they were, what they did,?who they did it for,?what those people wanted or needed,?and what they got out of it,?how they changed as a result.

當我和那20%較快樂的人交談時，我發(fā)現(xiàn)他們每一個人都了解他們的生活目標。因為他們知道五件事：（1）他們是誰，（2）他們做了什么，（3）他們是為誰而做，（4）那些人想要什么、需要什么，（5）他們可以從中得到什么，結果會怎樣改變。

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Does that sound hard??It's not, it's actually really simple.?In fact it's so simple, that you can learn?your life purpose now.?You're going to know your life?purpose now, in the next five minutes.?Would you like to know your life purpose?in the next five minutes??(Audience) Yes.Can you be a little bit louder??Because they are making?a lot of noise in the tent,?and there is just a silly?little microphone?next to my cheek to hear you.

聽起來很難嗎？一點也不，它真的很簡單。事實上，因為很簡單，你現(xiàn)在就能知道自己的生活目標。在接下來的五分鐘里，你就能得到答案。你們想在接下來的五分鐘知道自己的生活目標嗎？（觀眾）想。你們可以再大聲點嗎？因為我已經習慣帳篷里的噪音，現(xiàn)在只憑臉上的小麥克風來聽你們的聲音。

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Would you like to know your life purpose?in the next five minutes??(Audience) Yes!

你們想在接下來的五分鐘知道自己的生活目標嗎？（觀眾）想！

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Thank you. Actually, it's not?even going to take five minutes.?So, can I share something else with you??

謝謝。其實可能連五分鐘都不用。好的，我要先分享另一件事。

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If you're like a lot of us,?you have wondered and worried?about your life purpose for a long time,?and there are books, and magazines,?and workshops, and seminars?about it.?In fact, Amazon lists 151,928 books?that refer to how you can learn?your life purpose.?(Laughter)

假使你和我們大多數(shù)人一樣，你常常在想并擔憂自己的人生目標，有很多書籍、雜志、演講、

研討會都和人生目標有關。事實上，在亞馬遜上就有151,928本書是關于你怎么尋找你的人生目標的。（笑聲）

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Well, I know some people?who have spent their entire lives?trying to learn their life purpose.?Look, we can all agree that?the unexamined life is not worth living,?but if all you're doing

is examining, you're not living.?(Laughter)

好吧，我知道，很多人用盡一生的時間尋找他們的人生目標。當然，我們都同意渾渾噩噩的生活是不值得過的，但如果你只是照著計劃表在考核你的人生，那你不算是真正活著。（笑聲）

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So, let's figure out?the life purpose right now together:?who you are, what you do,?who you do it for,?what those people want and need,?and how they change as a result. Shall we do it??(Audience) Yes.

那么現(xiàn)在，我們一起來尋找人生目標：你是誰，你在做什么，你為誰而做，他們想要什么需要什么，還有最后他們會變的如何。準備好了嗎?（觀眾）好了。

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All right.?Everybody, on the count of five,?shout out your first name.One, two, three, four, five:?(Audience shouts)

好!我數(shù)到五，大聲喊出你們的名字。一、二、三、四、五：（觀眾大喊）

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Fabulous.?That was the first one, only four to go.?That's who you are. (Laughter)

很好。這是第一個，還有四個。你已經知道自己是誰了。（笑聲）

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Now, what do you do??What do you love to do??Do you love to write, cook, design,?create iOS apps, write code,?crunch?numbers, talk, teach??What do you love to do??And if there is a lot of things?that come up for you?focus it down by asking?yourselves this one question:?what is the one thing that right now?you feel supremely qualified?to teach other people??Think about that in one word.?Hold it. Don't release it yet.?On the count of five.?What do you do?

那么現(xiàn)在，你在做什么？你喜歡做什么？你喜歡寫作、下廚、設計、創(chuàng)建iOS apps、寫代碼、算數(shù)字、談話、教書？你喜歡做什么？如果你想到了很多喜歡的事，那就問自己一個問題：現(xiàn)在哪一件事情你自己感覺最有能力可以傳授給別人的？想一下，用一個詞回答。屏住氣，先別說。等我數(shù)到五。你喜歡做什么？

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One, two, three, four, five:?(Audience shouts)

一、二、三、四、五：（觀眾大喊）

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Great. That's what you do.?Now, think about who you do it for,?picture them in your mind,?be ready to say it on the count of five.?Hold it, don't release it yet.?

很好，你知道自己喜歡做什么了?，F(xiàn)在，想想你是為誰而做，在你腦里想想他們的樣子，我數(shù)到五，說出你們的答案。等等，先別說出來。

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One, two, three, four, five:?(Audience murmurs)

一、二、三、四、五：（觀眾小聲回答）

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OK, who do you do it for,?let's see it one more time.?A little bit louder, please,?over the people in the tent.?Who do you do it for? Together:?(Audience shouts)

好，我們再來一次，你為誰而做，請大聲點，超過帳篷里的噪音。你為誰而做？一起說：（觀眾大喊）

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Thank you. That is the spirit?that we need. OK, now.What do all those people want or need??What do they want or need that you have,?that they've come to you?so you can give them this thing.?What do they want or need??In just one or two words.?Hold it, don't release it yet.?And on the count of five:?one, two, three, four, five...(Audience shouts)

謝謝。這就是我們要的氣勢。好，現(xiàn)在。那些人想要什么或需要什么？他們想從你身上得到什么，他們來找你是因為你可以給他們東西。他們要的是什么？用一兩個詞來回答。等等，先別說。我數(shù)到五：一、二、三、四、五……（觀眾大喊）

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Fantastic. Now, this is the best one.?How do they change??How do they change or transform

as a result of what you give them??On the count of five,?how do they change or transform

as a result of what you give them??One, two, three, four, five:?(Audience shouts)

太棒了。下面這個最精彩。他們會怎么改變？你的給予會讓他們如何改變或轉化??一、二、三、四、五，你的給予會讓他們如何改變或轉化? 一、二、三、四、五：（觀眾大喊）

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Terrific. Now we're going to put this?all together kind of in a sentence, OK??Everyone together,

louder than the people in the tent:

太棒了?，F(xiàn)在我們要把剛才的回答組織成一句話。大家一起來，要比帳篷里的人更大聲：

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who are you??(Audience responds)

What do you do??(Audience responds)

Who do you do it for??(Audience responds)

What do they want or need??(Audience responds)

How do they change as a result??(Audience responds)

你是誰？（觀眾回答）

你現(xiàn)在在做什么？（觀眾回答）

你為誰而做？（觀眾回答）

他們想要什么或需要什么？（觀眾回答）

結果他們會怎么改變？（觀眾回答）

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Fantastic.?You have all just done something?that people who went to Yale?could not figure out for 25 years.?Congratulations. Give yourselves?a hand. (Applause)

太棒了。你們剛才所做的是那些上耶魯?shù)娜嘶?5年都沒做到的。恭喜你們，給自己鼓個掌。（鼓掌）

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Now, why is that formulation?so powerful??Because of all of those five things?that you need to know?to know what your life purpose is,?only two are about yourself.?The other three of them?are about other people:?who they are, what they want or need,?and how they change as a result.?

那么，為什么這個公式這么有用？因為這五件事是你必須知道的，就是你的人生目標是什么，只有兩個和你自己有關。另外三個與其他人有關：他們是誰，他們想要或需要什么，他們最后會變怎么樣。

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That formulation forces you?to be outward facing.?And all the happier people?that I met outside the tent?on that warm New Haven night?they were outward facing,?they were not inward facing.?They knew very clearly whom they served,?what those people needed,?and how those people changed as a result.

這個公式會驅使你照顧到除你之外的人們。而我在帳篷外遇到那些較快樂的人，在那天溫暖的夜晚，他們都是看到自己以外的人，并非只是看到自己。他們清楚地知道自己為誰而做，那些人要什么，他們最后會如何改變。

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And you may have?intuited?this already?that the most successful people?in any field always focus most?on the people that they serve?than on how they are served themselves.?Happier people make it a point?to make other people happy,?and do things that make them?feel well taken care of and secure.If you make other people happy, life teaches us, we will be taken care of, too.

你可能已感覺得到，無論哪個領域的成功人士都很注重如何服務他們的對象，而不是他們自己。那些更快樂的人專注在讓別人快樂，做些事情使他們感覺倍受關心與照顧。生活告訴我們，如果你讓別人開心，我們也會被照顧得很好。

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So since you all did so well, we have time?for just a little bit of extra credit.?(Laughter)?

那么，因為你們表現(xiàn)得太好了，我們有時間再給你們一個小小的獎勵。（笑聲）

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One of the most difficult things?that happens when you meet?people for the first time is?they ask you this question,?"So, what do you do?"?And, if you're like some of us,?that's a really

challenging question sometimes.?Particularly, if you're in these moments?where you're between things,?or you're feeling vulnerable,?or it isn't defined.?Or, what you seem to do?isn't what you really do,?or what you paid to do?isn't how you define?yourself.

與人談話時，其中最困難的一件事就是當你第一次見一個人，他可能問你這個問題，“你現(xiàn)在在做什么？” 如果你和我們某些人一樣，感覺到這個問題有時確實挺有挑戰(zhàn)性。特別是當你面對抉擇的時候，或是你感到心力憔悴，或事情還未篤定。或是那些看起來你在從事的事情好像跟你說的沒有關連性；或是你受雇做的事情無法真正解釋你是誰。

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So, when people ask you?this question, "So, what do you do?"?and also, you've got?this mental monologue?going on,?"Why is he asking me??So, what do I do? Is it because..."?It's that transactional?thing?where it's like: "He wants to know?if he should really?spend time talking to me?"?(Laughter)?

所以當人們問你這個問題：“你現(xiàn)在在做什么？” 你心里就會開始想，“他為什么要問我這個問題？是不是因為……這些事務性的交談他必須知道或是他是真的想要了解？ ”（笑聲）

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Or, it's that other thing, so he can tell me what he does because he's sure it's, "Oh, really, so much better than what I do?" (Laughter) Right?

或者，他是不是有什么目的，才會告訴我他在做什么，因為他想確定我的回答是：”哦，真的？比我做得好多了？“（笑聲）對吧？

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So, when somebody asks you?that question, here's what you do:?you just say the very last thing?you called out,?how what you do changes?the people you do it for.?

所以當有人問你這個問題，你可以這樣做：只要說出你目前正在做的事情就行了，你所做的事情是怎么改變別人。

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So, for example, you might say, "I give kids awesome dreams."?If your life purpose is:?"I write books for children,?so they can fall asleep at night,?so they can have awesome dreams."?

比如，你可以說：”我給了孩子們美好的夢?！叭绻愕纳钅繕耸牵骸蔽覟楹⒆觽儗憰?，讓他們在深夜也能入睡，讓他們在入睡時能做個好夢。 ”

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Or you might say: "I help people look and feel their best,"?if your life purpose is:?"I design apparel?for men and women?who need affordable choices,?so they can look and feel their best."?

你也可以說：“我?guī)椭藗冋业剿麄兊膬?yōu)點，”?如果你的生活目標是：“我為大眾設計出他們付得起的衣服，使他們可以看到及感覺到自己最棒的一面。

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Or you might say: "I help people get great work into the world,"?if your life purpose is:?"I train entrepreneurs and creative people?to take decisive actions,?so they can get?their greatest work into the world."

你也可以說：“我?guī)椭藗儼炎畎舻墓ぷ鲙胧澜?，?如果你的生活目標是：“我培訓企業(yè)家和具創(chuàng)造力的人才來做決策，這樣他們就能把最棒工作帶給世界?！?/p>

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And then,?that little snippet?that you just said?becomes your personal elevator pitch.?And it will always start a conversation?because the person?that you were just talking to?has to ask you a question,

如此，你所說的那段話，將成為你個人的電梯演說。它會開啟一個新的對話，因為你剛才談話的對象一定會問你：

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"How do you give kids great dreams?"

"How do you help people?look and feel their best?"

"Can people really get?their greatest work into the world?"

“你怎么給孩子制造美夢的？”

“你怎么幫助別人看到及感覺到他們自己最棒的一面？”

“人們真的可以把最棒的工作帶給世界嗎？ ”

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And then you get to tell them,?and you get to share your life purpose.?And you get to share

how they may come to learn theirs, too.?(Applause)

然后你接著回答他們，分享你的生活目標。然后你要告訴他們，他們也可以發(fā)掘自己的生命目的。(掌聲)

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