One thing can't be everything. People used to get their sense of purpose from church and hobbies while work was only a place to make a living. Don't expect work to fulfil you completely the same way you don't expect your partner to fulfil you completely. Because you can do so much at home (work, train, entertain), there is almost no reason to go outside. Purpose comes in various forms (kids, leadership, business) and often reveals itself during a crisis. If you're in a dark place and you don't tell anyone, it gets darker. Tell people when you're lost. Nobody wants to go back to hard times but everybody is glad it happened due to the lessons learned. Having good intentions isn't enough, you must help in an adequate way. People know what they need but need someone to feel it with. We're both rational and emotional animals, hence the recurrent confusions. People in an emotional state need to be approached with emotions, not facts. Meet emotions with emotions, come back with facts later. Ask for permission to share your thoughts with people as they may not be ready to hear it. Be situationally aware. Humans have the ability to overthink everything. Friendship is when two people agree to grow together, like a couple or a community. Are you willing to grow? Don't play the unaccountable victim, be brave enough to help your oppressor to feel better. Take accountability for who you are. If you are responsible for your failures, you are responsible for your successes too. It's either luck or yourself, never both. Don't attack people's character, attack their behaviors: you're a liar vs you told a lie, you're a cheater vs you cheated. No one believes to be evil, everyone believes to be on the side of good. Are you a good friend to yourself? You're never lonely because you're always with yourself. Agree to grow with yourself and allow feelings to happen. Opposite emotions can occur simultaneously. Creativity is finding order in chaos. Maslow's hierarchy of need is wrong because it focuses on the individual while we are both individuals and members of groups. The happiest people have the best relationships. Decide that you've already won; you've already got things to be happy about. Your only competition is yourself. Goals are important but not the end of the game, set them higher than your competence level and get used to failing. The goal isn't to win but to have a good time. Consistent little actions beat a few big ones. Think about everything in terms of cost, keep the equation balanced, rest once you've worked hard. Don't confuse goals with purpose; being the best is a goal while inspiring people is a purpose. Goals change while purpose is fixed. A goal that doesn't contribute to your purpose isn't worth it. If the sacrifice feels worth it, keep going. A purposeful life isn't easy but you've signed up for it and people will have your back. You are not meant to survive alone but in a group. Friendship is the ultimate biohack, help others instead of reading books. You can love someone yet hate them from time to time. Both good and bad things will pass, life is bumpy ride where only relationships remain. You can't be angry or sad when you're laughing, hence the need for a great sense of humor. Make your fears known so that other people can say "me too" and enable you to grow together. Sharing your struggles first makes you a leader because you are creating a safe space for everyone to express themselves.
Simon Sinek