Are you a “wandering generality” or a “meaningful specific?” These phrases are an aptly simple description for the state of one’s life or state of being.
A wandering generality is a person who drifts, strolls, and putters through life often in search of something they can’t point a finger toward and say, “This is it!” Life can feel listless and meaningless.
In the 1994 movie Forrest Gump, Tom Hanks portrays the prime example of a wandering generality with a knack for being at the right place at the right time. Perhaps the movie was intended as an absurd tribute and encouragement that good things do happen to wandering generalities?
City Slickers (1991) stars comedian Billy Crystal as Mitch Robbins, a 39-year-old, mid-career, middle management wandering generality yuppie who lacks focus. He’s desperately seeking … he doesn’t know what, but he knows he’s missing something. As a result, he’s mired in mediocrity and feels like he’s missing out on a life burning out like a fuse to death.
In a now legendary scene (photo above), Mitch rides his horse side by side with the crusty cowboy Curly (Jack Palance) and carries on this dialogue:
Curly: Do you know what the secret of life is?
Mitch: No. Curly: (Holding his index finger in the air pointing upward.) This.
Mitch: Your finger?
Curly: One thing. Just one thing. You stick to that and everything else don’t mean shit.
Mitch: That’s great, but what’s the one thing? Curly: That’s what you’ve gotta figure out.
Most would say that a meaningful specific is a person who has figured out their “one thing” and is actively engaged in their life’s work. This is a noble but incomplete understanding of being a meaningful specific.
Focusing only on one’s “life’s work,” has dangerous downsides.Apart from the risk of workaholism, there’s — pardon the cliche — becoming a human doing instead of a human being. Our performance (what we do) becomes a fortress for securing our identity and measuring our self-worth. Except within those walls, we discover there’s a fine line between living behind a vault of protection or within a cell of imprisonment.
A well-built “one thing” facade along with a “doing” focus may advance a career but not fulfill the heart. As described in last week’s On-Purpose Post, anxiety mounts from having it so good, but not being in a good place.
Imagine the two of us riding horses on the open plains and preparing to drive cattle through a valley. Our conversation follows:
Kevin: Do you know what the secret of life is?
You: No. Kevin: (Holding up two fingers in a victory sign.) This.
You: Your two fingers?
Kevin: No, your 2-word purpose.
The obvious power of your 2-word purpose is that it is practical, actionable, and informative, especially for casting vision, detailing missions, and clarifying values. It’s about getting stuff done and having meaningful work.
The secret power of your purpose, however, is the intimate connection of your identity and security in the higher power of God. That’s the only place where unconditional love, fulfillment, and peace exist within. So no matter how bad the situation or challenging the circumstances of your tough shift event, your 2-word purpose is the key reminder for how you can refresh and restore your soul.
When Curly held up his index finger and pointed skyward, was he unconsciously pointing heavenward? Or, did Mitch (like many of us) misinterpret that Curly was actually saying, “Your answer is from above and that’s what you gotta figure out”? My guess is even the famous scriptwriter team of Lowell Ganz and Babaloo Mandel weren’t aware of their coded message.
You know your 2-word purpose so you have every potential to be an at-peace meaningful specific.
Be On-Purpose!
Kevin
