How & Why we medicate lack of purpose

November 19th, 2012 by Agent Kevin Miller

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I’m admittedly TOO ‘purpose’ focused. Not only is my vocational life devoted to helping people discover and work in their purpose, but everything I do has to have a purpose. To the point my kids and friends sometimes wish I’d just chill the hell out and have some fun. Not make everything a teaching moment. Our last family movie was “Machine Gun Preacher.” Incredible message, but being so heavy all the time gets…heavy.

Sure, I believe life is short, precious and to be taken seriously. But truth be told, I think some of my drive is just fear of boredom. Not just momentary boredom, but longterm…meaninglessness. Going through the motions. Groundhog day.

When this happens…you medicate. It’s an epidemic bigger than obesity here in America and beyond. Let me explain.

Listen to the show where I expanded on this and read some of the incredible comments:Right-click to download / Listen or subscribe via iTunes

Today I write to you again from the Manuelito Navajo Children’s Home in Gallup, NM. It’s a home for abandoned, neglected and sometimes abused kids amidst the Navajo Indian Reservation. You can read about it more at my wife Teri’s blog:
#1 “I don’t need my cape after all”
#2 “The risk of deep waters”
#3 “When it’s just too much”

*Pictured: Teri doing an activity with some of the kids

Now I’m not a historian, I haven’t deeply studied the ‘Plight of the Indians’ for years and I’m surely not politically correct. But from spending time here, I’ll simply share my experience and perspective.

Losing their war to keep their lands and way of life was not what caused the Indian’s plight. Many cultures have lost wars and lands and lives and are still kickin’. No, what seems to have been the death knell were the government handouts. “Allotments” they called it. Land, infrastructure, health care, education and more.

Again, this isn’t a history lesson, you can learn all you want by searching online.

But the Indians lost their way of life, and were given a handout of another way of life. Meager, but easy. Now, instead of receiving the glory which comes from carving a meaningful life out of one’s existence, they didn’t have to do much.

They were given desolate lands and meager rations, but…it was free. And what else where they gonna do? So they took it, and the results are catastrophic. They’ve now been medicating themselves to death due to no purpose for a few generations. Bored. To put it simply, they are dying from sugar consumption, in all varieties. Sodas, processed foods and the most deadly for them…alcohol.

Our bodies crave ‘feeling’. We can’t NOT have near constant ‘feel’. We live for it. And we’ll have it authentically or artificially. When you spend all day hunting an elk with a bow, it’s divine to celebrate with fresh meat over the fire. Real, true, satisfying. But when you’re given over-flavored, processed foods with no nutrients that never fill, you lose the joy in natural foods and continually seek saltier, more sugary foods in a never ending quest to satiate and satisfy. When you spend all day hunting an elk with a bow, watching a fake show on a screen would be asinine. You’ve been living a REAL adventure. You want to dance around a fire, sing out loud and make passionate love while on horseback under the freakin’ moon!

Remember what I said about not being politically correct. Sue me.

But wait…this isn’t really about Indians (not unpolitically correct, it’s how they refer to their heritage). It’s about our modern culture everywhere. It may be about you. It’s definitely about me. Take away my purpose, and there is no meaning. No feeling. We as humans can’t handle it.

We go with the flow, conform, fit into molds and exist through each ground hog day. We all have every basic amenity. Food and clothing and shelter is cheap. We don’t have to go kill something and bring it home for dinner in exhilarated exhaustion. We just drive through a fast-food joint and pick up a little bag of over-flavored, under-nutritioned death in a bag and shovel it down while watching a fake story on a screen. Finish it off with chips and cookies over the news and late night shows.

Hey, not everyone, but the majority. We all know it’s true. I’m a foodie, I adore great tastes. And I revere a great story that pulls me in and makes me ‘feel’. But if that is the primary daily or weekly pursuit…something is wrong. With the obesity epidemic and media consumption increasing at such a rapid rate here in America, what can we surmise?

Lack of purpose and medication? Seems we’re racing to join the initial inhabitants of this land. The land of the free and the home of the brave. Really?

If this strikes any chords…maybe dwell again on ‘Purpose’. Is it a luxury to discover and pursue personal purpose? Or a dire necessity and requirement of life?

You chew on that while I grab a Coke and some Cheetos and watch a few seasons of Miami Vice reruns…

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1026054025 Wendy Sutter-Staas

    This is exactly what is happening to our country. People have become so complacent — and the government LOVES it. . . at least those currently in Washington. It is like they have us all in a pot of water. . . it is cooking hotter and hotter and we aren’t even noticing what is happening around us. We have just gotten more and more accustomed to the trash on tv, trash in the restaurants, and the trash that is becoming the American life. . . However, I believe there are enough of us who do want purpose — who wake up to the sickness around us and we start doing something about it. . .however, it is like trout swimming up stream. . .some will make it, some won’t. . .they will think it is too hard and just succumb to pressure and take the easy way — the gov’t hand out. . .I refuse! It may sound harsh. . .but most will not even realize it. . . till it is REALLY hard to get out.

    • http://www.freeagentacademy.com Kevin Miller

      You know I try to fall on the side of personal responsibility. And I do so here as well. But I’d be lying if I didn’t confess…I feel our government is not for the people as much as it’s for big corps. Poor people can only afford the worst foods because the government has subsidized those foods. Otherwise poor folks could never afford McD’s, only raw veggies.

      • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1026054025 Wendy Sutter-Staas

        Sure. I completely agree with you. However, I go one step further. Personal responsibility is key!! Walter and I are on a very tight budget. We do not go out much. . however, I save our money to purchase good nutritious organic foods. Why?? Because I know we either pay now or we pay later to fix ourselves — and medical bills are more expensive than organic food. … plus, we help grow it on my parents farm so that the veggies are not as expensive.

        Personal responsibility is what will save this country — we need to demand it from others. . . helping them realize they can do it on their own. . .that goes from the individual to the business!! My parents refuse any subsidies in their business — does it make things a little more expensive — yes, but they are in control and don’t have to worry about the gov’t telling them what to do more than the current laws.

        • http://www.freeagentacademy.com Kevin Miller

          For those who have eyes to see and ears to hear. Won’t be everyone, won’t be the majority. And we’ll attract folks best by loving them well.

  • http://www.facebook.com/mdparker04 Michael Parker

    Kevin, You are spot on! I just got finished doing a little medication with a movie and some junk food. For a while you feel great caught up in the story, but it can be hard when you crash back to reality. I think we all need to take a little time to relax and unwind for a bit, but if you you are not careful the breaks can turn into days, months, and then years. Before you know it, you’re looking at life wondering where did all the time go. As for me, I want to make my life count for something before it’s too late.

    • http://www.freeagentacademy.com Kevin Miller

      I hear you Michael. And hey, I surely don’t speak from a place where I’ve fully arrived. I’m grateful for much purpose in my life that battles off most of the ‘medication’

  • http://www.facebook.com/mdparker04 Michael Parker

    Kevin, You are spot on! I just finished doing a little medication with a movie and some junk food. For a while you feel great caught up in the story, but it can be hard crashing back to reality. I think we all need a little time to take a break, but if you you are not careful the breaks can turn into days, months, and then years; before you know it, you’re looking at life wondering where did all the time go. As for me, I want to make my life count for something before it’s too late.

  • Shawn Perkins

    The movie Groundhogs Day with Bill Murray was great. At first it was just like you said, he was going through the same day over and over again – just like we can fall into. He then tried to enjory all the physical things of life without the fear of consequences through manipulating people, gorging himself on food, watching TV and so on. We try to do the same, but fortunately we have consequences to our actions. Towards the end of the movie, though, he has the Scrooge moment where he starts realizing his problem and that life is more about people than the physical things.

    That’s when he starts to learn…
    That’s when he starts to behave differently…
    That’s when he starts to change his life for the better…
    That’s when he breaks free of Groundhog’s day.

    • http://www.freeagentacademy.com Kevin Miller

      Good words Shawn. I have a personal ‘Groundhog day’ are in my life I’m working fervently on now…

  • http://MikeLoomis.CO/ Mike Loomis

    Holy crap, Kevin – This is super-sized awesomeness! Hope you feel better… I sure do – A nice jolt to accompany my coffee, and shape my day.

    • http://www.freeagentacademy.com Kevin Miller

      Made me laugh. Nicest thing anyones said to me in a while, “Holy crap, Kevin – This is super-sized awesomeness!”

  • http://seekoutwisdom.blogspot.com Joseph Iliff of SeekOutWisdom

    I remember taking classes in college about preserving historic buildings. There were many stories of beautiful old buildings that people have a strong emotional attachment to, and the thought of them being demolished or decayed motivates them to preserve them. Through those classes, I learned that the most important thing a building can have is not beauty, or structural integrity, or even sentiment. It is purpose. Without a reason for that building to exist, to be used for some worthwhile endeavor, to add value to the lives of people, it’s failure is assured. Without giving the building a meaningful purpose, all efforts to preserve it will ultimately fail. Purpose might not be an absolute requirement for mere existence, but it would seem to be one for a life of growth and service.

    • http://www.freeagentacademy.com Kevin Miller

      Wow Joseph, really, really interesting. Poignant. And profound. Thank you.

  • http://www.facebook.com/johnhard John Hard

    Reading about the domestication of the Indians reminded me of John Eldredge’s description of a caged lion. He just sits in his prison, lifeless. And to think he was created to rule, to hunt, to attack, etc. But all he does is just sit there. I hate to say I find myself in that same prison way too often. Thanks for stimulating me to continually consider WHY I’m here.

    • http://www.freeagentacademy.com Kevin Miller

      Great analogy John, thank you brother! I read this in my podcast today…just posted it here in the blog. Honored you’re hear reading.

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  • http://JaredLatigo.com/ Jared Latigo

    Very interesting post Kevin. I feel the same about conformity and it’s hold on our society. I make it a point to question the way things are done “just because they’ve always been that way”. That’s no excuse for me. I do find it hard though, makes me feel like I question too much. Guess that’s a good thing though :D

    Thanks again, great post!

    • http://www.freeagentacademy.com Kevin Miller

      Questioning the norm isn’t the easy road. More rewarding and true…but easier just to go with the flow down the drain…

  • http://christopherbattles.net/ Christopher Battles

    Nice analogy with the food. I reminds me when ended up not drinking soda years ago. I just did not have any for a month and then when I tried it I thought is was gross as my body got used to not having it. (Disclaimer: I will have root beer with in a float every year or two)
    When the benefits are seen we can start to get our bodies and minds to crave them. Now this does not mean the jog or pushing past the easier to find hourly job will be easier, but we start to crave and only want to give our bodies the better.
    Thanks Kevin.

    K, bye

    • http://www.freeagentacademy.com Kevin Miller

      Good wisdom Christopher, than you so much! Had a great message given to me earlier this year on ‘We crave what we consume.’ Really impacted me.

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