The inspiration for this blog comes from Pixar’s animated, Soul.. I watched the movie years ago, but recently, I started noticing the maple seeds around me, the same ones that hold meaning in the movie. This was my call to watch it again, and I did so with a fresh perspective on the narrative.
In Soul, there are two main characters: Joe Gardner, a passionate jazz musician who spends his life chasing an opportunity to perform on stage, and Soul 22, a new soul who resists the idea of coming to Earth. The movie explores questions like: How did I become me? What is my role in the world?
The story takes us to three places: The Great Before (where souls prepare to come to Earth), Earth, and The Great Beyond. In The Great Before, new souls gain different personality traits, filling up most of their “spots.” However, one spot remains empty until they find their “spark.” This spark isn’t a purpose, though, it’s simply what makes them ready to live.
When Joe dies unexpectedly, he becomes a mentor to Soul 22, helping her search for her spark so she can finally come to Earth. In return, Joe hopes to use her spark to get back to his life. But the search doesn’t go as planned.
The Zone: Joy or Obsession?
During their journey, the movie introduces a fascinating concept: “The Zone.” This is a state where people flow in what they love, whether it’s playing music, creating art, or any activity that brings joy. When people are in The Zone, they become free, flying souls. However, the movie also shows how being too absorbed in something can imprison us. Obsession can turn passion into a monster, disconnecting us from life.
This balance between flow and obsession is a powerful metaphor for modern life. Are we in The Zone because we’re joyful, or because we’re distracted and disconnected from the world?
Finding Sparks in Everyday Life
While Joe and 22 fail to find her spark in The Great Before, something remarkable happens when they reach Earth. For 22, the spark doesn’t come from one grand purpose. Instead, it’s found in small, everyday moments: tasting pizza, hearing a street musician, eating a lollipop, and watching a maple seed fall from a tree.
But even after these moments, 22 feels uncertain. She asks, “What is my purpose?” The answer is a surprising and important one: A spark is not a purpose. The final spot fills in when you’re ready to live.
What Does It Mean to Be Ready to Live?
This question comes up again when Joe finally achieves his lifelong dream of performing on stage with the famous jazz musician Dorothy Williams. Instead of feeling fulfilled, he feels empty. When he asks, “What happens now?” Dorothy tells him the story of a little fish:
A young fish asks an older fish, “Where’s the ocean?” The older fish replies, “This is the ocean.” The young fish objects, saying, “This is just water. I’m looking for the ocean.”
The story’s message is clear: sometimes we are already in the ocean, but we don’t realize it.
Are We Aware of Our Own Ocean?
As an international student far from home, I often feel overwhelmed by to-do lists, feelings of insufficiency, and missing loved ones. Yet, I’ve worked so hard to get here. This is my ocean, and I need to remind myself to appreciate and embrace it.
It’s simple to overlook the joys in our everyday lives in the fast-paced, deadline-driven world of today. However, it’s those sparks, tiny, basic pleasures, that give life purpose.
Living on Purpose vs. Having a Purpose
Naina Dhingra from McKinsey makes an important distinction between having a purpose and living on purpose. Many of us can articulate our purpose, but actually living it means aligning our actions with what we care about most.
To help us get there, Naina suggests a practical exercise: for 30 days, ask yourself these two questions at the end of each day:
- When did I feel most energized or alive today?
- When did I feel most drained?
By reflecting on these questions, we can uncover patterns about what sparks joy and what takes it away. This process helps us understand not just what our purpose might be, but how to live on purpose every day.
A Call to Reflect
This blog is a call to try this exercise for 30 days. It’s a way to find our purpose through our daily sparks. So, if life ended today, could you say you truly lived? Maybe it’s time to pause, reflect, and realize that the ocean we’re looking for might already surround us.
Author: Busra Yilmaz Bahcecik – MSc Occupational Psychology Student
Student Intern at Zest Psychology
