John R. Miles

Then, with Near AL, we explored belief, how the assumptions we carry shape our behavior, our resilience, and ultimately how we experience reality itself.

But those conversations point to something even deeper.

Because even if you improve your relationships, even if you change your beliefs, there's still a more fundamental question.

what makes a life meaningful in the first place and that's where we begin a new chapter today marks the start of our new series that i'm calling purpose by design because a meaningful life doesn't happen by accident it's built intentionally through what you choose to value how you choose to serve and the direction you decide to move your life toward and there may be no better person to begin that conversation with than today's guest my guest today is arthur brooks

And this is the third time I've had the honor of having Arthur on the show.

Each time, our conversations have gone deeper, moving from happiness to fulfillment, and now to something even more essential, meaning.

In his new book, The Meaning of Your Life, Finding Purpose in an Age of Emptiness, Arthur tackles a trend that's becoming impossible to ignore.

Rates of depression and anxiety, as I've been talking about, especially among young people, have surged dramatically over the past two decades.

And what he argues is this, this isn't just a mental health crisis, it's a meaning crisis.

We have built a world that prioritizes achievement, productivity, and constant stimulation, but neglects the deeper human needs for coherence, purpose, and significance.

We're more connected than ever, yet increasingly lonely.

More accomplished than ever, yet often unfulfilled.

And the result is a growing sense that something essential is missing.

In today's conversation, we explore why success without meaning leads to emptiness.

Arthur goes into the three core elements of a meaningful life, coherence, purpose, and significance.

We discuss how modern life pulls us away from meaning, often without us realizing it, and how to begin reconnecting with a life that actually feels worth living.

At its core, this episode is about a question that sits underneath everything else.

Not just how do I succeed, but what is my life actually for?

Before we dive in, a quick ask.

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