Purpose Is Protecting Your Brain
New research confirms purpose matters more than we think.
Hi, my friend,
Wow, do I have the coolest thing to share with you! I was perusing the internet last week, and I learned something that has affirmed my work in a new way. I’ve long felt a sense of purpose is integral to our well-being. And now the research backs it up.
A recent study in the American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry tracked more than 13,000 adults over the age of 45 for as long as 15 years. The findings showed that individuals with a stronger sense of purpose were significantly less likely, by nearly 30%, to experience cognitive decline, including mild cognitive impairment and dementia.
How amazing is that?!
If you follow me on Instagram, you may know that last year I lost my beloved grandmother.
She was the queen of my world.
Our family matriarch.
A titan of her era.
But, in 2018, she was diagnosed with dementia, and I watched her become someone I didn’t recognize. I know she would have been devastated to see herself this way. The loss of dignity. The loss of identity. The loss of her essence.
And though brain disease is multifactorial, and purpose is not a magic wand, this new research makes a wonderful case for centering purpose and meaning in our lives.
If you’ve made your way to this corner of the internet, it’s likely because YOU are interested in purpose. It’s at the heart of what I teach and explore in my work.
So this month’s purpose practice is about, you guessed it, cultivating more purpose.
Purpose Practice: The Daily Purpose Pursuit
Instead of asking “What is my purpose?” (a question that often feels too big to answer and can create an existential crisis), I invite you to explore purpose as a daily practice.
Step 1: Notice the Firestarters or Joy Sparkers
Over the next week, pay attention to moments, big or small, when you feel:
More present in your body
More generous with your energy
Less performative and more yourself
Fired up about something you want to make better or more whole
Consumed with joy and lost in flow
Step 2: Spot the Throughline
Look at what you wrote and ask:
What value was I expressing here? (Care, truth, beauty, justice, connection, creativity, service?)
What impact was I having here (on family, community or the greater good)?
Who or what benefited from my presence in that moment?
Which parts of my genius was I on the court with?
Purpose often reveals itself not through grand missions, but through patterns.
Step 3: Make One Purposeful Choice This Week
This could look like:
Saying no to something that drains you, even if it looks impressive
Saying yes to something that feels meaningful, even if it’s quiet or unglamorous
Adjusting how you work, rest, or relate so it honors your nervous system, not just your ambition
If purpose truly protects us, as this research suggests, then cultivating it isn’t indulgent, it’s essential. It’s an act of self-respect. And maybe even, over time, an act of preservation.
To your purpose (big and small),
Amina
Book me to speak: If you are interested in bringing the conversation around purposeful ambition to your organization, conference, or ERG, hit reply to this email and let’s schedule a time to talk.
Work with me 1:1: If you’re interested in building a more purposeful and profitable career, the joyful way, book a consult right here.
