Welcome to Sunday Spin, where I dish about life beyond the realm of writing.
An eel flitting through water
Like a swirl of ink
That leads the story home
Everything in life has a purpose, right? Last weekend, my parents-in-law were fishing and caught an eel. He couldn’t (wouldn’t? 
) take it off the hook, so he asked her to do it. She didn’t have enough light, so they decided to wait until morning.
The next morning the eel was hanging out in the water, still attached to the hook. Alas, even with light, the eel was impossible to remove—so they cut the line. They felt bad about it, knowing that with a hook in its mouth it might not be able to eat and will likely die. This of course led to guilt at having maimed one of nature’s unwitting creatures. Which then led to her question, what is an eel’s purpose?
Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons-Adolsomee
I had no idea. But her question got me thinking about life purpose in general. I thought back to a college psych course where my professor talked about a honey bee’s true purpose.
Is it to make honey? Or something else?
The honey bee has a goal to collect nectar to make honey. One might think this is the true purpose of the bee. But what else happens once the nectar is collected?
Plants are pollinated and life goes on. Life is maintained. (In a nutshell.) This is a side effect of nectar-collecting.
Is it possible, then, that the side effect, and not the goal, is the honey bee’s true purpose?
For most of us writers, our goal is to be published, to sell books. But what is the value of that goal? Simply being a published author in and of itself isn’t very valuable. However, if we publish our books so that we can help other aspiring writers, for example–well, that would be pretty darn valuable.
Then what do you think would happen? If we’re working toward our goal while enriching the life of someone else, then the side effect would be that we help someone in the process, which might be our true purpose. Think about it–if our true purpose in life is to publish then we’d have nothing left to achieve.
That’s why, perhaps, instead of focusing so hard on that one goal (being published), we need to think about the side effects of being published.
As writers, ask yourself these questions. How can you help a young child struggling with reading? How can you use your new title of “Author” to reach underprivileged communities? Would you raise the bar and write another book, a better book? Would you decide you’ve had enough, it’s too much work, and you need to use this experience as a stepping stone so that you can move forward in life? Would you reach out to fellow writers and share your experience, give them a helping hand and the name of your agent?
If we get too tangled up in that fishing line, can’t get off the hook of our dreams, then we just might miss the true purpose of being writers. A chance for us to turn around and give back or pay it forward, whatever direction you want to take it.
And as far as eels go, aside from being a link in the food chain or made into wallets, maybe their life purpose is to have given me this idea for a blog post.
Have you found your true purpose in life?
Here in the UK eels are eaten in london Jellied Eels are considered a traditional dish
Yes, I have also eaten eel in sushi. Not my favorite dish, but I know a lot of people enjoy them
Very insightful and thoughtful post, Kate. I hope the eel found a way to survive, even with the hook in its mouth. Another purpose of our writing could be the enjoyment, inspiration, or help we bring to readers, depending on the nature of our work (fiction, memoir, self-help, educational, etc.).
If we all slowed down enough to ponder the question of “what is life’s purpose,” we might better understand how interconnected our lives are. Not just with other humans, but with all life on the planet. We might all gain a better sense of how important even one person’s choices and actions can be.
Not sure I could bring myself to eat an eel. Why not? I can eat fish, lobster, and shrimp. But why do eels and mollusc-like things make me cringe?
Absolutely, the enjoyment and inspiration we bring to readers is a wonderful purpose. And certainly well-worth the effort of writing and bringing our work to the attention of others.
I think you’re right. We should stop and think more about how our choices might affect someone else (either negatively or positively) as we don’t live in individual bubbles. We might think when we’re making career decisions, that it only affects us and our immediate families, but our reach is so much farther than we might imagine.
Isn’t that funny about how squeamish we are over certain foods. I don’t think I could dig into one curled up on a plate, either.
Great post, Kate! Wow…really must finish my morning coffee before getting on the reader.
You have given me a lot to think about- what is the purpose of being a writer? Hmm… I don’t think I am writing to get published, though that would be a great side benefit. I don’t think I am writing middle grade fiction to change the world, although inspiring a kid to read is an awesome side effect to publishing. So much to think about!!
Hi Cheryl,
haha, yeah, this one might be a little too heavy for a leisurely Sunday browse.
Inspiring a kid to read and/or write is a great side effect to being published, I agree.
I recently saw a news clip about a country singer who visited an inner-city school and sang for all of these kids in an assembly. It was amazing to see the connection that he made to these kids, kids who probably never dreamed they could reach the same stars. And I bet there is at least one kid who started thinking that maybe he/she could be a singer, too. I like that thought.
Great post today, Kate! There is a lot of noise on the Internet and in the world for that matter. As writers, we have the opportunity to evoke true purpose & true change with our words.
Kristen Lamb wrote an excellent post about this last week. Here is the link for anyone interested.
http://warriorwriters.wordpress.com/2012/09/21/politics-religion-social-media-how-great-writers-change-the-world/
Hi Christy,
I think anyone in the public eye has this opportunity, and most celebrities don’t do enough with their fame and fortune. I really consider it a duty, actually. And I don’t mean they all need to go adopt children from third-world countries
but I do think they could do more to help in general.
Thanks for the link. I didn’t see her post, but I’m excited to take a peek at it.
I feel for the eel and hope it didn’t suffer long.
True purpose? Ah, you think like a writer.
Apart from keeping the human species going, I think everyone’s true purpose is love and you can express love in so many different ways like sharing and nurturing, selflessness and respect, laughter and kindness, empathy and acceptance … Writing is also a form of love as you are sharing your experiences with humanity. Not a bad side effect. 
I love your thoughts on true purpose. I think love is a great goal as well as a great side effect. And think of the positive energy that we give off when we’re acting out of love. It’s so much nicer to be around someone who is respectful, kind, accepting–and we tend to react with the same vibes.
Ah, yes, writing is definitely an expression of love for many of us. I know that when I get my writing in I feel fuller, more enriched, happier. So, I’m a nicer person to be around.
Thanks for stopping by!
Hope the eel did manage to eat – we will never know. One thing I do know though is why I write. The first is that I’m an addict – I confess – I have to write to enjoy myself and lose myself in other worlds. Secondly, I write for children because I want to help them to love books and therefore enrich their lives. I’ve had to think much deeper why I’m writing the Victorian psychic detective story – I think it’s because I want to give back some of the joy given to me from other writers – yes, it’s definitely because I want to spread a little happiness. I’m sorry I’ve gone on a bit but you do write such thought provoking posts.
Ah, writing addiction. Yup, I’m there with you. I go through terrible DTs when I don’t get to do my writing for the day. And I can see why you get such enjoyment out of writing for kids–you really have a knack for the voice and the style that kids can relate to. I think when we’re good at something, we want to do it that much more. And we are spreading happiness when we’re writing what we love. That’s so important.
Well, thank you for your kind words. I do like to get analytical sometimes.
Thank you for your lovely comments, it really brightens my day – it can be such an up hill struggle trying to get your stuff out there, well you know what it’s like in the world of writing. The addiction is strange. I get stressed when I can’t write. I loved that eel post, it’s good to get at the root of things.
Yes, indeed putting ourselves and our work out in public is an uphill battle. Maybe in this scenario addiction is a good thing. If we weren’t addicted, we wouldn’t be willing to take on the struggle of becoming authors.
Deep questions with this one! I don’t know if I’ve found my true purpose in life, but I feel as though I’ve found my ‘groove.’ I guess that counts for something. You raise some interesting points about being a writer. I think sharing our experiences and trying to help others on their journey is certainly an aspect of the vocation.
Hi Carrie,
Finding your groove counts, definitely!
I doubt that many of us ventured into the writing field with the sole intent of helping others (unless we’re writing inspirational or self-help pieces.)
However, I think that most books in all genres carry a message that we do hope our readers will consider and relate to in some way. And for that, we are writing in an effort to be “helpful” or to connect or however we want to explain it.
Blogging is certainly an aspect of reaching out to our community, when we talk about how to go about getting published or our experiences with writing workshops or how to overcome that insidious fear of rejection. Sometimes I think we don’t realize how often we really are helping someone out.
Thanks for stopping by and commenting.
Loving the thoughts your post has inspired. I’m also thinking about how the hook can be those life changes that we have to move on from but yet carry with us. I’m not sure I know yet what my writing purpose is, but I hope it’s what I get to keep on doing.
Hi Coleen,
oh yes, I think you’re right about that hook. It can certainly stay with us for a long time and can even have the power of stopping us from doing what we need to do to continue moving forward. We have to figure out how to manage the hook so it doesn’t interfere too much.
Thanks for your comment!
This morning in church the pastor reminded us that we are given gifts to be blessings to others, not to bless ourselves. I agree with him, and I agree with you!
Hi Jessie,
I love that–our gifts are blessing to others. This is a wonderful way to remind us that we do have a responsibility to everyone around us and to make the most of our friendships and relationships. Thanks for commenting!
Eels are delicious…that’s all I know. So tender. I loved this post, and think your thoughts were very valid. It is sad if we get tangled up so much in our dreams that we forget to help those around us.
Aha! An eel eater.
Actually, I know a lot of people who dine on eels, so I know it’s not unusual. I think that a lot of people become so focused on what they want to do that they forget how much every action impacts the world around them. Thanks for stopping by!
My pleasure! This post was just what I needed.
I really hope the eel was okay in the end. I’ve had them hooked on my line before, so I understand how you feel
I’m not sure what my purpose in life is yet. I’ve given birth to three beautiful children who are out to save the world, so that’s good in itself. I write for myself mostly (and I’m thinking now that this is probably a bit selfish) and when I get published that’s just the icing on the cake. I help a lot of people at work who are going through tough times, which can be exhausting – but I’m still not sure if that is my purpose or not. Maybe I’ll realise one day and have that ‘aha’ moment
Thank you for getting my rusty brain up and running this morning!
Hi Dianne, I think it’s wonderful that you have children who are doing good for the world–don’t forget that you set them on that road, either purposely or not. So, in my opinion, that is a side effect of your goal or dream or wish to have children.
Well, I think we have to write for ourselves first and foremost, honestly. If we’re not getting pleasure or personal fulfillment out of doing the main “thing” of the day (whether it be writing, raising kids, defending our country, nursing, etc.) then that is a waste of time and life in my book. Additionally, when we’re unhappy, those around us will feel that energy and be unhappy.
Happily, I think the same is true of joy and self-fulfillment. Positive energy spreads to others and enhances lives. I think this happens when we don’t even try to make it happen.
I bet you’re living your life purpose without even realizing it.
As far as my dog is concerned, my purpose in life is to feed him. What a sad life I lead.
I think if one were to ask my kids, they’d say the same thing.
What an excellent post! This is something I think about all of the time. What I would do for others if I were a published author? Money cannot be the driver, nor fame. But I hope I can encourage aspiring authors if/when I get to that point. Excellent post.
Hi Bob,
I think a lot about it, too. Especially when I run into a patch of dejection or frustration. I am able to squash the fear that writing is a pointless, useless venture when I think about how many people have specifically told me how much they appreciated my help, my advice or feedback, or a blog post I wrote, etc.
Thanks for commenting, I’m happy you liked the post.
My true purpose is to help other survivors of abuse find hope for healing. In conjunction with writing, I hope my blog is the beginning of that purpose. Only God knows what the next step may be.
Hi Denise, I thought about you when I wrote this post, actually. You are one of the few people I felt with confidence had already found her life purpose. Your motivation and desire to help others is definitively clear in your blog posts. So, I *know* that your blog is the beginning, the crux, of your purpose. I think you’re doing an outstanding job.
Wow! I am humbled and honored! Thank you for your sweet words. I will tuck them in my pocket and refer to them often! xo
Like the connections you made here, and I think it is a very valuable question, especially for writers, to ask ourselves. I remember a while back realising (as you have said here) that being a published author is not enough. My words need to make a difference to the world somehow. For now, that’s as specific as it gets, but it does help to keep perspective.
Hi Alarna, I think that there probably are a few authors out in the wild blue yonder who don’t give a rat’s tail about their true purpose, or how they could use their experience or knowledge to help someone else. That’s fine, it takes all sorts to make the world go ’round.
I like how you phrase your particular journey–that your words need to make a difference to the world somehow. I really think that is a writer’s duty, one way or another, if we take our jobs seriously and go above and beyond the fame, fortune, what-have-you.
And who knows how specific we need to be, really? I think your take on the life purpose you seek is perfectly acceptable. Why should we narrow down the realm of choices? Absolutely, keep perspective and reach out when you have the opportunity or ability to do so.
Thanks for stopping by and commenting!
The purpose of life? What if there is no purpose? Enjoy the journey!
Haha, okay! I’ll raise my glass to that!
I’m not sure we have one true purpose. I do try to help others to smile and laugh. As animals, our most basic purposes are to survive and procreate the species. That is pretty serious stuff. I like to add a little joy to all that work.
Hey Dennis,
Absolutely, I think you’re right. Across a lifespan, I am sure we have more than one true purpose. I like that you bring joy to the world. I think that one, worldwide, has become too rare these days.
Thanks for commenting.
eels are designed to be slippery and catching hold of life’s purpose often proves equally so. If I was a writer I’d be content to juggle words and weave a story – as a psychotherapist I’ve found that helping others along the way needs to be more practical than words.
Hi Laura,
I like how you approach this question. You bring in your writer self and your psychotherapist self. I think because you do have a hand in helping others as a psychotherapist, your writer self is more free to be just a writer. And sometimes, that’s a really great feeling.
I like the questions you’ve raised here – and your interpretation. Just wish the psychotherapist would help the writer
I read this post on Sunday morning and thought to myself that I would ponder on it and come back with my answer today, but I stil don’t have an answer. But I don’t think we should spend too much time trying to figure out our purpose ahead of time because we might then get so focused on that that we miss something else. I guess I’m saying that I shall remain open to possibilities and hopefully I’ll know it when I see it!
Vanessa–are you telling me that I’ve stumped you?
I didn’t expect anyone to rummage their brains over this, so I totally get where you’re coming from. And you’re right, we could get so wrapped up in how we are impacting the world that we might not move forward in our personal endeavors.
I think, though, most of us conscientious citizens are impacting the world in a positive way–even if we don’t realize we’re doing it, even if we’re not purposely trying to. I think it just happens. Good begets good, kindness begets kindness, helpfulness begets helpfulness.
Great post. I wish I’d found my purpose in life. Over the last few years I feel like I’m getting to where I want to be. Just finding somewhere to park
Hi Pete, I think it is a process, so I’m sure you are headed in the right direction. Haha, hopefully you don’t have to pay for parking.
I think about this question ALL the time…what is my purpose? Remember Lorenzo’s Oil? I think of the line where the mother is told that maybe all her work to save her son is really to save someone else’s child. And it’s a crushing blow and yet, this mother has to come to terms that this just might be true. I have to think about it as a writer because otherwise all the rejection just gets to be too much. If it’s all about ourselves, there is no happiness. Convinced of that for sure. It’s in the losing of our lives, that we find our own.
Hi Amy, yes–that would be a blow of a realization, but the reward is monumental, isn’t it. I know what you mean about the rejections. There has to be something else besides the act of being published for us to be able to put up with so much disappointment. I know that I find a lot of strength through helping other writers, and I often think that once I am published I will do more to help others. That makes me feel like I am on the right path. Wonderful comment, thanks.
I like the exploration here — I’ve been thinking about the purpose (for me) of writing music recently as well. I think the broader purpose is to help people to find joy in their lives and take everything a bit less seriously, and to help myself do those things by engaging myself in the creative process as well. Music is really just a tool to accomplish those goals.
Hi Chris,
Oh, writing music is a great example. Music can be so powerful and inspirational. Music can reach people through every single emotion — it’s amazing how many songs I’ll hear from way back when I was a teen and still feel the same stirrings of emotion, be it joy or sadness. And I think you’re right about the broader purpose of writing music, positively affecting people is a great way to go beyond your initial goal.
Thanks for commenting.
Your post reminded me of this musical Avenue Q–there’s actually a character that laments not finding his purpose and just floating along through life. I don’t know think we can know all the side effects of our purpose. But I think it’s about doing something that means something to the individual. Whatever it might be.
I have never seen Avenue Q–but it sounds like something I would enjoy. You’re right, we can’t know all of the side effects of what we do. I’m sure we’re affecting people/nature right now without even realizing it. And yes, if it’s meaningful, then it’s a life purpose.
I found that my true purpose in life is to bring glory to my creator God, in whatever I do, and enjoy Him forever. Like a child who wants to please a parent — I feel that way when I write. There’s a line from the movie Chariots of Fire: “I believe that God made me for a purpose. But He also made me fast, and when I run, I feel His pleasure.” That is how it is for me and writing.
Hi Darla, that’s a truly wonderful, selfless life purpose. I think we are all doing that in some respect–but to purposely ‘bring glory’ is amazing. Great line from Chariots of Fire. I like the connections you made here. Great comment, thanks Darla.
Great post!
Thank you, Naomi.
Very thoughtful post, Kate. And a point you’re not alone in considering (because I know I’ve done).
The goal of many writers to be published is a feasible one, sure; I want to get there, myself. But, the more pages and stories I’ve written – and scrapped – the more I’ve come to realize that the publishing goal is an ultimately superficial one. I like simply telling stories, after all. I suppose getting published opens me to a wider audience…but my reasons are pretty selfish. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that, at a surface level (don’t we all want to be seen as good at something?), but I’d want this book, for example, to benefit others. Like, with donations and stuff, though even that is rather small.
Your point about purpose rings very true to me, too. Sometimes, we’re so concerned with the process – or even the end-goal – that we lose sight of the greater (and lesser) reasons for what we do. There’s a story called Clan Apis by Jay Hosler that deals with this idea of purpose – in bees, even! – in a very lovely way. It’s a book my girls and I have enjoyed reading together since they were babies, and it’s helped them to understand that we’re not just about what we do, but about what we do that contributes to the whole.
Thanks for posting this. You always make me think about the wider world around me.
Hi Mayumi, Clan Apis sounds like a wonderful book, and one that I would enjoy reading no doubt. I have put it on my to-read list.
I think that’s exactly what I want in my life–to understand how I contribute to the whole. I love the mystery of it, even though I am in search of answers. I know there are reasons for being that I can’t even begin to understand. But it’s really fun to explore these ideas.
Thanks for your lovely comment.
I love this post. Lately I’ve been wondering why I bother to do any of this writing stuff at all. Sometimes I even stop writing because of it. But I always end up eventually going back to it. I still don’t really know why. After all these struggles we go through while constantly trying to find the time to write, wouldn’t it be funny if our purpose wasn’t even to publish? When that is the ultimate goal, it does take a lot of the fun out of it. Hopefully a side effect to all this has at least been to inspire others along the way – and you’ve done that with this post – thank you.
I have stopped writing because of this question, also. Not thinking I was getting anywhere. Then I started thinking about the fact that writing brings me joy–and shouldn’t that mean something? So, yes, this writing gig is a tough one to understand. If we could write to our heart’s content and not have to worry about making a living off it then we wouldn’t have these questions probably. Maybe the fact that it is sometimes painful, difficult, frustrating is why there may be another purpose outside of the obvious.
Thank you for your kind words. That’s really sweet of you.
Great post. My purpose in life is to be the best wife, mother and grandmother I can be. Plus I’ve written a few books. That’s how I look at it =)
That’s awesome, Nancy. I can’t think of a better life purpose.
If you asked a bee what it’s purpose was, it might say “to collect honey” without being aware that in the process it was also pollinating flowers, allowing life to go on. A bee simply does what a bee does. In that way, I’m not aware of what my life purpose is, but I do know that it must involve stories, written or painted.
When an writer writes a story, they write the story they have to tell without knowing how the reader will respond or what they will take from it. They’re simply doing what they do. Their true purpose may be to reach out to others through stories, but they might not necessarily see the impact their words have or the many purposes they have served. I guess in that way, maybe we don’t always know what our purpose is.
Good point. Lots of times we just do what we love to do and not really worry about the why’s and wherefore’s of what we’re doing. I think if a writer can impact someone with his/her story–then that is a purpose above and beyond the original intent. And you’re right, we may never know what we’ve done for someone else. But I guess we can hope or imagine we’re making a difference–as long as we want to make a difference in a positive way, then I think that is purpose enough.
Thanks for swinging by!
A wonderful post Kate. To me I believe all artists feel a “connection with things” a certain way they see/feel/believe and they want to share this with others. The difficult process for writers to be seen/heard (published) was going on even during Shakespeare’s time as well. He struggled to get published (when he wasn’t acting or writing lol). thanks for a great read! Penny
Yuck eels!! I’d love to inspire other people win reading or writing for sure!
So short, but well deserved applause for that most muse-y eel