Last week’s talk explored the freedom that comes from letting the big fish in our lives swim free — the career achievements we’ve may have been seeking, the idealized family we may have wanted to build, the self-image we may have been crafting. After the talk, I found myself wondering what it means to live a life of purpose, even when we aren’t casting about or hooked on the big fish.
For answers, I turned to a neighbor who is an astrophysicist and asked him how his colleagues are receiving the news about AI’s advances in mathematics. He, in turn, pointed me to an interview between Rachel Abrams and esteemed mathematician Steven Strogatz about this very topic. The upshot of this week’s talk and the Q&A that follows is that purpose arises from curiosity, generosity, and creativity — it’s a mind state, not an object. We can lose the object of our interest and still maintain the curious, open-minded attitude that sustains us and gives life meaning.
This talk was given at the Riverside Meditation Community, Brookmont Church, on Sunday, October 25, 2026. It follows last week’s talk, Letting the Fish Swim Free.
Question for the week: Think of a puzzle you’re working on, or one you’ve had to put down. When you chase it, does your attention narrow or open?
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