For a couple of years now, I’ve been trying to articulate what the meaning of life is to me in a succinct but thorough and accurate way. I think I’ve finally been able to write that down, and at least for the moment, I’m satisfied with it. For anyone who cares or is interested (or you’re just bored), here it is:

For me, real fulfillment is a fierce and totally ruthless engagement with life.

Engagement with life — every present moment of it — is the payoff itself.

That means doing the hard work of soul-searching to figure out who I am, how I want to express myself, and how I want to connect with others.

That means taking chances and having interesting experiences.

That means being full and giving value to others.

I value identity, honesty, integrity, expression, connection, love, fun, and hustle.

So far I’ve realized two driving passions in my life. The first driving passion is the deep exploration of the social-emotional world, which I’ve been exploring primarily through my career as a union organizer. The second driving passion of mine is art.

One day I will die. I’m making sure that every day of my life matters to me.