Pothole Prairie by Tim Engstrom

Let’s ramble a bit today.

One of my favorite aspects of the Blue Zones is its call for knowing your purpose in life. It’s No. 2 on the Blue Zones Project’s Power 9.

Here is what the website for the Blue Zones says:

“Knowing your sense of purpose is worth up to seven years of extra life expectancy. The Okinawans call it ‘ikigai’ and the Nicoyans call it ‘plan de vida’ — for both, it translates to ‘why I wake up in the morning.’

“Begin investigating your own purpose, by creating an internal inventory of your life. Try to articulate your values, passions, gifts and talents. What are the things you like to do and the things you don’t? Then incorporate ways to put your skills into action in ways that will add meaning to your life and the lives of others.”

To me, sense of purpose should not be interpreted to mean we have a single purpose. I like to read it to mean we have multiple purposes. To me, it almost seems to make sense to have a few backup purposes in life.

For instance, I am the editor of the newspaper. I have been a journalist for 19 years. You would think my sole purpose is to produce newspapers. But it’s not. It’s one of my purposes.

I also care an awful lot about being a father, more so than anything else. I have the purpose of being a good husband, too. And I care quite about improving my disc golf game.

My point is that by having more than a single purpose, we strengthen our lives like interwoven fabric. Lose one, we still have others.

From when the Blue Zones were around in 2009, I heard that it is common for people — and perhaps I read it in the book “The Blue Zones” — to die shortly after retirement because they lost their purpose. Look at coach Joe Paterno of Penn State.

But I can’t help but imagine that the people who live on are the ones not so closely tied up in their income-producing purpose. I had a disc golf friend who lost his job in November one year. I joked to him that it was a horrible time of year to lose a job. Lose it in the spring or summer so that the time spent looking for jobs — which never fills out eight-hour days — corresponds with the warm weather months good for disc golfing.

In other words, if we lose a purpose, we have other ones to back it up. This keeps us from falling into depression. We must value our time by seeking purposes.

The same holds true with social networks — the “right tribe” concept of the Blue Zones. People have families and an array of social circles. Some have many; others have one or two. If I move, who are the people who still are my friends years later? I am always amazed at what a dear family the world of newspaper journalism is, but I must add that disc golfers are great people, too. When one from the Mason City area broke his leg two years ago in Albert Lea, they held a doubles tournament and silent auction to offset his medical expenses.

And I must say that my disc golf purpose blends well with the No. 1 item in the Power 9: move naturally.

“The world’s longest-lived people don’t pump iron, run marathons or join gyms. Instead, they live in environments that constantly nudge them into moving without thinking about it. They live in places where they can walk to the store, to their friend’s house or places of worship. Their houses have stairs. They have gardens in their yards.

“To start moving naturally, consider making things a little inconvenient. Take that extra trip up or down the stairs instead of loading things at the top or bottom to take up later. Walk to your airport gate instead of taking the moving walkway or park far from the entrance when you visit a store. Walk a dog, do your own yard and housework, and get rid of some the timesaving electronics and power equipment that have ‘simplified’ your life.”

Aim, throw at nearly full force, pick up a bag, walk, walk, walk, set down a bag, pick up a disc, place a marker, stand, stand, stand (read: waiting for others), aim, throw at half force, pick up a bag, walk, walk, walk, set down a bag, pick up a disc, place a marker, stand, stand, stand, aim, test fine-motor dexterity with a toss into a basket, repeat. Sounds fairly natural to me, at least more so than an elliptical.

I suppose when you get down to it, all the items on the Power 9 blend together.

Here they are:

1. Move naturally.

2. Purpose.

3. Down shift.

4. 80 percent rule.

5. Plant slant.

6. Wine @ 5.

7. Belong.

8. Loved ones first

9. Right tribe.

 

Tribune Editor Tim Engstrom’s column appears every Tuesday.