Purpose Is Greater Than Need
“The purpose of life is to find your mission and fulfill it.”
- Mother Teresa
When I was coaching at Trinity Valley, we had a player come through the program who reminded me that “Purpose is Greater Than Need” in a way I’ll never forget. He wasn’t the most talented player on the roster. He didn’t get any major offers out of high school. He wasn’t a heralded recruit. However, he brought something unique every day; he was the first one in the weight room and the last one off the field. He never missed a rep, a meeting, or an opportunity to ask a question. Not because he was trying to impress anyone, but because he had something driving him deeper than the rest.
One day, I asked him why he kept showing up the way he did.
He didn’t flinch. “Coach, I’m trying to change my family tree.”
That wasn’t a slogan. That was his purpose. He wasn’t chasing stats. He wasn’t chasing an NFL career. He was chasing something bigger than his own need, and that made him dangerous every single day.
We had more talented athletes on that team, no doubt. But most of them were driven by what they needed in the moment—playing time, validation, a quick path to recognition. This kid, though? He was playing for something none of them could see. He wasn’t just trying to survive. He was trying to transform.
That’s when I understood something that has guided me ever since: Need is reactive. Purpose is relentless.
The Trap of Need
Most people live in survival mode without even realizing it. They go to jobs they hate because they need a paycheck. They chase comfort because they need relief. They follow trends because they need approval.
And don’t get me wrong—needs matter. Food, shelter, safety—those aren’t optional. But when need becomes your only driver, you live in a constant cycle of chasing what’s urgent instead of building what’s meaningful. You lose sight of who you’re becoming and start measuring your life by what you’re managing.
Need will get you moving. Purpose will keep you going when nothing else does.
I’ve coached kids who came from nothing, who had every reason to give up. But the ones who made it—the ones who broke cycles, earned degrees, and became people of substance—were the ones who played, trained, and studied as if their life depended on it. Because it did. Their purpose wasn’t about making the highlight reel. It was about rewriting the story they were born into.
What Is Purpose?
Purpose isn’t a slogan you write on your whiteboard or some vague Instagram idea about “living your truth.” It’s not a vibe. It’s not a feeling.
Purpose is direction.
Purpose is identity.
Purpose is the reason you keep getting back up.
When you understand your purpose, you stop measuring success by what you have and start measuring it by what you’re building. You stop asking “What do I need right now?” and start asking “What am I here to do that will still matter when I’m gone?”
That’s the difference.
Need focuses on the immediate.
Purpose fixes your eyes on the eternal.
Need gets satisfied and forgotten.
Purpose leaves its mark on everything you touch.
The Long-Term View Wins
I remember a staff meeting where we were discussing the incoming freshman, and one of my assistants said, “Coach, these kids need structure.” I agreed, but I pushed back. “No,” I said. “They need purpose inside the structure.”
Structure alone is a cage if it’s not attached to vision. You can get someone to follow rules out of fear, but that doesn’t make them resilient. That doesn’t make them free. It just makes them compliant. And compliant people fold the second pressure exceeds their comfort.
Purpose is what lets you stand tall in a storm and say, “I didn’t come this far just to break.”
It’s the long-term perspective that allows a single mom to work two jobs and still attend night school, because she’s building a life her kids have never seen before. It’s the drive behind a landscaper who keeps taking the “hard jobs” as they build a business that the haters could never imagine. It’s what keeps a leader investing in people who may never thank them, because it was never about the applause.
People driven by purpose don’t ask, “Is this easy?”
They ask, “Is this worth it?”
The Pain Test
Here’s how you know if you’re operating out of need or purpose: pain.
Need says, “I’ll quit when it hurts.”
Purpose says, “This pain proves I’m on the right path.”
That same athlete I mentioned earlier? He never became an All-American. He didn’t make the NFL. However, he completed his degree, earned a scholarship at a four-year college, graduated with honors, and became the first person in his family to attend and graduate from college. He then went on to earn a master's degree and a doctorate in law. After a few years, he opened his own law firm, which today is one of the top law firms in Dallas. He never stopped. He stayed true to his purpose.
The purpose didn’t die when his playing career ended. Football was just a vehicle. Instead, his purpose evolved.
You see, if your mission dies when your position changes, then it was never a purpose—it was ego. True purpose outlives roles. It outlasts applause. And it always, always survives pain.
Teachable Moment: Purpose Over Need
You will be tested. Your comfort will be challenged. The world will offer you easier paths that meet your immediate needs. But they won’t satisfy your soul.
Here’s your litmus test. If you feel stuck, or your career is drifting, or you may think you are getting close to being burnt out, ask yourself:
Am I moving toward something meaningful or just managing my next crisis?
Have I confused urgency with importance?
Am I using my energy to survive or to build?
When I face resistance, do I lean in or pull back?
Does what I’m doing still matter when no one’s watching?
If the answers reveal you’re driven by need, it’s time to shift. Because need gets you fed, but purpose builds a future.
Reminders to Live with Purpose
Purpose gives you power that pressure can’t steal.
When you know why you’re doing it, the how becomes secondary.You can meet your needs without selling out your values.
Never sacrifice long-term legacy for short-term relief.Your purpose should scare you a little—and drive you a lot.
If it doesn’t stretch you, it won’t change you.Purpose shows up in small, consistent actions.
It’s not just what you dream. It’s what you do when it’s hard.If it dies in the dark, it wasn’t your purpose.
Your real mission survives even when no one sees it.
You don’t need more motivation. You need more meaning. Need will get you started. But purpose is what gets you through. Stop asking what you have to do. Start asking what you were born to do.
Don’t stop when it’s hard. Don’t stop when it’s slow. Don’t stop until your purpose has a pulse.
