Welcome to episode 329 of Live Happy Now.

What would you do if, as an adult, you discovered that much of what you had believed about your life was a lie?

I'm your host, Paula Phelps, and this week, I'm talking with Stanford professor and psychologist William Damon, who didn't learn the truth about his missing father until he became an adult.

That led Bill on a journey to do what's called the Life Review, both for himself and his father, with surprising results.

He talks about it in his fascinating new book, A Round of Golf with My Father, The New Psychology of Exploring Your

Past to Make Peace with Your Present. And he's here today to tell us about it. Bill, welcome to

Live Happy Now. Thank you. I am delighted to be with you. And I am equally delighted to have you

here. You know, we've got, man, we've got a couple things to talk about.

And previously you had written about the importance of finding your purpose, which I think ties into the second book.

But first of all, can you talk about why it is so important for each of us to find our purpose?

Purpose is a terrific motivator in life. It's unique. It's a long-term goal that keeps us going through

ups and downs. And it's something we believe in. So it's something that we can dedicate ourselves to

and get beyond all of our minute, trivial day-to-day concerns and worries about

what's going to happen with us, to us, prevents self-absorption.

And it gives us something to live for, really, because it's kind of a beyond the self-transcendent, noble cause that you're dedicating yourself to.

And when I say this, I don't mean it has to be heroic or something you see in the movies.

It can be a very mundane kind of thing.

Raising children is certainly a purpose for most people, and that's something lots of people do.

So I don't mean to elevate it to something heroic beyond the ordinary person, but it is a

very, very special capacity in life to be purposeful, and it brings benefits to the world

because you're accomplishing things, but lots of

benefits to the self because it gets you beyond yourself to something more, more noble in life.

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