A PURPOSEFUL LIFE
A Purposeful Life Brings Joy to the Self and Light to Others
There’s a line by Jack Kerouac that I recently read that stopped me in my tracks:
“I hope it is true that a man can die and yet not only live in others but give them life, and not only life but that great consciousness of life.”
It’s haunting, hopeful, and deeply human. Kerouac was writing about a kind of immortality that has nothing to do with fame or legacy and everything to do with vitality, with how our energy continues to ripple through others long after we’re gone. It’s the idea that a life fully lived can awaken others to live fully too.
For me, this idea resonates on every level, spiritual, scientific, artistic, and personal. I am not religious, but I am deeply connected to the people who have shaped my life.
I carry the precision and curiosity of my father, an aerospace engineer who worked on the Saturn V rocket, and the creative grounding of my mother, an artist, a woman of the earth who lived through color, texture, and intuition. Their influences form a kind of orbit around my life: one reaching toward the stars, the other rooting me in the soil.
Kerouac’s words remind me that meaning isn’t found in the pursuit of greatness for its own sake, but in how we transfer energy to others, through love, purpose, and generosity. I believe that a purposeful life not only brings joy to yourself, but inspires and lifts others to do the same. It’s in how we show up each day, how we serve, how we create moments that matter.
This belief guides how I move through every part of my life, in my marriage to Tracie, in how I love and support my children, and in how I lead my teams and community. Tracie and I share a partnership built on balance and generosity, each of us giving energy to the other so that we can both grow stronger. We have faced deep challenges, celebrated glorious victories, and learned that love is not static, it’s something we actively give every day.
With my children, I strive to offer more than guidance; I try to give them the tools to see life deeply, to find beauty even in struggle, and to discover meaning in service to others. I want them to feel that great consciousness of life that Kerouac described, that sense that they are part of something vast, mysterious, and full of possibility.
In my work, I see hospitality as a “spiritual” practice, a way of giving life, of awakening that same awareness in others. A simple meal, a moment of kindness, or a shared story can remind someone that they are seen, that they belong, that life is still beautiful.
Kerouac hoped that a person could live on in others. I believe we can, and that it happens every time we act with purpose and love. Because in the end, it isn’t about how long we live, but how deeply we make others feel alive.
A purposeful life brings joy to the self and light to others.
Steve Shatkin is the Chef/Owner of Mammoth Coffee Roasting Co. and Ursa Kitchen
