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One of my Nyamiyaga boys recently asked us a very strange but important question: what is the purpose of life?
His answer lies here. Centuries apart, two great thinkers tried to answer it. Saint Augustine, a philosopher and church leader, once wrote, “Our hearts are restless until they rest in You.”
Many years later, Charles Handy, a British thinker known for his ideas about work and purpose, told the modern world that “the purpose of work is not just to make a living, but to make a life.”
They lived in different worlds but spoke to the same human need. Augustine looked inward, speaking to the soul. Handy looked outward, to the everyday worker trying to find purpose in what they do.
In Uganda today, many people are busy building careers, families, and businesses, yet quietly wondering if their lives truly have meaning. This becomes critical. Leave alone the politicians. Look at your own life.
Augustine understood the struggle of searching for fulfilment in the wrong places. In his time, he chased success, social recognition, and comfort. Yet even with all that, he felt an emptiness he could not explain.
He came to realise that peace is not found by running after every new opportunity, but by learning to live in harmony with what truly matters. That lesson still speaks powerfully to our times.
Today, we work long hours, juggling side hustles, or chasing promotions in a competitive economy, as we serve ‘personal lusts ‘and the god of capitalism. There is nothing wrong with ambition.
Augustine reminds us, ambition without purpose leaves the heart restless and unsatisfied. You now know what I am talking about. Rest, he said, does not mean doing nothing. It means finding the right rhythm between your work, your faith, and your heart.
His words, “Love, and do what you will,” are invaluable to the modern person. Love, in this sense, is not only about relationships. It is about doing everything with care and integrity, knowing that what you do serves a greater good.
Charles Handy spoke to a different world but a similar problem. He saw people who were successful by every measure yet deeply unfulfilled. Many had become prisoners of their jobs, defined only by their titles or salaries.
Handy believed that work should not just be a way to survive but a way to grow and to serve others. In The Age of Unreason, he encourages people to “live and work as if they meant it.”
He believed we should design our lives, not simply drift through them. In a Uganda, where more people are now starting businesses, creating digital platforms, or juggling several roles, his ideas fit our times. Handy called this a “portfolio life”, combining different skills, passions, and responsibilities instead of being tied to a single job.
The challenge is to find meaning in that mix. Charles reminds us that fulfilment does not come from money or status, but from aligning our work with our values. Each of us has to define success in our own terms, rooted in what we believe in. In things generally accepted as ethical.
Augustine’s restless heart finds confluence with Handy’s reflective worker to create a beautiful balance in life. Both believed that we are unfinished beings, still learning and growing.
The journey inward, Augustine said, helps us understand ourselves and find peace. Handy added that this inner clarity should guide how we live and work in the world. Augustine spoke of “ordered love,” where our priorities are rightly placed.
Handy spoke of “proper selfishness,” meaning that we must care for our own growth and purpose if we are to be of real help to others. They both believed that meaning is not found in achievements, but in the honesty and love we bring to what we do.
Work, then, is more than a job. It can be a calling. Augustine saw that call as divine, whispering through conscience. Handy saw it as personal, born from our gifts and values. Both are true.
The inner voice that calls us to do better, love better, and serve others is the same voice that gives meaning to our lives. Our modern lives are full of noise and distraction. Phones are always buzzing, social media never stops, and the race to “keep up” can be exhausting.
Many people feel busy but not fulfilled. Augustine’s advice feels timely: “Return to yourself; truth dwells within.”
Taking time for reflection is not laziness. It is wisdom. Handy also reminded people to “stand and stare” sometimes, to pause and ask, “Is what I am doing still worth it?” Without reflection, we can easily become trapped in routines that no longer inspire us.
To live purposefully is to find balance between what we believe and what we do. It is not about chasing excitement, but about doing work that reflects who we are and what we care about.
Augustine found this in faith; Handy found it in thoughtful living. Both paths lead to the same truth: the most important project you will ever manage is yourself. Not the road or innovation.
A meaningful life is not measured by wealth or recognition. It is seen in the lives we touch, the people we lift, and the good we leave behind. As Augustine found rest in belonging to God and community, Handy found fulfilment in serving others through his ideas.
Their message still speaks to us that a good life is one that unites the heart and the hands, the spiritual and the practical. To live with purpose is not to chase perfection but to live each day with intention. It is to make our work, our love, and our daily choices a reflection of what truly matters.
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