When people ask what anthropology does, I often say: we unpack why humans do what we do and make the invisible visible.
We are cultural detectives who notice the patterns that others overlook.
We are empathetic listeners, trained to hear what is said, what is avoided, and what is trying to be born.
We are reality checkers who reveal the gap between beliefs, language, and action.
We are root cause hunters, future forecasters, pattern analysts, and perspective shifters.
And when we are truly living the work, we become illuminators who shine light on inherited rules we never chose and help people make conscious choices instead.
Sometimes, the most conscious choice is to stop.
This July, I took a full sabbatical. I had to. I wrestled with the thoughts that said we couldn’t afford it, that it was indulgent or irresponsible. I took the break anyway. It was necessary.
Even with all the tools I practice and teach, I could feel the drain. When we keep going too long without rest, we start running on what I call AA-battery energy. It works for a while, but it always runs out.
Restoration requires a different source. Nature helps. So does slowness. So does the body, when we finally let it speak. Time stretches. Breath returns. Perspective shifts.
During the “Julattical,” I toggled between rest and caregiving for elders. But the highlight was spacious, unhurried time with the team. Courageous Being is led by a multigenerational core. Gen Zs Liam and Maggie contribute daily to our creative force. My brother Pavle, a Millennial, anchors our retreats with steadiness and intuition. His daughter, part of Gen Alpha, reminded us how attuned children are when we are paying attention. Our Boomer parents offered insights over long family meals. For part of the month, we all stepped back. There were no meetings or deliverables. Only ease, laughter, and real connection.
From that rest, deeper questions emerged. How do we lead across generations? What do Gen Z teammates need to stay inspired? What do Millennials see more clearly? What lived wisdom do Boomers carry? And what might Gen Alpha already be asking of us, just by how they show up?
These are the questions psychological anthropology is built to explore.
At Courageous Being, we study intergenerational dynamics but also apply the learnings and live inside them. We don’t just analyze them, which is a mistake I often see among my peers in leadership.
Product design, communication, and decision-making are shaped daily by multiple generational lenses. Many business leaders still frame this as a challenge to solve. I see it as a treasure, a precious resource. A form of cultural capital. Something to explore with curiosity and intention, so that we can make use of what we discover.
A recent Chief article captured this beautifully:
“Gen Z craves values alignment and mentorship. Millennials often lead with collaborative spirit and flexibility. Gen X brings resilience and independence. Boomers hold deep wisdom and long-view thinking. Every generation brings gifts when we create environments where those gifts are seen.”
In financial services especially, this awareness is not a trend. Succession planning, evolving teams, and cross-generational trust are already shaping the present, not just the future. Anthropology gives us access to the deeper layers beneath strategy, beneath language. It reveals what is actually guiding decisions, and what might be in the way.
That brings me to purpose.
Purpose is not a title or a marketing campaign.
It is your deepest Inner Why, carried into every space—even the ones where you’re not sure you belong.
Purpose is not something you have to earn, chase, or even find.
It is something you remember and embody.
It is the outward expression of your inherent worth.
It is not a role, a resume line, or a fixed destination.
It is the natural alignment that emerges when you live from the remembrance of who you truly are.
Your purpose flows from your Inner Why, and that Why is inseparable from your worth.
You are not valuable because of your purpose.
Your purpose is possible because you are already valuable.
Purpose becomes clearer when you stop measuring yourself by productivity, performance, or approval. Instead, start listening to what feels meaningful, true, and alive inside you.
Its form may change over time, but it always begins in the same place:
with an undeniable certainty that you matter, and that your presence can serve something larger than fear.
Our sabbatical didn’t pause the purposeful work we do. It stripped it down to its essence. Beneath all the plans and ideas, it reminded us why we do any of this in the first place.
When we listen across generations and sit at the proverbial and literal table with Gen Alpha, Gen Z, Millennials, Gen X, and Boomers, we are working with difference, but more importantly, we are mapping meaning, tapping into greater wisdom, and practicing a kind of collective remembering.
Psychological anthropology helps us decode the unspoken stories passed down through families, companies, institutions, and cultures. It shows us how each generation holds a piece of the puzzle, and how purpose, when rooted in worth, can be expressed at any age, in any season of life.
Because purpose is not reserved for the young, the seasoned, or the chosen few.
Purpose has no age. When we understand that, we begin to build workplaces, relationships, and communities where every voice has a seat at the table.