We hope there is a sense of purpose in everything.

"We hope there is a sense of purpose in everything." – Ozzie Smith

In this humble yet profound reflection, Ozzie Smith, one of the greatest shortstops in the history of baseball, gives voice to one of humanity’s deepest longings — the yearning for purpose. His words speak not only of the game he loved, but of life itself: the desire that every effort, every challenge, every joy and sorrow might hold meaning. To live without purpose is to drift like a leaf in the wind; to live with purpose is to walk a road that may twist and darken, but which always leads somewhere sacred. When Smith says, “we hope there is a sense of purpose in everything,” he captures both a truth and a prayer — that even when life seems random, there is order beneath it, a divine pattern woven through the chaos.

The origin of this quote lies in the heart of an athlete who gave his life to mastery. Ozzie Smith was known for his grace on the field — for the flips, the dives, the effortless beauty of his defense. Yet behind that grace lay discipline, perseverance, and an unspoken faith that his work mattered. In a world where games are often seen as trivial, Smith saw in baseball a mirror of existence — a realm where effort and intention gave meaning to motion. The field became his temple, the glove his prayer, the play his offering. He believed that every action, when done with love and purpose, became part of something eternal.

This truth echoes across the ages. The ancient philosopher Marcus Aurelius once wrote, “Everything that exists is in a manner the seed of that which will be.” He understood, as Ozzie did, that purpose is not always visible, but it is always present. The sun does not question why it burns, nor the tree why it grows — yet both fulfill the will of the cosmos simply by doing what they were made to do. So it is with us. Our purpose may not always be grand or visible, but when we act with integrity and devotion, even the smallest task becomes sacred labor.

Consider the story of Mother Teresa, who spent her life serving the poor of Calcutta. Many asked her how she endured such endless hardship — the hunger, the sickness, the loneliness. Her answer was simple: “We can do no great things, only small things with great love.” She too lived by Ozzie’s wisdom — that purpose is not in the size of the act, but in the spirit behind it. What she did each day — feeding one child, comforting one dying man — seemed small to the world, but it was vast in the eyes of eternity. For wherever love and intention meet, purpose is born.

There is also humility in Smith’s words. He does not claim certainty; he says, “We hope.” Hope is the thread that ties humanity to meaning when answers elude us. For there are seasons in every life when purpose hides itself — when loss strikes, when efforts fail, when silence answers prayer. In those moments, hope becomes the bridge between confusion and faith. To hope that there is a sense of purpose is to believe that even our pain can shape us, even our failures can teach us, even our endings can lead to new beginnings. It is to trust that life, though mysterious, is never meaningless.

The wise among the ancients called this the law of providence — that nothing in the universe is wasted. The rain that ruins a journey gives life to a field. The fall that bruises the body humbles the spirit and makes it strong. The setback that shatters the dream may be the forge that strengthens the will. Ozzie Smith, in his way, speaks this same truth through the lens of his art. Every strikeout, every error, every inning — all are part of the greater story, shaping the player, perfecting the person. So too, every joy and hardship in life is part of our becoming.

Lesson: Seek to live not in haste, but in harmony. Whatever your task — whether you build, heal, teach, create, or simply endure — do it with purpose. Ask not only, “What do I gain?” but “What do I give?” And when confusion comes, as it surely will, hold fast to hope — the hope that everything has its reason, even when unseen. For in the quiet trust that life is meaningful, even amid mystery, the soul finds peace. And perhaps, as Ozzie Smith reminds us, that very hope is our greatest purpose — the faith that turns every motion, every breath, into something beautiful and true.