Living with Purpose and Thriving

In this course you will learn techniques to organize your day and week, set realistic short- and long-term intentions, stay on top of your field, and lead a less stressful and happier professional and personal life. The course will also provide you with insights into your strengths and how to focus those strengths, so you are doing your best every day. You will also develop a philosophy for life so that you know what matters to you and why.

The course addresses such important questions as:

• What does it mean to live a life of purpose?
• What does it mean to live a happy life?
• How is it possible to have a productive life filled with meaning?
• Where am I headed and what is my ultimate goal or dream in life?
• How might my experience influence my goals and dreams for life?
• What do I value as a person and how will my experience impact those values?
• What are my wider responsibilities as a citizen of the world and how can I make the world a better place?
• Who am I as an individual, my personality traits as well as core abilities, and what makes me special?

By the time you’re done with the course, you will have completed assignments designed to guide you in:

• Developing a philosophy of life so that you know what matters to you and why
• Assessing your current state of well-being
• Practicing mindfulness and self-reflection
• Identifying your roles in life
• Identifying the times of the day when you have your highest energy
• Identifying the four ways to build wealth
• Identifying the three foundational elements for happiness and applying them to your life

Module Information

About the Instructor

Dr. Gary R. Bertoline is the senior vice president for Purdue Online and Learning Innovation and a Distinguished Professor of Computer Graphics Technology and Computer and Information Technology at Purdue University. After five years as the associate dean for graduate programs in the College of Technology, he served as dean from 2011 to 2021 and spearheaded the college's transformation to the Purdue Polytechnic Institute. The Polytechnic initiative is a major effort to transform the curricula and learning experience to better prepare graduates for life and work in the digital age. Gary also led the development for the Purdue Polytechnic High Schools located in Indianapolis and South Bend, Indiana. His research interests are in scientific visualization, interactive immersive environments, distributed and grid computing, workforce education and STEM education.