By Jackie Marushka
We spend much of our lives trying to answer three questions:
—Who am I?
—What am I called to do?
—Who am I meant to serve?
Surprisingly, the life of Ringo Starr offers a compelling illustration of what can happen when those questions are answered with clarity and consistency.
Most people know Starr as the drummer for The Beatles, one of the most popular bands in history. Others know him through his solo career, his artwork, or his decades-long message of “Peace and Love.”
But beyond the fame lies something even more meaningful:
A life built around understanding who he is, what he does, and who he serves. Those same questions matter just as much for the rest of us. The first question is simple, but not always easy to answer: Who are you?
In a culture obsessed with comparison, many spend years trying to become someone else. We convince ourselves that success means becoming more like the people we admire. Yet some of the most fulfilled people are those who stop chasing someone else’s identity and embrace their own. Ringo Starr never tried to be John Lennon or Paul McCartney or George Harrison. He simply became an essential part of something far greater than himself.
The same principle can apply to us. Whether we’re writers, teachers, business owners, parents, volunteers, artists, or entrepreneurs, our greatest contribution often comes when we stop asking how to be someone else and start becoming fully ourselves.
Keeping the Beat, Not Stealing the Spotlight
The second question is equally important: What do you do?
Many people spend their lives trying to do everything. They pursue every opportunity, chase every trend, and stretch themselves in a dozen directions at once. But purpose often comes through focus. People who make a lasting difference typically understand the work they’ve been given to do. They may wear many hats, but they know where their gifts create the greatest impact. Ringo Starr’s contribution to music wasn’t about doing everything. It was about doing HIS part extraordinarily well.
The same can be true for us. Not everyone is called to lead from a stage. Not everyone is called to build a business, write a book, or create a global platform. Some are called to encourage. Some are called to teach. Some are called to serve quietly behind the scenes. Every role matters.
It’s Not About You (What!?!)
The third question may be the most important of all: Who are your people?
At some point, we discover that life is not really about us. (What!?!) It’s about the people whose lives we touch.
It’s about the communities we strengthen, the relationships we nurture, and the needs we meet. Now, back to Ringo … Like millions of others, I admired him for his music long before I met him.
As someone who has spent much of my career in the music business, I always considered Ringo something of a hero. His talent, accomplishments, and influence were inspiring. But after having the opportunity to work around him, what impacted me most wasn’t his celebrity.
It wasn’t his “Starr” power. What impressed me most was his kindness. It was his generosity. It was his genuine love for other people. As I watched him interact with those around him, I found myself thinking about what Scripture calls the Fruit of the Spirit.
In Galatians 5:22-23, Paul writes that the Fruit of the Spirit is “Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.” While none of us embodies all those qualities, I was struck by how many of them seemed evident in the way he carried himself. I watched him interact with people with a level of care that was authentic and unforced. He wasn’t “performing” kindness. He was simply—living it.
A Lotus Grows Quietly
Through The Lotus Foundation, he supports a wide range of charitable causes focused on people in need, including programs that address homelessness, health challenges, substance abuse recovery, animal welfare, and support for vulnerable families. He knows something that many people spend their entire lives trying to learn: success is most meaningful when it is used in service of others.
In many ways, he embodies the biblical principle of caring for “the least of these” without seeking recognition for doing so. And that brings us back to the question of what we have in common with Ringo Starr: Perhaps much more than we realize.
You may not be a world-famous musician. You may never perform before millions of people. You may never have your name known around the globe. But maybe you’re Jennifer, faithfully serving at a local women’s shelter seven days a week. Maybe you’re mentoring someone. Maybe you’re caring for an aging parent. Maybe you’re encouraging a struggling friend, supporting a neighbor, or making your corner of the world a little better every day.
The platform may be different. The audience may be smaller. The spotlight may never find you. But the common thread that unites all meaningful lives remains the same. Love.
Not sentiment. Not applause. Not recognition. Love with a capital L.
Love with a Capital L
When we know who we are, understand what we’ve been called to do, and dedicate ourselves to serving others, we discover that significance has very little to do with fame and everything to do with impact.
And perhaps that’s why the Fruit of the Spirit remains such a powerful measure of a life well lived. Long after accomplishments fade and accolades are forgotten, people remember how we treated them. They remember the kindness we extended, the patience we offered, the peace we carried into difficult situations, and the love we shared with others.
In the end, those may be the fruits that matter most. Whether you’re one of the most famous drummers in the world or a volunteer serving others in your own neighborhood, a life grounded in Love will always leave the deepest mark. And that may be the greatest lesson of all.
JACQUELYN MARTÍNEZ MARUSHKA is the author of The PR Playbook: Industry Insider Secrets and Top Publicity Strategies from 30 Years in the Entertainment Business. Drawing on three decades of experience—including 13 years at Sony Music Entertainment—she shares proven publicity, branding, and media strategies to help authors, speakers, entrepreneurs, and creatives increase their visibility and impact. Jackie is the founder of Marushka Media, a boutique PR/ Branding agency serving clients worldwide
