What is the purpose of life? This question is as old as the human race itself. Do you feel something is missing in life? Do you feel lost at times even though everything seems great? Do you feel like you want to do something more meaningful and make an impact on our world?
But you can’t figure out how?
Let me tell you that I have gone through the exact same feeling for years. Most of us feel this indescribable numb feeling as we go through life seeking a deeper meaning and connection. But most often we can’t find a real answer.
Knowing why you are here and finding the purpose of your life can be one of the greatest achievements of life.
I have personally struggled for a long time to understand my own purpose.
What’s your true calling?
What should I do with my life? What am I the most passionate about? What is the purpose of my life? If you find yourself asking these questions, then you need to take a deep look inside.
If you are like me, you probably don’t have any idea about what you want to do with your life. Whether you have finished school, got your college degree, or even got a job, chances are you still don’t know what exactly you want to do in life.
I have changed my career more than I would like to admit and after several years of doing what I didn’t want to, I realized my true calling was in writing.
That’s where my passion lied. However, it might not be so easy to understand what is it that you are supposed to do and what you can build a career out of without sucking at it.
But you can’t simply think about finding your passion, you have to take action. You have to do what you want to do and avoid things that you find suffocating, things that you don’t actually want to do. No, I am not asking you to quit your job right now. All I am saying is that you need to explore different opportunities and passions in life and take a small step when the time comes. The best way to find the purpose of life is to stop thinking & start taking positive action.
Studies show that having a sense of purpose is associated with better physical health, emotional well-being, lower risk of age-related cognitive decline, and greater longevity. {1}
Focus on what’s important
Purpose in life (PIL) is conceptualized as having goals, a sense of direction, and a feeling that there is meaning to present and past life,” explains a 2018 study. {2}
However, the biggest problem with looking for your purpose is perhaps believing that we have only one purpose in life. We don’t. Let go of your beliefs that there is only one purpose in life. In fact, you may have several life purposes that you will identify as you move ahead in life. However, you need to realize that your main purpose in life is to live life to the fullest and experience all that life has to offer.
If you wish to find the purpose of life, make sure you listen to your heart and follow your passions. By living a life lead by passions, you will live a meaningful life.
Our time on this planet is undetermined. That’s the reality of life. And during our time here, we do a lot of things, among which some are important and purposeful while are some are just unimportant. The important stuff we do makes us happy and gives meaning to our lives. While the unimportant things are often an obligation, duty, or responsibility or done just to waste time.
So when you ask yourself what you want to do with your life, you are basically asking what can you do that’s important to you and others. Something that doesn’t waste your time and adds some value to your life. Now that’s a question you can answer easily. There is no heaviness of “purpose” or “meaning”. It is more understandable and approachable as a question that you may ponder about.
So you ask yourself, should I just Netflix and chill? Or should I take that online course on writing (or whatever you are passionate about)? This will make you pursue what you think is important to you and you will use your time better. This is the simplest and easiest way to find the purpose of life.
Related: Who am I? What is the Purpose of My Life?
4 Ways to find your life purpose
As I said, finding the purpose of your life starts with taking positive action and not by thinking about it. This is a process that will require patience, self-reflection, experimentation, curiosity, and exploring your passions.
Here are a few strategies that will reveal to you the real purpose of life so that you can develop a more meaningful life for yourself.
1. Go all out.
When it comes to finding your life’s purpose, you have to take action. The more you do, the more you will understand what you want to do. Shift your focus from thinking about the risks and dangers of taking action and take small steps that will take you closer to your goals. Stop doubting yourself and worrying about failure
Instead, focus on experimenting with new things and new approaches that will lead you to success. Figure out what works for you and what doesn’t through trial and error and soon you will know exactly what you want to do in life.
Related: Your True Purpose In Life according to your zodiac sign
For years, I kept struggling with what I wanted to do. I kept doing a job although my passion was in writing. Until one day I decided to take action and took up writing as my career. Now I am a published author focused on seeking new experiences in life so that I can get more things to write about. And that’s how life works.
You never know where you will end up until you give life a chance. And that can only happen with constant action. Action gets you results.
2. Follow your heart.
I hate saying this. It’s such a big cliché. But it is the best strategy for you to find the purpose of life. Your heart is the compass that navigates you through life to lead you where you want to be. Where you can find your passion, happiness, and purpose. Ask your heart what you want? What do you love? And then listen closely. Wait for it. Did you get an answer?
Now make a plan to take small positive steps to make it happen. Figure out how exactly you can do what you love.
Motivate yourself to pursue your passion and dreams and this will connect you to the path of happiness. Through self-development, your heart will expand, you will feel inspired and your soul will heal from all the heaviness that you have felt till now. When you live your life by allowing your heart to lead, you will become more positive, joyful, peaceful, and motivated to explore life.
Granted, you may make a few mistakes along the way, but by the end of it, you will learn a lot more about life and yourself than you would have otherwise.
3. Listen to others.
Identifying your passions can be easier said than done. I am sure there are many things you feel passionate about. You have different skills and there are a number of things that you are great at. In fact, you may have become so used to these things, you might not even realize how important they are in your life and how much you love them. This is why you need to listen to people who matter in your life.
Others can often help you discover or realize your true passion and purpose that you might not have recognized yet. How? In all probabilities, you have displayed or talked about what you love to the people you are with, to your family, friends, and your partner.
It can be a great idea to ask your loved ones what they believe you are passionate about. What reminds your friends about you? What do they notice about you?
You can also closely observe when someone gives you a compliment. Try to identify what they are complimenting you about, why are they paying you the compliment, and what they are saying. This will help you understand the things you are good at and passionate about which you haven’t realized by yourself yet.
4. Accept there’s more than ONE purpose.
Contrary to popular belief, you can have different life purposes based on different passions. When you look for only one true purpose, you will become perplexed and feel that your life is empty. By focusing on only one objective, we not only miss out on other opportunities around us, but we also limit ourselves from exploring our talents. We prevent ourselves from giving the world all the gifts we can offer. So instead, focus on all your passions and it will help you find multiple purposes in life.
I may be a writer by profession, but I am also a pro kickboxer, a published comic book creator, a filmmaker, a freelance graphic designer, an animal activist, and a spiritual mentor. I do everything with passion and doing all of these things make me happy. I don’t feel burnt out or tired as I follow my heart and my work is a source of joy. My passions have allowed me to develop a meaningful life.
Related: Psychological Experiment to Discover Your Life Purpose
Live a purposeful life, don’t just seek it
Research has found that having a purpose in life is related to healthy aging and reduced mortality risk. {3}
To live a purposeful life, start by letting go of your old belief that you have only one purpose in life. Accept the fact that the purpose of life is to live a life of passion and engage in life’s experiences fully. Get out of your comfort zone and explore new ideas and new things. Stop trying to protect yourself from failure. Life will happen irrespective of how much you try to control it. So be present in the current moment and enjoy what you have right now.
Do what you love, follow your heart, and work on your passions. A purposeful and meaningful life can only be created through a life filled with passion.
The reason why we are so desperate to look for life’s purpose is that we live a life without passion. We do not live. We merely try to survive each day as it comes. And that is where the feeling of emptiness arises. This is why we feel as if something is missing from our lives. By following your passion, you will feel more connected to your life and all these heavy feelings will disappear.
The only and most practical way of living a life with purpose is to pursue your passions and take positive action every single day. It’s that simple.
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