What is the Purpose of Life? How to Actively and
Mindfully Achieve Your Destiny
At several points in our lives, we tend to ask– if not question,
what is the real purpose of our lives and the truth about our destiny.
On days of frustration, it’s more of questioning why we haven’t
figured it all out. On days of reflection, it’s more of what serves us. On the
good days, you feel that purpose in your bones. And on the bad days, you might
feel no purpose at all.
Here’s the deal:
How do you define purpose?
Webster’s dictionary defines it as “something set up as an
object or end to be.”
“End to be” almost sounds too predestined – that our “purpose”
is out of our control because at the end of the day we’ll truly end up at our
truest destination, and life is just trying to figure out what that is along
the way.
What if our life’s purpose is to be present here on earth
because your life’s mission is determining what serves us and what we’re
willing to contribute?
A.
What is the purpose of life?
I once asked a friend what his fear in life was. He feared
hurting people, and he also fears never amounting to be of significance to
anyone in his relationships – friendships, romantically, and as a colleague. It
got to the point where he stayed in unfulfilled romantic relationships because
breaking up would mean it would make him the antagonist in her story.
They say we meet 80,000 people in our lifetime and that is if we
live to be 78-years-old. From the moment you were born to
this very exact moment you are now reading this article, we are an accumulation
of upbringings, experiences, moments, tragedies, and the influences of the
people we have met.
The death of someone impacts us deeply because of the connection
we had shared with that person. We cheer for our home team during the World Cup
because of the pride we have for our country. We attend weddings and
anniversaries to celebrate love and it is the the love we have for our friends
and the love for our partner.
Life’s purpose is more about the connection we make with others
and having that chance to live 80,000 different lives. It’s a chance to deepen
our self-awareness, and truly understand what resonates with our inner self.
I then looked at my friend and asked him this:
“Out of the 80,000 people you have met and will continue to
meet, do you truly believe you won’t inspire anyone at all? Out of the 80,000
that will come in and out of your life, could you say you won’t hurt any of
them or be hurt by any of them?”
It’s literally impossible.
Sometimes we meet people who inspire us greatly, who shift our
lives and in return, we shift theirs; they are a makeup of their own 80,000
people. While other times, we meet people who have impacted us negatively; they
too are a makeup of their own 80,000 people.
The bottom line is:
Our life’s purpose is to connect with others and by doing so,
our life’s mission becomes clearer.
B.
The truth about our mission
Is our mission always clear? Probably not.
Your life’s mission is probably not the same as it was when you were
20, or even the same as it was a year ago. It could have changed from “wanting
to become a nurse so I can help the elderly” to “wanting to open a 24-hour
daycare center to help parents who work graveyard shifts.”
The commonality here is the want to help people.
The how and what may change, but the why is what remains.
As our lives continue to go through waves, it’s only natural for
our values to change along with those waves.
The question to ask here is:
In midst of the chaos and whirlwind of events we call
life, what continues to stand still after all these years?
Our life’s mission comes down to that constant voice that
repeatedly sends signals and stirs that pot of emotions, excitement, and
ambition within us. Although it may seem unclear, it’s the one thing that never
changes:
- Have
you always loved the art of storytelling because it connects strangers?
- Have
you always loved making handcrafted jewelry because it drives your
creativity?
- Have
you always been drawn to cooking because it keeps you in control of what
you are putting in your body?
C.
How to achieve your destiny
Think of your life mission as an anchor. Now it’s time to look
into how to harness that anchor and conquer your destiny.
1. Decide
– Your mind is the captain
Imagine your mind as the captain of the ship and the anchor is
your life’s mission. Your ship is currently sitting at a standstill point in
life with four possible directions: north, east, west, and south. As easy as it
is to set sail, it’s harder when the destination may seem unclear.
The first step is always deciding.
Sometimes we stay at this standstill moment because we’re afraid
of sailing towards the wrong direction.
Maybe we’ve done it one too many times in the past, and that the
fear has since stayed. So, we end up being content with sitting comfortably in
our ship because there are no waves, no currents, just calmness that surrounds
us. But there is no adventure, and after a while the calm waves seem almost
lonesome.
You will never fail because look at your ship at this exact
moment — It’s out on the waters, it’s the result of all the small and large
decisions you’ve been making throughout life. You have sailed your ship out to
sea before, and you can do it again. Don’t over think it and be accountable for
youself to decide.
Regardless of the direction you do decide to take, you will
still continue to meet a handful of people to add into your 80,000; with that,
a chance to gain additional experiences, knowledge, inspirations, and lessons
to redefine our life’s mission. The thing is, you have to sail somewhere.
The moment you sail and live your life’s purpose by meeting
people on this journey, you will meet people who will challenge your life’s
mission. Regardless of whatever tangible action you decide to take, you must
learn to trust our anchor.
As long as you have your anchor, it will hold you and remind you
of what truly moves you. It’s that one constant thing to guide you when you are
at your next standstill.
2. Do – Your body
is the ship
As your mind continues to steer, your body is the ship that
sails; it gets you to the destination your mind is trying to go. To actively
achieve your life’s mission, you must do the following step.
The second step is to do and keep doing.
Whatever it may be, just do. If it’s a book you’ve been wanting
to write for years, it’s time to write. If it’s a 5k run you’ve been putting
aside because work is too hectic, it’s time to train. If it’s to finally start
that business, but finances are always tight, it’s time to try.
Complacency isn’t a fun place – neither is an uncrossed list of
things you’ve been wanting to do that probably all ties in with your mission.
Once you start, everything will fall into place. Trust the
anchor to guide you and give you that nudge when something isn’t working
anymore. As we continue to interact with others and grow physically and
mindfully, our ideas and projects – sometimes careers and ideal relationships
can change with them.
Listen to that anchor, because that anchor is always connected
to your life’s mission.
3. Reflect –
Looking beyond the horizon
Now it’s time to take charge of your destiny. There’s power to
making a decision but there’s greater power in putting those decisions into
action. Afterwards, it’s time to reflect.
Your mind is the captain – calling all the shots, making the
choices and deciding which waves to ride over and which waves to steer clear
from. It’s also the one thing that propels you forward, and on some days, it
can be your best companion, while on other days, your worst enemy.
Your body is the ship – it puts all those decisions into action.
It takes you to those job interviews, it types out the words onto a keyboard
and into a working manuscript, it also gets your heart pumping during workouts.
Your body is the action taker.
Your anchor is your spirit – your anchor is your current
reminder. It will often ask you if things continue to resonate with you. It’s
your gut, it’s your instinct, and it’s the one thing that stays true to you.
Listening to it will give you a clearer understanding of your mission, but only
if you live your life’s purpose.
Meet people, ask them questions, and see what stirs the anchor
within you. The answer will always lie there, and the anchor is what leads you
to your destiny.
As humans, our one life has been a string of moments created,
enjoyed, and experienced with others and that alone makes the world turn.
Our purpose is to be present on this earth, but our mission is
to tap into our calling and learn how to give back. It’s listening to that
anchor that has stayed with us our whole lives.
By mindfully becoming aware and actively doing the things that
call to us, we begin to steer our ship towards passionate projects, people, and
places that stay true to our inner compass.
Akina Chargualaf
https://www.lifehack.org/791235/what-is-the-purpose-of-life
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