What Is Your Purpose?
There are many, many people among us who are questioning what their purpose is. People from all walks of life question what their purpose is. As we delve into spiritual teachings we often here about “purpose”. Again we question, “What is my purpose?”, “why am I here?”, “How do I find my purpose?” We hear people saying that they are seeking their purpose, that the feel lost and without purpose. “What is my purpose” is a prolific question in our culture.
We look at people like Mother Theresa, Albert Einstein, the Dali Lama, Louis Pasteur and others and we say that they have found and lived their purpose. We then ask “so what is my purpose and how will I know when I have found my purpose”
I suggest to you that you are living your purpose right now. We all are living our purpose! We don’t need to seek our purpose for we are living our purpose. Our purpose is to experience life in this form. This is our ultimate purpose. Each of us is experiencing life in this form therefore each of us is living our purpose. Your purpose is to live, to experience this life in all of its splendor. If by experiencing this thing we call life, you develop a cure for AIDs or you develop a no cost, pollution free fuel then that is wonderful and this will be part of your purpose, however your purpose is not limited to your achievements.
I believe many get caught up in believing that “our purpose” is going to be some grandiose thing and that we will have some sort of epiphany when we discover our true purpose. I say to you that this is your purpose, and it is a grandiose thing! This part of our journey in human form that we so often take for granted is a minute by minute miracle and is grander that we believe. When you stop to think about what we are and the miracle of life you then become aware and have to ask yourself what greater purpose is there but to simply be, to be and experience this part of our journey!
You may be or know someone who is in what you perceive as a bad situation, maybe that person is in jail, battling a terminal disease, living a life of violence, hooked on drugs and you ask, how can this be their purpose? Is this their purpose? I say to you, yes, their purpose is to experience life, to experience this journey and though it may not be what we perceive to be a good experience it is experiencing life none the less, therefore even someone in this type of situation is living on purpose.
We may not always understand why we are experiencing the things that we experience, however there is always purpose, even if it is beyond are awareness at the moment. Consider the drug addict who hits rock bottom, rehabilitates and becomes a youth a counselor, consider the young criminal who gets caught, sees another path and becomes a protector of his/her community. Consider your experiences; consider the ones that at the time you perceived as negative, wondering why that particular experience was happening in your life. Can you now look back and understand how those experiences brought you to where you are today? I would bet there are some experiences that you can now see the purpose of and still others which have yet been understood.
Know that your purpose is to experience this life, to experience this leg of your journey. Live and do not worry that you are not living on purpose for you are. Live and experience life for that is your purpose!
Societal expactation and spiritual expectation quite often collide and leave people feeling their life is less because it hasn’t turned out to be more. Neat post, Mark.
Awesome post! We all have important contributions to make in life, and we need to stop minimizing our accomplishments and measuring ourselves against others. Also never underestimate the purpose of simply being there for someone else. Or the gift of a smile to a stranger. I think our “purpose” changes minute to minute, and the goal is to be conscious.
a lovely post, mark, and a meaningful way of saying here and now is where we are meant to be, with a gentle suggestion to “take the pressure off”.
i have worked hard to fill my life with meaning, to work in ways that benefit humankind, and to give back to my community and my world. however, for me, nothing has given my life greater purpose or meaning than the love and joy of being a mother. my children truly fill my life with light. and i do believe that this is where i am meant to be right now.
Some years ago I was working with children and at the same time I wrote a couple of articles which were published. I felt I had to make a choice and it kept on nagging me so I went searching for my purpose. There was a workshop at a festival in which a psychic talked about the purpose of life. There where about 50 people in the small space and she asked for people who were completely stuck and the rest had to work together. I worked with a lady and we had to ask each other questions
I really didn’t get any further. At the same time on stage the psychic came to a conclusion together with the lady on stage that her purpose in life was to love. She continued that it didn’t matter if you worked with children or wrote articles for magazines. The woman on stage said that she didn’t do any of these things and the psychic said I know. The lady who worked with me pushed me at the same time and said She is talking about you.
It had a big effect on me and I felt I had found an answer.
i love this piece. yes, purpose is not the same as achievement. purpose is being productive, competent and happy in that which we do. purpose is sharing our life with the people we are shing it with, and giving the best that we can i what we do. i’ve said in the past, that were in not for what happened yesterday, i wouldn’t be prepared today, and that is the truth.
Hi Mark
Simply loved what you wrote here.The thought that the way I’m living my life, is my purpose is beautiful and very comforting
HI MARK-
Oh, once again your words mirror what could have be mine. And may I add, what you are writing of, is “truth” – individual truths honoring those truths and living them. We are all called to “BE” our authentic-true selves and in doing so our purpose is fulfilled. And that is why your examples of the addict or the abused and so forth are excellent examples of how one’s truth’ albeit tragic has purpose – is purposeful. I am often in awe of how similar our perspectives are – I know so little of ‘your story’ and wonder, if we have traveled similar paths. Perhaps that will always be a wonder.
Love to you my friend
Gail
peace…..
Gail,
So glad that you resonate with what I wrote. Know that what I speak of is that which we all already know. If my words help people to remember their inherent wisdom than that is truly a blessing. My paths have been very diverse through this journey, I have lived many life’s within this carnation. I would not be surprised that our paths crossed at some point. I believe what resonates with you is what we all know, since we are all one and of source then it is no surprise that what I write feels familiar. Love and peace to you!
It’s funny you posted about “purpose” today, because I just thought about this at the beginning of the day. It all seems to come down to “everything that happens has a purpose”, although during hard times it feels strange to accept that we are living our purpose. But I tottally get your point, and if I always get myself to think that way then it would be much easier to do my best at all times. Everything becomes easier if we tell ourselves that we are living out purpose like you said.
Funny that you mention Mother Theresa since, in the end, she claimed that she doubted her entire purpose in life and the existence in God that had been the center of her beliefs.
It is odd how all of us seem to circle to certain topics at the same time.
Mark, I must admit I was about to start an argument with you
when I was at the beginning of this post. But as I got towards the end, I knew exactly what you meant. I’ve thought much on this topic these past few months. And I concluded the same thing. We are living ‘in’ purpose, because without those hard and happy experiences in life, we would not be who we are today. Our great purpose in this world is to be, to love, and to live life to its fullest.
Mark
I guess there are 3 kind of people on this planet regarding to concerned topic
one who doesnt bother about this topic
two who got this awareness that life is not just about eating drinking sleeping etc and got this quest to know their purpose for life
three who got even bigger awareness and could transcend this hassle of mind about the purpose of life and they are flowing in the universe with the natural law and harmonized with it.
I am yet not sure if its ok to live in ignorance of catagory first. perhaps mind recongnizes life in contrast I believe if all the contrasts fall in life mind can’t exist all learning experiences will fall. I am asking you could it be the case that your mind has been gone through the hassle of finding the purpose and later another contrast of peaceful flow through life with awareness came to you and so that this post come to existence
I hope i made sense through this previous complicated sentence
and interesting is to see is this looking the first and third catagory the only difference is of awareness….
love
Dinesh
This question you pose is one I explore in my new book, Cosmic Synchronicity. Many views exist on the topic. One’s purpose is discerned in a very intimate way. It relates to expansion. You sense what your purpose is not before you reconnect.
Hello Mark,
Thank you for visiting my blog!
I really enjoyed your post too. It comes to me at the right time. Wondering why things happen the way they do. This does make complete sense even though we sometimes don’t like to see the negative as being a perpose of ours. I am still trying to look at things the way you discibe it so well above. Thank you.
Wishing you a pleasant evening,
Lydia
P.s. if you do not mind I would love to place your link on my blogroll.
Lydia,
Thanks for visiting and for leaving your comments, which I value. I would be honored to be on your blog roll.
My purpose is to be a free-spirited wanderer ..
I love just wandering and meeting others; and talking and learning..
The other time I’m a mother hen… for over 25 years… very maternal ..
hugs..
ms hen
Sometimes even if we know what our purpose is, we still feel confused.
Constructive Attitude,
Great thought, I would love for you to expand on the confusion that we feel.
I thought your post reminded me of the book ” A Conversation With God” Because what I got out of the book was that we are all here to experience and the experience is different for everyone and it is our own personal journey.
Raising five sons, I let them all make their own choices and sometimes that meant making mistakes. Though I would have loved to intervene, I knew they had to travel on their path to complete their own journey.
I just came back from the airport and as I watched my son board the plane, as he heads back to base. His girlfriend leaned over and hugged me. She said” I am so afraid for him” He has met at the crossroads of his life and he has made a choice and you have to love and respect that.
Hard to pick top five movies, but the Music man is right up there with It’s a wonderful life, singing in the rain,the incredible Mr Limpet, pillow talk and breakfast at tiffany’s. My top Sunday movies.
Nice post as always gets ya thinking.
Right on dude!!! The purpose of life is the experience of life!
“your purpose is not limited to your achievements”
This line brought it home for me. For far too long I have been “searching” for my purpose and at the same time looking for the “Magic Pill” that would bring the epiphany moment!
I am beginning to wake up to the fact that no magic pill exist.
In order to experience light one has to have experienced darkness too.
I think you’re simply marvelous for writing a post that soothes my heart and so many others. Perfect timing as usual.
Well put! For people who need a bit more direction than that, I remind them what the Dalai Lama says is the purpose of life: to be happy. And happiness comes from giving love compassionately. That doesn’t mean we’re all monks. There can still be Einsteins among us. We each have unique gifts within us to tap into.
Hi Mark,
This is so true. We may not realize that we are exactly where we have to be right now and right now doesn’t mean forever. Thanks for an excellent reminder that we are where we are for a reason.
Alexys,
You said something very profound “right now doesn’t mean forever”, so very true because as each moment passes we experience a new “right now”. Thanks for adding to this conversation.
Any meaning to life places life second.
So true Mark! getting caught in the divisions as bad and good, looking for some land of only favourable happenings, life experiences go waste if we do not learn the art of living “Here and Now”. Thats why, probably it is also said, the purpose of life is to know its purposelessness. Anything defined and confined can’t be the realm of the unboundedness.
Thankyou for the wonderful post!
Excellent post. We each have something valuable to contribute. Living our lives, being true to ourselves and being the best person we can be is why we are here. We don’t need to win Nobel prizes or be multimillionaires in order to have value. Being ourselves is enough!
Oh so true to wake up every day no matter what and no I’m “on purpose.” I agree. It’s why I believe “all is well” and it’s “all is exactly how it should be.” I think my purpose is to love and to serve those I come in contact with daily. It’s moment by moment and the rest doesn’t even exsist.
Yes, the purpose of life is the experience of it. Still, I wish to add that we should discover our true self along the journey: we have too many questions in mind and this is the only answer:-)
My purpose is to live in the here and now.
My 94 year old mother said once that her purpose was just to live. She worried and was concerned about things that were alive in her, but she just kept on living and finding the good in all her tasks. She did not paint because her purpose involved skill in knitting, where as painting a pictures felt uncomfortable to her. She admired other people practicing their skills and making them public.
She taught first grade for 32 years because helping children get a great start in life was another spiritual practice for her – she was very disciplined about her teaching…so many of her students came to her Memorial Service because she was practiced her life purpose to their benefit and growth. Thank you for sharing
Mark,
As usual, your post is highlighting an point that is required to live a conscious Life. Everything we do has a purpose. The ideal thing would be that we could be aware of that purpose.
All the best
Hey Mark!
Wonderful reading. You are right: our purpose is to live.
I have a friend who makes people smile and laugh whenever she is around, and I told her that that was her purpose in life: to bring happiness to people.
And the examples are endless.
However many do think that to have a real purpose is to do be famous or be known for having done something that they believe to be grand (if you ask me, a mother nurturing her offspring is already grand).
People should just relax and live – that’s our purpose.
Have a great week!
Cheers
Hi Mark.
You visited my blog a few days back and left a great comment. Great blog you have here. I’ve stopped wondering what my purpose is. I feel like there is no ONE purpose…at least not one that I’m supposed to figure out right now. Right now, I just try to trust my instincts, surrender each day, trust in God’s infinite wisdom for my life…and…that’s enough.
Love to read through the comments and feel the wave of positive vibrations you inspire and encourage within everyone.