You do not have a purpose in life?
You are searching for purpose in life?
Your purpose in life is hazy?
Are you still defining purpose in life, in your sunset years?
If you are in any of the above situations when there is no purpose in life, then you need to pause. You are just living by the day? Do you do whatever comes your way? However, you want to have some purpose in life but cannot accomplish it due to home and work demands. It has taken a back seat and you are leading from the front to meet life’s demands. Maybe now, you are not realizing that you are living a life that has no purpose, but it would surely haunt you in the future.
“If you have a strong purpose in life, you don’t have to be pushed. Your passion will drive you there.” – Roy T. Bennett
It will chase you when you will take stock of your life’s successes and failures. The best would be, do not be in such a situation. Define a purpose, prepare a blueprint, and start executing it today. Believe me, you will know how satisfying it would be! You will feel happy about it, life would be more joyful and you will have a sense of accomplishment at the end of the day. Why not start thinking this way? Every big task is accomplished with a small thought. Thought could be small, but you can think BIG.
The purpose could be insignificant but if it gives you satisfaction, it is good. Your purpose in life could be the betterment of society, though at a micro level like working for the cause of the environment, working for the underprivileged, working towards peace and harmony in the society, or any other.
“Great minds have purposes, others have wishes.” – Washington Irving
It is very important that you have some purpose in life, well said, but how can you find purpose in life? Here are a few tips which you can follow:
- Develop a growth mindset. Having a growth mindset is linked to having a sense of purpose.
- Create a personal vision statement.
- Give back.
- Practice gratitude.
- Turn your pain into purpose.
- Explore your passions.
- Be part of a community.
- Spend time with people who inspire you.
- Read
- Join a cause
- Practice self-acceptance
- Take time for self-care
Though all of us want purpose in life, sometimes knowingly or unknowingly. Great it may sound, but it is not that easy, rather challenging. The moment you spell out a purpose, you start facing resistance.
You may not have devoted a lot of time thinking about your purpose, still, you may have some preconceived ideas about the purpose of life. These baked-in ideas about life often come from our family and the communities we grow up in. One thing that is certain in most Indian households is to get a good education, make a career, earn money and get married, have a family, raise children, etc., etc. But life is much beyond all this.
“The person without a purpose is like a ship without a rudder.” – Thomas Carlyle
These achievements often do not bring the kind of fulfilment that comes with finding your sense of purpose. A personal sense of purpose is less of a specific end goal and more of an ongoing impact on the world, large or small. The purpose is your why. This personal sense of purpose guides and sustains you. Day to day and through the years. Even when you have setbacks and the world turns upside down, purpose gives you stability and a sense of direction. That is why finding purpose is essential for living a happy, healthy life.
Your purpose in life is as unique to you as your fingerprint. We all have a particular set of talents, experiences, skill sets, and interests that light us up. The purpose is related to these, but it is your reason for being. It is why you get out of bed in the morning, even when the day is dreary, you are tired, and you know the tasks and challenges ahead are going to be hard or even boring.
There is a need to develop a growth mindset which is linked to having a sense of purpose. Constantly growing and becoming a better version of yourself helps you identify your purpose and commit to pursuing it. It allows you to: Embrace challenges as opportunities, persevere despite failure and accept feedback and constructive criticism.
Besides, you need to create a personal vision statement that can help you manage stress and find balance in your life. It also serves as a roadmap that will guide you towards your purpose by identifying your core values and establishing what is important to you.
The purpose in life could be two-pronged, the long game, and the short-term. You never get to the end of it. However, even a strong sense of purpose can wear you down. That is why, ideally, your purpose blends with what interests you and brings you joy.
In Japan, this idea is known as Ikigai, and it is the concept of following your joy. Ikigai has grown popular in the West in recent years to help people find their dream careers and career paths.
The concept is finding the overlap between what you love and what the world needs with what you are good at and what the world will pay for. You craft your sense of purpose from your passion as well as practical considerations.
If you are lucky, you might have found your ikigai through your work.
Embrace happiness and be happyHo.
