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What is your purpose in life?

michaelskis

michaelskis

Cyburbian
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Depending on your philosophic principles, different people have different ideas of a purpose. Some people don’t think that we have any real purpose but to react to those around us. Others have a much deeper concept of what it means.

Now for me, one’s purpose is far beyond one’s profession, however I think it is evident that if their profession is opposed to their purpose, they are not likely to be the happiest people on the planet. As Planners, our profession is broad enough that we can find parts, even if it is just slivers, in what we do that matches our purpose.

What is your purpose in life? Do you have multiple purposes? What can one do to find their purpose in life?
 
My purpose in life is to hang out with my family, drink, and smoke cigars (in no particular order - and sometimes combined). I think planning is just something I do because I'm good at it (at least I think so) and as far as work goes it's tolerable. I've never thought work and happiness coincide. Maybe for some people if it's closer to their purpose, but work is definitely not my purpose in life.
 
dvdneal said:
My purpose in life is to hang out with my family, drink, and smoke cigars (in no particular order - and sometimes combined). I think planning is just something I do because I'm good at it (at least I think so) and as far as work goes it's tolerable. I've never thought work and happiness coincide. Maybe for some people if it's closer to their purpose, but work is definitely not my purpose in life.
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Now is that your purpose or priorities in life?

For example, a priority for me is spending time with my family, but my purpose might be to 'raise my sons in a manner that will allow they to leave a legacy of good before they leave the earth."

***this concept of purpose is something that I struggle with narrowing down. For me, I think there are a few.
 
I'm unsure how to answer well, but I think my purpose in life is to grow as a person, and to gain experiences, and to love and be loved as much as possible. To sort of, try to elevate mankind's existence.

I recognize I'm failing, but I do think that's my purpose. :)
 
Well, my signature gives one response which I very much take to heart. But recently I have been wrangling with my 8 year old daughter around issues of what I can only describe as “sass.” Snarky comments. That “whatever” attitude. I might be more tolerable or at least expecting this behavior from and older kid, but she has always wanted to run with the older girls so I guess its not that out of character. But it can translate into an attitude that I fear will descend into coming off as a “mean girl.”

So, the thing I have been telling her of late is “Be nice and make it better” which I think translates well to life in general. Being nice means respecting other people, valuing them, listening, being gracious, etc. Making it better means contributing something positive to the situation. Or, at the very least, not contributing to the bad. Don’t pile on the victim, don’t exacerbate bad feelings, don’t antagonize or stir up trouble. But even more, show compassion to the victim, propagate good feelings and work toward helping people get along.

Another way of thinking about it is the zero-impact camping principle I learned as a kid: Leave it better than you found it. This applies as much to a trashed campground as a social situation. Leave knowing you made the situation better. Or at least not worse.
 
I have no idea what my purpose is, or even if I have one, but I'm okay with that. My life philosophy is fairly existentialist. Sartre, Nietzsche, Dostoyevsky, and Kierkegaard all believed that human beings, through their own consciousness, create their own values and determine a meaning to their life. Existence precedes essence. I do subscribe to some New Thought principles such as the Law of Attraction. Some of it actually ties in nicely with some existentialist thought.
 
Yeah, I'm not sure I believe in "purpose." I sort of feel we're all just here for a brief moment, for no particular reason, other than the reason that, that is just 'how it is.'

Kansas' Dust in the Wind sums up my thoughts on being a human nicely.
 
This sums up my feeling....

You will never be happy if you continue to search for what happiness consists of. You will never live if you are looking for the meaning of life.

Albert Camus

Just get out there and LIVE!! Experience life. We are all insignificant.
 
dvdneal said:
My purpose in life is to hang out with my family, drink, and smoke cigars (in no particular order - and sometimes combined). I think planning is just something I do because I'm good at it (at least I think so) and as far as work goes it's tolerable. I've never thought work and happiness coincide. Maybe for some people if it's closer to their purpose, but work is definitely not my purpose in life.
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That is basically how I feel about my career.

btrage said:
This sums up my feeling....

You will never be happy if you continue to search for what happiness consists of. You will never live if you are looking for the meaning of life.

Albert Camus

Just get out there and LIVE!! Experience life. We are all insignificant.
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Amd that is basically how I feel about my life outside of my career.
 
My purpose is probably something I will never know. I am happy about that though. Maybe someone else will be able to say I had purpose when I am gone. That sounds like a nice idea to me.
 
imaplanner said:
That is basically how I feel about my career.
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I'm glad someone understands. I just exist, enjoying things as they come and try to reduce problems and drama in my life that lower the chance of an overall ignorant and blissful life. Maybe that's my purpose, just to exist and annoy the rest of you people here on earth.
 
The timing on this thread is unfortunate. This question occupies me a lot. Right now I'm not in a good place, so maybe I'll bump this in a few weeks and post something worthwhile at that time.
 
Your purpose is self driven. Follow your passions and excitement responsibly and you'll be happy.
 
An existential question on cyburbia? ;) Guess all I can do is quote my favorite song...

...So we will share this road we walk
And mind our mouths and beware our talk
'Till peace we find tell you what I'll do
All the things I own I will share with you
And if I feel tomorrow like I feel today
We'll take what we want and give the rest away
Strangers on this road we are on
We are not two we are one...

Purpose is a tough one. It may sound bleak, but if you believe that we all are born alone and die alone, might as well try to find some good company while you still can.
 
I believe my purpose in life is to continually use my talents and gifts to positively contribute to the world around me and hopefully make a positive difference in others' lives. I really try not to get too caught up in thinking about it though. As long as I'm constantly striving to do my best in my job, contribute as much as I can by using my gifts to help others outside of work, and be the best person I can be to my family, friends, colleagues, neighbors, and all those around me, and am striving to live life to the fullest, what else more is there really?

My signature also sums up my feelings on life quite well.
 
I think it is great how broad this thread has become.

Personally, I seem to have mixed purposes. One is to create. I have an art and design minor and I still do some landscape design work on the side. I also like to restore. If I had available funds, I would love to buy old buildings and restore them to their original grandeur, but in a way to meet modern needs. Finally, I am raising my kids to leave a legacy far beyond what I am going to leave. They will each do that in their own way, but I am making sure that they have the educational background and experiences to allow them to chose their path.
 
Fat Cat

I enjoy people. I enjoy life as I go along, because we never know when it is going to end. As a Planner I think that we are contributing towards a better place to live. I don't think that as Planners we are doing what we do so people will thank us, rather I think we do what we do because we are inner driven to do the best we can to help others and to do good. I am proud to be a Planner. While we will never get rich (unless we hit the lottery:)) we enjoy what we do and as Planners we are helping our environment to be a better place to live. When we retire we can look back and say we led a good life and made a positive contribution to society and we have met some very nice people along the way.
 
wahday said:
So, the thing I have been telling her of late is “Be nice and make it better” which I think translates well to life in general. Being nice means respecting other people, valuing them, listening, being gracious, etc. Making it better means contributing something positive to the situation. Or, at the very least, not contributing to the bad. Don’t pile on the victim, don’t exacerbate bad feelings, don’t antagonize or stir up trouble. But even more, show compassion to the victim, propagate good feelings and work toward helping people get along.

Another way of thinking about it is the zero-impact camping principle I learned as a kid: Leave it better than you found it. This applies as much to a trashed campground as a social situation. Leave knowing you made the situation better. Or at least not worse.
Click to expand...

Love both of these concepts and think they sum up what I want to contribute to this world. I don't know that I have a specific purpose - I'm not going to invent something fabulous, or write something memorable, but I am going to try to enjoy life and hope to be a positive influence to those around me, and hopefully leave things at least a little better than if I wasn't here.
 
My purpose at this point in my life is to simply find my purpose. I feel like I have a niche out there that I will enjoy doing but it will also benefit people.
 
SW MI Planner said:
Love both of these concepts and think they sum up what I want to contribute to this world. I don't know that I have a specific purpose - I'm not going to invent something fabulous, or write something memorable, but I am going to try to enjoy life and hope to be a positive influence to those around me, and hopefully leave things at least a little better than if I wasn't here.
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Ummm, I think that is just as important. I am reminded of a story.

There is a man named Norman Borlaug who in 2004 was named ABC News Person of the week. In a station in Mexico, he created hybridized corn that could be grown in arid climates and had the possibility of feeding millions of starving people in harsh climates around the world. He was influenced by his teacher Henry Wallace, who worked under Franklin Roosevelt to establish a lab in Mexico for this purpose. Henry Wallace established a love of plats and botany when his father took him to meet a man named George Washington Carver.

But that is not where the story starts, you see, there was a young farmer named Moses and his wife who were against slavery and hired a black woman to work with them but treated her as an equal. One night a group of men stormed their farm, burt everything and killed this back woman and took her only child. The woman was Moses's wife's best friend so he knew he had to get the child back in honor of their friend. So he took their last horse and rode for days to meet a this group of men. He convinced them to trade his prize horse and all the money he had left for the child. As they were about to leave with the last of is possessions, they tossed a worn burlap bag onto the ground and departed. In that bag was a half dead, naked baby that had been beaten. Seeing that child was still alive, he wrapped him up in his coat and walked for a week, getting food wherever he could to feed the child on the way back. He returned home and Moses and his wife promised that child that they would raise him as their own, teaching him about his mother and about love. Being a farmer he also taught that child about the umportantnce of plants. They named that child George Washington Carver.

The simple convictions that you install into the sprit of others can spur them onto greatness, even enough to change the world. But without your actions of being a positive influence on them, and living by example, they may never go on to achieve the greatness that they would otherwise be destined to obtain.

Never sell your actions short because actions are like ripples in a pond from a tinny pebble. The point where it hits the water might be small, but the end result may touch the banks far beyond the reach of that pebble.
 
Time to bump an old thread....

This question came up in a book that I am reading... but the author expanded on it a bit more. He asked the following questions in addition do the question of what is your purpose:
  • What are your foundational beliefs?
  • What matters to you?
  • What do you want to stand for in life?
  • How do you want to treat yourself and others.
  • What is your 'central, self-organizing life aim?
On one hand, I think that our actions adapt and morph based on current events. For example, I know people who have always had strong moral character, but it is only recently that they have taken a position on social justice issues. However their foundations never change. The only thing that changed was their willingness to speak out.

A while back I was talking with a mentor and he asked the simple question of who are you and what do you want. This is a person that I have known for quite some time, so the question was kind of surprising, but as we dug into it I realized the complexity of the question and how part of the answer has multiple parts depending on what roll we play (spouse, parent, employee, friend, citizen) but I have been struggling to really get down to the root of what I want and who I am at a foundational level.

What about you? Who are you, what do you want, and why are you here?
 
It's taken some time and parts of the definition change as my story changes. Now, I'm dad and husband. Work is a secondary thing. I have a good job, I don't need to push for advancement, but I'll take opportunities as they come, but there are some that I won't take. For example our long range planning group does night meetings and I'm just not up to taking a half step pay raise to give up time at home. I can't say I have a central, self-organizing aim in life though. I just enjoy it as it comes in. If I don't enjoy it and I can't fix the situation back to something fun then it's time for me to go.
 
When The Girl turned 3 or 4, I decided she was going to be my "hobby" and first priority. I turned away from some career advancement that could have been mine (so I am told) for the sake of staying local for the direct benefit of her. I quit playing golf, became very active in her sports (coached her soccer team for several years and still involved as a practice coach for her team). Dad was (& still is) my primary job, teaching her everything I can to be a productive, caring, empathetic, & happy person who will stand up for herself and others.

When she graduates from HS next year and I have more 'free time' I know I'll have to find another day-to-day 'hobby'.

As far as your 5 bullet questions, those go pretty deep, but I don't question them in my beliefs. IMHO, I'm fairly grounded but with faults. I know this because I'm a better person now than I was when I was in HS in many different ways.
 
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I am going to bump this thread.

I was listening to a podcast this past weekend regarding health, and the Dr. that was on was taking about stress and the toll it takes on the body, but the importance of having a sense of purpose in life to minimize the effects of it and actually reverse negative health conditions.

Of course I thought it was woo woo, until i started looking more into it and I was surprised to see science behind it.
www.psychiatry.org

Purpose in Life Can Lead to Less Stress, Better Mental Well-being

What is purpose in life? It means having a central, organizing life aim, an overall sense of direction in one's life, and a belief that one’s life activities are valuable and important — making a positive mark on the world. Research indicates that having a purpose in life is good for mental...
www.psychiatry.org www.psychiatry.org

The part that really gets me is that as we get older, it becomes more and more important. We all hear about he people who retire and studently their health declines. The theory is that they lose their sense of purpose.

So what is your purpose?
 
I am not convinced that the purpose of life recognition is linked to less stress - I think sometimes, it's recognition that your purpose of life doesn't have to take up every minute, that it's okay to take a break, which can reduce stress

all things in moderation kind of thing
 
Purpose of life? Mankind and more specifically religion, has been trying to answer that since the dawn of time. Considering the number of galaxies that are known, I do not see earth as the ultimate power in the universe. Queue the Admiral Motti meme. Why are we here? No definitive answer.
 
luckless pedestrian said:
I am not convinced that the purpose of life recognition is linked to less stress - I think sometimes, it's recognition that your purpose of life doesn't have to take up every minute, that it's okay to take a break, which can reduce stress

all things in moderation kind of thing
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I agree, but why can't living a balanced life be part of your purpose? Personally, I think this is something that I have gotten wrong way too long and since the relocation, it is something that I am trying to get better with. That and "play" when I am with my boys. Might be shooting hoops with the youngest, out on a run with the oldest, or just hanging out with the middle son. Having that connection with them where they are at, can and should be part of purpose.
 
michaelskis said:
I agree, but why can't living a balanced life be part of your purpose? Personally, I think this is something that I have gotten wrong way too long and since the relocation, it is something that I am trying to get better with. That and "play" when I am with my boys. Might be shooting hoops with the youngest, out on a run with the oldest, or just hanging out with the middle son. Having that connection with them where they are at, can and should be part of purpose.
Click to expand...

yes, that's the ticket!
 
You're not your job. You're not how much money you have in the bank. You're not the car you drive. You're not the contents of your wallet. You're not your %&&*%% khakis. You're the all-singing, all-dancing crap of the world.
 
My purpose in life is to save the Jaguars, and eventually get them reintroduced into West Texas, Southern Arizona & New Mexico.
 
“Hello, babies. Welcome to Earth. It’s hot in the summer and cold in the winter. It’s round and wet and crowded. At the outside, babies, you’ve got about a hundred years here. There’s only one rule that I know of, babies — ‘God damn it, you’ve got to be kind.”

― Kurt Vonnegut, God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater
 
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