How do you find yourself and your purpose?

TheDreamIsee

Heineken Helen wrote:

what a great post I really go by that... the hard things are pretty tough to get through BUT they have always turned my life into a better direction than where it was going so they've all been worth it. I wouldn't change any of the bad stuff, I might take more risks if I had to do it again but all in all it's been a pretty fun ride and I can't wait to see what comes next I just love life

Thanks Hiney Helen...Glad to see I'm not the only one that feels that way...

PS... My middle name is Helen

harmless_little_f***

dunkman wrote:

i'm not saying people with genuine mental issues shouldnt get the appropriate help..



but a counselor isnt going to help you 'find yourself and your purpose' and its delusional to think they will.

You're obviously targeting your complaint against the average person who wants to find their path in life, in a therapy-obsessed culture which is perpetuated by celebrities. So yes, I agree with you. The only way to find your path in life: live it. Figure it out as you go along.

TransplantedNewf

Life isn't about finding yourself. It's about creating yourself.

Stop looking for who you're supposed to be and just...be. You'll be a lot happier. (and develop less ulcers!)

MattCameronKicksButt

dunkman wrote:

no what's not?

I was trying to be funny. I just couldn't be bothered to go picking through your post and arguing with you.

dunkman

harmless_little_f*** wrote:

You're obviously targeting your complaint against the average person who wants to find their path in life, in a therapy-obsessed culture which is perpetuated by celebrities. So yes, I agree with you. The only way to find your path in life: live it. Figure it out as you go along.

you dont find a path is what i'm saying.. you make one... and you dont find your purpose.. our purpose on earth is simply to exist.. whether that be in a gutter or in a diamond encrusted submarine doesnt come into it.. if someone says "i need to find my purpose in life" then they dont know they even exist... there is no masterplan... we are just 'here'.. nothing is 'there' for us.

Ms. Haiku

radiohead33 wrote:

I think this could be the most important part of one’s life. It’s the quintessential American dream. Who am I? What is my purpose? What’s my calling? As Hermann Hesse put it “mans true profession is to find the way to himself”.

The flip side being, I cant think of a worse feeling, than not knowing who you are and what your calling is. Its tough to not know who you are. I am 23 and have lived in this body for 23 years, I know my likes and dislikes, but as for who I am, and my direction in life, I haven’t a clue.

I have a sociology degree, I pursued that because I loved and still love activism and helping people and having a degree that is political in nature. However, even with the degree and knowing that I love those things, if someone was to ask me today, which they did “what’s your ideal job” and “what do you want to have a career in”, I couldn’t answer that question. I haven’t the foggiest idea how to answer it. I am completely and utterly lost and confused.

In college these questions became paramount to me, and now it seems like they are always lingering over my head. Constantly bothering me.

I would be interested to hear from those who have found their purpose and themselves, and to see if they have any advice.

Anyone else here trying to find themselves and their purpose?

When I moved nearer to family and friends I stopped thinking about my purpose. I didn't need one at that time. I always thought of my purpose when I was alone and needed direction. When I'm with family and friends justing living is pretty cool. K.I.S.S. living.

I was trying to figure out my purpose for over 10 years which included many different careers, and many different courses interests. I learned a lot about not having enough time to just hang and enjoy a little of this a little of that.

Eh, whatever really makes you feel good - the happy that is just like comfort food. I don't have a purpose anymore because life is too good as it is. I'm actually pretty convinced that whatever I was "put here to do" I completed in Seattle which was such a lonely difficult experience for me. Now, life is just a lot of icing on the beautiful cake.

eyedclaar

dunkman wrote:

you dont find a path is what i'm saying.. you make one... and you dont find your purpose.. our purpose on earth is simply to exist.. whether that be in a gutter or in a diamond encrusted submarine doesnt come into it.. if someone says "i need to find my purpose in life" then they dont know they even exist... there is no masterplan... we are just 'here'.. nothing is 'there' for us.

Not true. This one time I ate a bunch of Guatemalan insanity peppers and talked to a space coyote and he set me on the true path of my existence...

GetALife

My existence is a random thing. I have no purpose. I have to deal with that. That's why I sometimes invent a purpose. But it's wrong. I fool you and myself. Good night.

decides2dream

i'm turning 40 at the end of this year, i still don't think i've definitively found my *purpose.* i'd say many would think i HAd found a damn fine purpose, being an art educator. and overall, it was really good! it was fulfilling, but it wasn't fulfilling enough, especially after getting a master5's degree and still unable to find full-time work after 10 years in one school. so...i definitely got frustrated, and a bit unhappy...and it sucked up all my drive/creativity.

nowadays, i do nothing really artistic/creative at work....although i guess i manage to imbue some ....but i am happier than ever. so, i think my *purpose*...is to be a hedonist. to enjoy my life to the fullest. i have found work not that i *love*...but does give me satisifaction, and a very nice paycheck/benefits/perks......and i have FAR better balance between work/home life, even if technically i am at work more than before, i find it far morwe liberating.

sooooooo...i think it all really depends on your attutude, what you most want....and how important you feel your *job* is, etc. i think we all find many different *purposes* at different times in our lives....if we're lucky, anyway.

catefrances

what makes you people so sure that our lives are meant to have a purpose? is this all just Man and his big brain doing too much thinking cause we got too much time on our hands now that we dont have to hunt and gather our food?

decides2dream

catefrances wrote:

what makes you people so sure that our lives are meant to have a purpose? is this all just Man and his big brain doing too much thinking cause we got too much time on our hands now that we dont have to hunt and gather our food?

agreed.
i think overall our *purpose* to living is simply...to live. just like any other creature on this planet. we're born, we live, we die. that's it.

i know i was born and i know that i'll die
the inbetween is mine

chiquimonkey

i found a porpoise

Jeanie

chiquimonkey wrote:

i found a porpoise

I think that's my porpoise too!

catefrances

decides2dream wrote:

agreed.
i think overall our *purpose* to living is simply...to live. just like any other creature on this planet. we're born, we live, we die. that's it.

i know i was born and i know that i'll die
the inbetween is mine

is to live, a purpose? does purpose not denote a definite action? surely 'just to live' requires no such definition. though i guess one can choose NOT to live. to do all they can to destroy the life they are given.