How do you find yourself and your purpose?

musicismylife78
musicismylife78 Posts: 6,116
edited February 2008 in All Encompassing Trip
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?
Post edited by Unknown User on
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Comments

  • The Champ
    The Champ Posts: 4,063
    You must look deep within to answer this question. Search your soul, investigate and identify what it is you do well. Then be honest and admit to yourself what exactly would make you happy in this world, both personally and professionally. If all the stars align correctly before you're dead and done, perhaps you'll live to enjoy at least a day of everything this life has to offer. If not, wait till it kicks you in the balls along with the rest of us..
    'I want to hurry home to you
    put on a slow, dumb show for you
    and crack you up
    so you can put a blue ribbon on my brain
    god I'm very, very frightening
    and I'll overdo it'
  • Malcolm_X
    Malcolm_X Posts: 93
    Dude I'm gonna be 25 and I'm in the same boat. But I'm content. I think thats a false sense of conviction to truely think you've discovered out who you are. I think it takes about until your at the end of your life to really figure it out.

    Take my case for example. I'm 24, but I'm not the same person I was @ 21 or 22 and when I was 21 I was different at 18 and I was different at 15. Your always going to change. Keith Richards said it best when he said "The interesting thing about getting older is that the older you get the older you wanna get." You keep putting the puzzle together one day at a time.

    Bob Dylan recently said in an interview that he can no longer write songs like he used to when he was younger. "I just can't write like that anymore songs like 'It's Alright Ma.' its over I don't know how to do it." Its because he's changed an gotten older he's no longer that person.

    Neil Young is the same way he says of when he wrote songs when he was 23 compared to his brand new stuff. "I see this young guy and I dunno who that guy is...its not me anymore."

    As for figuring out your life purpose check this web site out.


    http://www.stevepavlina.com/blog/2005/01/how-to-discover-your-life-purpose-in-about-20-minutes/
  • Jeanie
    Jeanie Posts: 9,446
    Well my 2 bob, for what it's worth, is that you find yourself and lose yourself throughout your life. Your true purpose and calling as it applies when you are in your 20s can be very different to your true purpose and calling in your 40s, 60s, 80s and beyond. We aspire to different things at different times in our lives.

    I think the key to it all is to strive to be happy as frequently as possible and not to be afraid to take risks or change paths. Be true to yourself.
    Life will throw enough shit at you as you travel along and you'll have to respond to it, have it sidetrack you, even completely change the course of your life. If you can adjust and maintain your equilibrium that's the best one can hope for really. I have no idea if I'm making sense, but I hope that helps. :)
    NOPE!!!

    *~You're IT Bert!~*

    Hold on to the thread
    The currents will shift
  • blackredyellow
    blackredyellow Posts: 5,889
    I'm 10 years older than you, and still can't answer the question about what my dream job is.

    To me, the fun things about life are the places and experiences that you stumble into when you are heading towards something else.

    As far as purpose, I really never knew what my purpose in life was, until I saw my son's face for the first time last month... I still can't answer the detail questions, but I know for a fact that I have to raise him to be the best that he can be in whatever he does in life.



    "Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans."

    -John Lennon
    My whole life
    was like a picture
    of a sunny day
    “We can complain because rose bushes have thorns, or rejoice because thorn bushes have roses.”
    ― Abraham Lincoln
  • The Champ
    The Champ Posts: 4,063
    Malcolm_X wrote:
    As for figuring out your life purpose check this web site out.

    http://www.stevepavlina.com/blog/2005/01/how-to-discover-your-life-purpose-in-about-20-minutes/

    And if that doesn't work you can find your purpose and much more from simply opening a few of these: http://lawsagna.typepad.com/lawsagna/images/2007/11/09/fame_fortune_cookie_medium_web_view.jpg
    'I want to hurry home to you
    put on a slow, dumb show for you
    and crack you up
    so you can put a blue ribbon on my brain
    god I'm very, very frightening
    and I'll overdo it'
  • norm
    norm Posts: 31,146
    live in the moment
  • MattCameronKicksButt
    MattCameronKicksButt Posts: 4,317
    Jeanie wrote:
    I think the key to it all is to strive to be happy as frequently as possible and not to be afraid to take risks or change paths. Be true to yourself.
    Life will throw enough shit at you as you travel along and you'll have to respond to it, have it sidetrack you, even completely change the course of your life. If you can adjust and maintain your equilibrium that's the best one can hope for really. I have no idea if I'm making sense, but I hope that helps. :)

    Cool!

    I really don't think it matters if you make an impression on this world personally or if you ever achieve your goals, just as long as you have something to wake up for in the morning! (Something you enjoy).
  • genie
    genie Posts: 2,222
    well i can safely say i know my core inner self, and whilst Malcom_X said we change my core self and my values are bound to stay the same.....and they have stayed the same actually. but my direction in life may change or may not depends on circumstances. I don't bother with identifying myself by the profession i choose because that wouldn't be right, i mean right now i'm administrator and i've got accounting certificate, and i can safely say i'm shit at accuracy and i'm shit in organising. i think i live my life in chaos....i don't know i think my mind doesn't take it well to the routine....if sex was a routine thing i'd sure start hating it. i don't like order and i sure as hell hate waking up in the mornings. But i know i can change those things, because i can make myself change *fingers crossed *at least for the time when i'm working and then come home and be lazy no good bum :D

    but what i cannot change is this:

    I define myself by my beliefs, core values, and things i do when pushed to the edge, or where i have to think in that particular minute, a minute that can cost me life or death.

    shit, i hope i'm making at least some kind of sense.
  • brain of c
    brain of c Posts: 5,213
    dream job?

    work in the adult industry.

    oh, wait.

    that is my job.
    d'oh!!!!!!

    http://www.myspace.com/brain_of_c
  • chiquimonkey
    chiquimonkey Posts: 9,337
    being true to yourself is the best you can do. you'll find your place in the world when you choose what works best for you, not what society or everyone around you dictates.
  • genie
    genie Posts: 2,222
    cutback wrote:
    live in the moment

    that's what i was looking i would discover my own strength and fear when left to think in the moment and make decisions in that particular moment.
  • Jeanie
    Jeanie Posts: 9,446
    MattCameronKicksButt wrote:
    Cool!

    I really don't think it matters if you make an impression on this world personally or if you ever achieve your goals, just as long as you have something to wake up for in the morning! (Something you enjoy).

    Yup! :) Seems to me that the simplest things in this life are the ones that give the most pleasure and it's the small pleasures that sustain you through the shit. I've never met anyone that has "all their ducks in a row" all the way through. If your career is going well, your private life is screwed, or if you have everything you ever want at a point in your life, usually that changes.
    It's a journey, sometimes a difficult one, it's the striving, or the things you find along the way that get you through.
    NOPE!!!

    *~You're IT Bert!~*

    Hold on to the thread
    The currents will shift
  • genie
    genie Posts: 2,222
    anyway my point is please do not define yourself by the job that you do
  • Jeremy1012
    Jeremy1012 Posts: 7,170
    I gave up trying to work out what my purpose is. I figure it'll only become clear when I'm not searching because when I do search I have no idea what I'm looking for and I wouldn't know it if it was staring me right in the face.

    Just live for the moment. There's no better advice you can receive. Just think of how quickly life goes by and decide if you want to waste it looking for answers to a question you don't understand or just stop trying and enjoy life for what it is, not what you think it should be. Don't ever stop trying to do new things but don't live life for what it might be.
    "I remember one night at Muzdalifa with nothing but the sky overhead, I lay awake amid sleeping Muslim brothers and I learned that pilgrims from every land — every colour, and class, and rank; high officials and the beggar alike — all snored in the same language"
  • chiquimonkey
    chiquimonkey Posts: 9,337
    brain of c wrote:
    dream job?

    work in the adult industry.

    oh, wait.

    that is my job.
    you know all the years i've been on here, i just realized i've no idea what the hell it is you do, oh wee font one!
  • The Champ
    The Champ Posts: 4,063
    brain of c wrote:
    dream job?

    work in the adult industry.

    oh, wait.

    that is my job.

    You hit 17K little typing dude, congrats.
    Avoid the syphilis and hepatitis B..
    'I want to hurry home to you
    put on a slow, dumb show for you
    and crack you up
    so you can put a blue ribbon on my brain
    god I'm very, very frightening
    and I'll overdo it'
  • Jeanie
    Jeanie Posts: 9,446
    "It may be that your sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others." :D

    Personally I have always thought this quote pretty much covers my purpose in life! :p
    NOPE!!!

    *~You're IT Bert!~*

    Hold on to the thread
    The currents will shift
  • stevieraveon
    stevieraveon Posts: 413
    This made me think of "The Jerk". "I've found what my special purpose is for"
    Bob Loblaw's Law Blog: "Why should YOU go to jail for a crime someone else noticed?"
  • MattCameronKicksButt
    MattCameronKicksButt Posts: 4,317
    Jeanie wrote:
    "It may be that your sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others." :D

    Personally I have always thought this quote pretty much covers my purpose in life! :p

    Me too. :(

    :D Nope... nothining funny to add... :D
  • chiquimonkey
    chiquimonkey Posts: 9,337
    Jeanie wrote:
    "It may be that your sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others." :D

    Personally I have always thought this quote pretty much covers my purpose in life! :p
    sounds about right for me. just paint a biohazard symbol on my gravestone and call it a day :p lol

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