Do You Need a Life Purpose?
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Should you spend good money to buy a course to find out what your life purpose, your true calling, is? What does this mean anyway? Do we only have one life purpose?
Life purpose — a sense of meaning or purpose in one’s life — or the lack thereof, becomes an issue to most of us at some point or another. The shift of values that happens a few years into adulthood or in the wake of an important event prompts us to question our place in this world.
This famous quote shared regularly on social media might be the cause of much anxiety:
“Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?”
— Mary Oliver
Is purpose important?
I truly believe that the big business of helping you find your life purpose is based on a misconception. We need purpose in life, not necessarily a purpose. Whether you use a determiner or not changes everything.
Of course, some people have a sense early on that they had a purpose in life, sometimes others have come to realize it later on and it might have happened through unforeseen events. Others yet see parenthood or their job as their purpose. There is no right or wrong.
Whether you have a purpose in life or you live your life with purpose, this is a key factor in your mental wellbeing. When things get tough at work, in your relationships, with your health or money, having purpose will keep you going. You might have lost a lot, but if your life has meaning then you have a will to live. But this is where most people get mistaken: there isn’t a divinely-given meaning; you are the one who gives meaning to your life.
Having a purpose leads to growth, learning and motivation, all very important to living. Without them, we feel stuck and our mental health might decline.
Even just a to-do list can give purpose to our day. When we feel down, the last thing we want is to make a to-do list. However counter-intuitive this might appear, it is often your best way out. Keep it achievable.
