On Purpose

 

            Some people say the ultimate goal of humanity is to discover the reason behind our own existence.  Others say the closest we will ever get to an ultimate answer is the number 42.  Regardless of whether or not an answer exists, is this indeed our ultimate goal?  Do we all walk on the same path toward it?  Perhaps in some way we do, but looking at the human race as a whole, it doesn't seem like we follow a single line.  We are looking for something that puts us together – that without forcing, makes our puzzle piece fit into the world.  What each individual searches for is purpose.

             A person's purpose in life is an application of their abilities and emotions that both benefits the world and makes that person happy.  Purpose provides us with the means to answer the question, “Why am I here,”  instead of hiding it under our pillows where it can only manifest in dreams.  One misconception is that a person's purpose must be gargantuan.  Two people with entirely different purposes may feel the same sense of fulfillment and satisfaction, whether their purpose is the destruction of a planet annihilator, or the tending of a public garden.

People are not defined by their purpose; instead, people define their own purpose.  After we are born into this world, each person is presented with unique experiences and challenges.  Through these, a person learns about his strengths, weaknesses, delights, and aversions.  These preferences shape  one's purpose, and much like clay, this purpose can change.  However, sometimes it does not happen this way. Some people never have a chance to become self aware.  Others' lives may be riddled with fear.  Still others may do their best just to survive.  Whatever the circumstances, it does not mean that a person's purpose has disappeared; it has only become more difficult to reach. 

            While we all have a purpose, many people never find it.  The search for purpose is quite difficult.  Even if one's life is not fraught with hardships, the search for purpose places one in a state of uncertainty.  A pianist at heart may never play to a crowd; she may fear no one would appreciate her music.  What would her friends think?  Instead of taking a risk, she could opt for a cubicle job, living a safe,  monotonous life. 

            Humans have a natural dislike of risk; we desire to feel in control of our world.  To not have control sets us in a constant state of agitation, fearing possibilities that may never come.  It's this agitation that incites us to routinize our lives as a means of feeling in control.  This routinization forms another barrier – the inability to jump.  Not over a bar, or through a hoop, but at an opportunity.  Each day, we are presented with thousands of different scenarios; however, if our lives become too uniform, any other path, besides the one in front of us, seems overgrown with sagebrush.

            Those who do find their purpose cause an interesting phenomenon, be it the single mother whose purpose is to raise her child or an actor who finds his purpose in the audience's laughter.   Their work benefits not only themselves but also those around them.  Mankind may indeed be working toward a common goal – the betterment of the human race. 

           If you have found your purpose, by all means go forth and help others find theirs.  If we stop viewing the world as a zero sum game, perhaps we all can win.  If you haven't found your purpose yet, just remember a few things.  Jump!  Now is the time to search for your piece to the puzzle, and find where it fits.  Don't be afraid of this unpredictable world - embrace it.  How mundane of an existence this would be if our entire lives were scripted.