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.
