searching for a purpose in life?

Question

first of all, I do feel lost and pondering....I have been a fighter my whole life. I have been physically abused at my residental school, i ve dealed with anxiety/panic attacks and i beat it. then i had a flight both ways. i was scared before that then beat it again then got scared again then beat it again . I ve been through alot! and i found myself wondering you know? doing it alone without any support (its true) my family refused to understand me what i ve gone through. so i did it alone and when they offered to help but i declined becuase all i know is that i do it myself thats what im good at. now im questioning my place on earth. I ve done all i can and I wondered alot. there is much more to me i want to tell. but this wil do ...i wonder if anyone of you had similar experience. thank you all! hope to talk to one of you. its like i came back from death and dont know what to do next ....

Answer 1

Hello!! :o) I empathize. For I too - have suffered [and still do] with panic and anxiety attacks. I was bullied in school and emotionally abused by my [now dead] alcoholic father. I've struggled all my life to remain decent and caring and compassionate and have often wondered... "Why do I bother?! - What's the point?!" First of all - I think the purpose of life - for all of our lives is to find our way back to the one who created us. AND then to love others AS HE loved us. Christ tells us to, "Forget ourselves and follow Him!!" I think that there are two ways for man to respond to whatever it was that he had to endure and suffer through. He can either become embittered and hate the world around him. OR he can become a man with an amazing ability to sympathize and empathize. God Himself came to earth [As Jesus] to gain first hand knowledge of what man goes through. God Himself [up until Christ] had never been tempted to sin. So how could He know what it was like. [And how could HE know how difficult it would be to resist] Take from your experiences and appreciate the first hand knowledge that you have gained. And THEN USE that knowledge to help others who are going through similar trials. USE WHAT YOU KNOW. Craig!! :o)

Answer 2

You can start by learning some basic psychology to understand whats going on with you. Learn first about Maslow's Hierarchy, see the links below:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maslow's_hierarchy_of_needs
http://www.archaeologics.com/Business-JtoM/Maslows_hierarchy_of_needs.php

You are coming up from the rung of basic needs and survival. You will gradually work your way to the top, self-actualization. This may not tell you how to reach that goal but it gives you a place to start and helps you understand what's going on.

Keep your coping skills in check. You didn't get to develop them young when you were supposed to so you have to work extra hard to learn them now. A lot of hospitals offer good classes on coping mechanisms but sometimes you have to be involved in a mental health program. That's unfortunate because its something a lot of mentally "normal" peolple could use.

If you're interested in a spiritual journey then by all means start now. Study the religion as much as you can on your own before entering a place of worship or talking to clergy. Most important in all this reflect inward deeply and often. You have to get to know yourself first.

Answer 3

I was in a situation which can be called similar. I was quite successful in material life but then my life arranged in such a way that things which made up what I considered my happiness were destroyed. So I had to look for some other purpose of my life. Fortunately, I met my spiritual master who taught me that the cause of all suffering is my ignorance of my real identity and he showed me the way to awaken my real, eternal identity. Since I am following him, I have become happier and happier and my life becomes more and more meaningful all the time.
I would like to talk to you more if you want.

Answer 4

I have read and examined a lot of spiritual texts including the Bible, Bhavigad Gita, Upanishads,Torah, Talmud, Zohar, Tibetan book of the dead, Tao te ching.....
I have been to church, temple, mosque and worshiped with Christains, Jews, Buddhists, Muslims and Hindus

The book that I read about all this stuff which makes the most sense is Eckhart Tolle's "The Power of Now"

Buy the CD version of this book and listen to it slowly and meditate to it....it will help you understand the natrue of universal reality ....and heres a clue....there is a universal intelligence and whether you call it GOD or the source or whatever it doesn't matter...and here is another clue......you get to this source by looking within...not without.

Good Luck!!

Answer 5

I felt like I died 10 times and felt like a zombie wandering around. I snapped myself out of it. Life is what you make it. Yes, you have all these struggles to deal with. Some days when its peaceful, the sun on your face, looking at the clouds, you have to appreciate life. You are here, living. Take one day at a time. Do what makes you happy. Treat yourself right. Your purpose in life will come to you. Go on with your daily life.

Answer 6

Sounds just like me!.
i have been physically abused by family and so called friends and bullies at school. Emotionally abused/blackmailed at school and raped at 12/13.
I was deemed a failure at school, so had extreemly low self esteem/ concept, now i have 10 GCSE's and, a handful of A-levels and will soon be starting my finals at Uni!. And i did it all myself, and hey i have (maybe you too) lots of crap to come, so lets keep going. : )

Smile Jesus loves you ; )

Answer 7

I recommend you read "The Purpose Driven Life" by Rick Warren. I wish this book was around when I was young. My life would have been different.

Answer 8

Sorry to hear that...but the only way is God. You can try reading the book "A Purpose Driven Life," but I've never read it yet.

Answer 9

Try zen, its religiously neutral as far as I'm concerned. It should help you find peace.

Answer 10

If you're loved - your life isn't in vain