"There is no more important step you can take than to define your life's purpose. It develops your sense of belonging to our universe."
-- Arnold Patent
What do you think?
2007-06-25 02:25:05 · 27 answers · asked by Kallan 7 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Dunno about the definition part, but I do think that it's important to realise that ones life can have a purpose and that we each have a degree of choice and control over what that should be.
Sometimes the journey and how one travels is what counts, rather than the destination. Just a thought.
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2007-06-25 03:37:44 · answer #1 · answered by Wood Uncut 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I think it's a beautiful thought and well worth the saying. To come to terms and understand your purpose of being is to be united with the life force of the universe and to become a portion of the whole. Without this understanding, one rather tends to drift through life with little or no purpose. God gave us all a sense of wanting to belong and a person has to understand Who they belong to.
2007-06-25 10:05:33 · answer #2 · answered by nightstar0716 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
We all, at some point early in Life feel a need to define ourselves and our goals, yet to me there is a far more important step than mere definition and goal setting, as these definitions change with time and goals are always changing. I think the question is more fundamental than this generalisation...
At some point in Life it is vital to realise something on which all else depends, that something is the very nature of Life itself. Without a fundamental understanding of the nature of all Life, all else is both elusive and illusory.
What then is the nature of Life, what is its fundamental nature..? All Life is impermanent, this is its nature. Without this step, all else will elude.
How does this step allow all else to occur...?
It allows our Consciousness to perceive without distortion the experiences that we encounter, allowing us the freedom to choose for an outcome based on reality, what would otherwise be a choice based on illusion and clouded perception making us hope for a chosen outcome as opposed to an informed and calculated choice.
It is worthy of note to remember that where we are today is through choices made yesterday. Before we can choose wisely for a better tomorrow, we need to be able to see ahead and plan properly with allowances for pitfalls and back up plans and more back up plans, so that the plan succeeds in a favourable outcome with an allowable margin for error.
Our perceptions guide our thoughts and our thoughts guide our actions. With proper thoughts through proper perceptions we have the skills needed for that planning. Without these skills we are only ever hoping for these outcomes, making the whole process more random than methodical.
Focusing our perceptions to match the reality we see should be the first and most important step in anyone's Life. Then all else will follow and the goals and purposes we set ourselves will seem like they were written down for us like a road map.
A Buddhist perspective....
Peace from a Buddhist....
2007-06-25 17:49:03 · answer #3 · answered by Gaz 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Hello!
I gave you a star due to the level of thought!
Regarding with Patent's saying, I disagree! It might be content for many and proper for most, but the few of other levels don't need such parallelism to behave and improve! Also, I do not admit that anyone belongs to the Universe. The Universe is composed from every and each one! The Universe exists because of every and each one! There is no Universe in "absence" even of the smallest/ tiniest person, creature, energy, ....
2007-06-25 10:12:49 · answer #4 · answered by SuSaiQi 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I would say it is more important to define your life's purpose and act accordingly to achieve some progress on the road to attaining the goals of your purpose. Definitions are just words. You have to further define those words through actions or it is all just urinating in a good breeze.
2007-06-25 09:30:20 · answer #5 · answered by Nodality 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I mostly agree but wonder if there is a distinction that is being made between 'purpose' and 'meaning'. I see them separate and think life's meaning is only slightly more important than life's purpose. (On the grounds that if we had no meaning then out purpose would be worthless)
2007-06-25 09:32:32 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I think our ultimate purpose is to worship the Creator. The how-we-do-it is what matters in our day-to-day existance.
For example, I chose (by utilizing my free will) to become a special education teacher. Yes, this is my vocation, but it's also my passion. I believe that my job is a form of worshipping Allah because it gives me the opportunity every day to help multihandicapped kids physically feel better and to feel good about themselves. I could just go through the motions, but I don't--I try to remain God-conscious and give to them from my heart.
So one might say that being an educator is my "purpose" in life, but I say instead that it is one of the means by which I can fulfill my ultimate purpose of worshipping Allah.
2007-06-25 09:39:08 · answer #7 · answered by aminah 4 · 0⤊ 2⤋
Sounds a lot like, "The unexamined life is not worth living."
I think purpose is great, but it's okay to live without defining or finding a purpose. Just because you haven't articulated it, doesn't mean it doesn't exist, and just because you haven't found "your calling" yet, doesn't mean you won't.
Having said that, I wish more people who feel "a drift" in their lives would go join greenpeace or something.
2007-06-25 09:29:21 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 1⤋
Agree 100% once you have decided what your purpose if you can then only start truly enjoying life.
2007-06-25 09:29:13 · answer #9 · answered by John C 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It sounds good on paper but some spend their entire lives unable to take that step.
2007-06-25 11:04:34 · answer #10 · answered by Patrick the Carpathian, CaFO 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋