How do I find meaning and purpose?

Question

I've had a few ideas for vocations but they never escaped the realm of fantasy mostly because of poor choices I've made in my life. I thought I might want to be in law enforcement but I smoked too much marijuana in my youth to ever be qualified. I thought about being a physician but my college GPA is terrible and I don't have good study skills.

I want to leave this Earth a better place than when I got here...I want to find what my life's work is supposed to be. And here I am, reduced to asking strangers on the internet what I should do. But we are all comrades, all contemporaries on this planet. In a hundred years, all or most of us will be gone so we are in this world together, we share a common experience and I want to hear what you all think.

How did you find your life's work? How do you find satisfaction, meaning and purpose in life?

Answer 1

Not sure what my life's work is. I am 62 and still trying to define it. I work and get paid as an accountant. But is that my life's work. Some is with my kids. Some is with my dealings with others.
It took a long time for me to decide what was my life work.
There are a lot of things that you can do to find satisfaction. To pick one for you is difficult at best. But helping others is a quick fix. if nothing else, work with the poor. If you can get into an associate degree as a nurse's aid or technician. Work at a soup kitchen. Help with the mentally or physically handicapped. My wife works with Children at the library.
I think that the people that make the biggest difference in life and find the sweetest purpose in life help others.
Another suggestion is the military. I saw a lot of change in people during basic training. It pays ok and it may straighten you out until you see a stronger purpose in life. And there is some pride serving your country

Answer 2

you've probably been dinking around the edges of it for a long time, just never recognized it. perhaps you like to (for example) saw wood. even as a child you enjoyed sawing wood. you've had a few dead end jobs, mostly taken out of need or pressure from family. but there was those two short wood sawing jobs you fell into because of interest. too bad they ended 'cause there was real satisfaction there. life just took other turns. look around. you have saws. perhaps you read a book or two about sawing, but nothing quite matches the hands on act of sawing some wood. someone needs some help, you're there with your saw. other people recognized this trait in you long ago, that's why when they need some wood sawed they think of you.

probably never even thought of it as an occupation. who would pay you for having so much fun? well, probably a lot of people would. there's an entire industry out there. while you may have little paid experience sawing wood, you probably have enough interest to make up for it. hell, lied my way into my first real job in the industry. (nothing to do with sawing wood). six months later i had the guy's job that hired me. the rest is history, but it was still a bit before i realized i had found my direction. good luck with this, i kinda know where you're coming from.

Answer 3

When you leave this Earth you will be going to a better place. I doubt whether everyone has found satisfaction and understands fully the meaning of life and the purpose for being here.No one has all the answers .If you believe in a God or Creator then it becomes easier to accept the way you are .

Answer 4

The internet is a communication tool. I know of countless people who would not have any other communication with other human beings if it were not for it.

You should feel no shame.

There is not one amongst us who hasn't a LONG list of "poor choices" we have made in our lives.

The only difference between one person and another is the quality of the decisions that they made/make subsequent to the "poorer ones".

Believe it or not, being able to say that you have made "poor decisions" is better than saying that you haven't been willing or able to make ANY decisions. As I believe that a "poor decision" IS better than no decision; for at least you have put in motion a cause which has netted your the effect of learning a lesson (????)

In some eastern philosophies/religions, they refer to our "purpose" in life as "dharma". Some translate this as "mission" versus "purpose".

If the truth were to be told -- or revealed to you -- you would discover that the VAST majority of people in this world NEVER discover their "true mission" (purpose, meaning) and are NEVER satisfied. So in this, I believe you are NOT alone.

And what is the worst thing that would or could happen to you if you never discovered what your "true mission" in life was? To me, the worst would be that you would gain numerous experiences of what your mission, purpose in life is NOT!!!! Same goes for being 'satisfied'-- again, you will at least know what satisfies you and what does not.

How are these things not just as valuable to you as you more towards your goals of 'making the world a better place'?

I believe a vocation is something different. Yes, your "mission" can be part of your "vocation" but it is not always possible or necessary.

But thinking and doing are two differnt things -- and "the doing" is ALWAYS more difficult than "the thinking".

First -- ya gots to eat, provide a roof over your head, clothe yourself -- you know -- the basics. So this means you need money.

So, first things being first -- do whatever you have to obtain a set of skills that you can use anytime throughout your life.

If you don't know where to start -- then make a decision AND START SOMEWHERE!!!! Being about the business of "doing" (physical actions) initiates causes and effects -- many of which we are not consciously aware of -- and know only that "something happens" down the line.

You always can make 'course corrections' along your journey. Think about it -- when you drive a car, do you not have to make THOUSANDS of "course corrections" in order to get to you final destination? It is no different for the rest of the things in your "journey through life".

Really, I think that YOU don't "find" satisfaction, meaning and purpose, but that IT finds YOU!!!!!

How?

By following the above suggestions.

Don't be afraid to embrace experience and change -- and don't be afraid to be 'disappointed' or 'dissatisfied'.

Regards,

Answer 5

Friend, your question itself gives the answer. It is laudable for you to say that you want to leave this Earth a better place to be, when you leave. You have the right perspective of the insignificance of one's life in the bigger scheme of things. Still, your desire to do something is all that is needed as the initial capital.

You can make this Earth a better place. Try organising simple awareness campaigns against Global Warming, Human Rights Violations, Social vigil against crimes, promoting civic alertness against the schemes of terrorists,..............the list can be long. Why you can even run a campaign for youngsters against drug addiction, and relate with them emotionally with your own experience. A practical suggestion, instead of keeping the purpose too wide like "bettering humanity", focus down to one of its strands and work on that. Remember, as you said, none of us have more than a century of opportunity to do anything. Contribute your drop, and the mighty ocean is always made of little drops.

Answer 6

Sometimes to find something we must not look for it. The best thing to do, I have found, is to do everything as if I were doing it for God and move along. Eventually the moment will come when He shows you the great things that you have done without seeing or the great things that you are meant to do.

As for a career.... There are two parts: Intuition and logic. Intuition: Follow your dreams and go after what you want to be. Logic: Make an attainable backup. What I may have to do, for example, is take a good, steady, average day job and go after my dreams of the arts in my spare time, until the moment comes when I am no longer in need of the day job.

Answer 7

You won't find it...It will find you. All things come to those who wait. Live each moment in the now and don't worry about those things that have not come or those that have for these things are fantasy and history. Neither of these

Answer 8

Grades don't define a vocation....nor does a major...
only the act of doing..or pursuing "it" does...start by doing something....but my advice is to love something...or else good or bad your hopes will fade

Answer 9

Get a life. Find something no one else has ever done or failed to complete and do it.

Answer 10

Take a step back. Look at yourself. You are focusing on the wrong things.