Do You Think You Have A Specific Purpose In Life....

[bonnecanyon]

"Man does not create his purpose...rather, he detects it..."

That is an amazing quote!
May we all "detect" our purpose. . .

Thanks Johnny:smile:

 

[Paloma]

Two thoughts, Helena...chaos theory and "if you change one person's life, you have changed the world"

 

[cragger65]

I try to believe in the 80/20 rule. 20% of life is what happens to you. The other 80% is what you choose to do with it. However, when I listen to some people's stories, I can't help but think they got more than anyone should be asked to handle. However, there are still choices to be made every day. Some that help us, some that keep us stuck.

If there is a common purpose to human life, I believe it to be that we help each other, in whatever way(s) our position, experience and personal makeup will allow. It's different for everyone, for sure, but the purpose is constant... to help and to heal. JMO.

 

[Nicky31]

Maybe we're not supposed to know what our purpose is, but are meant to take our gifts, talents and acquired wisdoms 'out there' to benefit mankind in general.

Hey Helena dear

I hadn't seen this thread until now, and I feel this follows on from our chat earlier. I think Anni's quote backs my own philiosophy. As I stumble through my life I am discoering that there are some skills that I have and things that I am good at. What I have tried to do is make use of them in a way that many people can appreciate that, whether it's through my voluntary work, my college teaching course, I also think that having an understanding and empathy is something worth sharing- as we do here :smile:

For sure in the past year there have been times when I have felt worthless, pointless, ineffectual, but then I have moments when I can be reminded of the nuggets of sparkle, value and energy that I can share.

Thanks for this thread. I shall follow it with interest.

Nicky :thumbs-up

 

[Marlene]

I used to. Not so sure anymore. When everything gets twisted up so quickly, it's difficult to figure out what your purpose is.

Lisa

 

[JohnnyM53]

I feel that way sometimes too Lisa. It seems to not make any sense at all, and I keep telling myself I am a fool for believing otherwise.

Until I start reading both science and stories of weird stuff that's been going since humans walked the earth. Gives me hope that maybe this isn't all just for nothing.

After all, if we live and die and that's it, why do so many millions of people report these strange and/or beautiful miraculous stories.

I read once:

The person who believes in God has a tough job and must explain famine, disasters, war, poverty, suffering, horror, etc.

The one who doesn't has an easier job - they only have to explain love.

 

[Manic11]

Growing up I was taught that the only reason I was here was to be a punching bag for others. I was to take the beatings, rape, verbal abuse, people coming to me with their problems no matter how stressed out I am, etc because that's why I'm here. Lovely, right?

If you don’t believe anyone has a purpose and believe that we are all simply random biological organisms living out an existence then that is equally as interesting.

I'm trying to retrain my brain to believe that I'm not here to be a punching bag. However, I do believe that we are just existing. Maybe that opinion will change as I get older or as I try to manage my PTSD. But for right now, these two things are what I believe. (My belief that we are simply existing is a belief I came up with myself).

Good thread.
Manic

 

[NarcSis]

I truly believe I was put on this earth to help others. It is something I do whether I realize it or not...somewhere along the way I decided that it was my purpose to place others before myself - likely what is screwing up my recovery, I can't put me in the number one position anymore and I so want to be completely selfish right now.

I trigger and I worry about how it will affect my husband. I trigger in therapy and I don't completely let it out because I worry about how it will affect my therapist. I take a $20/hr part time job 2 1/2 hours drive away so that my community can have an ambulance service - they were willing to pay $35/hr but I only took $20/hr, we used the rest to create a secretarial position...I gave up to give back. I place my body in the way to shield a patient. I place my life on the line for others. I spend my life worrying about others...so is my nature. Do I care too much?

I was put on earth to help people, even in here, I often give advice that I can't even see to give to myself, and it helps someone else.

Trauma has caused me now to wonder if I have been too giving of myself and whether we are not just biological entities placed her to simply exist. I long to simply exist and be blind to the inhumanity of society. I long to put on blinders and think only of me - but regardless of how I try, I simply cannot do it.

 

[helena]

Thanks to everyone for their responses:

Manic I know so many people who do agree with your viewpoint that we are just biological organisms without any real purpose and they have reached that conclusion, generally, as a result of their particular academic discipline.

However, I am picking up that you may be reaching that conclusion as a result of feeling particularly low in spirit right now... apologies if I'm wrong. As for me, I tend to hover around the 'purpose' position on a small, everyday type scale but even that fluctuates. Most of the time I tend to think I am here to experience, learn and just 'go with the flow' of life's ups and downs. Now and again things happen though which make me start questionning so that's why I wanted to know what you all believed

Thanks again

 

[Dylan]

I absolutely believe in purpose, but not in a predestined or obligatory sense.

Frederick Buechner (a theologian), in speaking on vocation, hit it on the nail for me when he said: "The place where your deep gladness and the world's deep hunger meet".

Great topic!

-Dylan

 

[damaged goods]

I used to think my mission in life was to be miserable. I was terribly lonely, but I built up my wall to keep everybofy out myself and made sure that it was nicely weeded and tended.

My mission in life is now to provide good food and drink for those near and dear to me - wether it's my wife and kids, brother, sis-in-law and nephews/nieces or even the guy i used to babysit when I was 13 and he was 5 (we still get together, smoke copious amounts of weed, and then stage culinary blowouts).
Believe it or not - today I was really happy when I matched all of the socks in the wash and there were no 'orphans'. yeah really. go figure, eh?

 

[Deleted member 541]

When I was totally out of control with PTSD, I used to laugh as tell my friends that my main goal in life was to piss off other people. Let me tell you, I did that well.....

Now, I just want peace and harmony. I want no chaos, or upset, and I try to strive for that, and make it happen......