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What is the purpose of your life?

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First I’d answer with something funny... and then with something sad. Although that order might just be reversed depending on your outlook.

But the truth of it is? I don’t know when I’m going to die, so I can hardly look back and memorialize when the coin is still up in the air. I can really only speak to intent. The words which best shape that were spoken by the daughter of a friend of mine:

‘Find something worth dying for, and figure out a way to live for it.’

Yah. He taught her right.

And I need to be reminded of it, every so often.
 
‘Find something worth dying for, and figure out a way to live for it.’
Then I am good to go:
survival, reproduction, nurturing, and supporting the next generation.

I suppose the first thing I do when faced with a broken machine is ask: "what does it do?". Then we reverse engineer until we find where it went off the rails and set it back straight.

I am coming out of a period of lack of use, rust, and decay. My newly repurposed life will be spent spoiling grandchildren. Should be a worthwhile use of an old tool like me.
 
Yes, I too feel like a broken machine or a broken heart, and Idk, so I don't know how to answer.

But I did see something I've seen often, actually, but it never really sank in, the words:

~"to be thankful for one's (my) own unique existence, and for the people I alone can influence for good during my lifetime".

And perhaps even, we don't or won't ever even know who, or how, or why?

Hugs to you @Justmehere . 🤗
 
At first thinking about this i couldn't think of anything which seemed at the least a bit remiss.

Having thought on it a bit more I remember as a kid thinking when I was really old (like 30 🤣) I would get help and make things right so that I could live my life.

And well I'm long past 30 but it is still a goal and maybe if I think on it more i could even say its my life's purpose.
 
Each day, each stage of age that I am blessed with, I repurpose. Nothing grand or especially wise but each stage of life presents new opportunities in and of itself in which to allow expression of my resources (health, finances, love, & family support) to be shared as well as receive such gifts.

To deal with our cards that we are randomly dealt, while doing the best that we can with what we hold at that time, is a tribute to our journeys. I truly enjoyed reading everyone’s thoughts: great thread.
 
Hope you find the answers @Justmehere



Today, now.. finding it hard to zoom from microlevel to macrolevel.. somewhere in the deep MY llizard brain wants to say (To myself) it’s biology, reproduction nothing more left and nature doesn’t give a sh** about your interpretations but the fact that I belong to a species that is able to reflect on these themes is also fun and tragic at the same time. For now I’m glad that my brain regions are functioning, I’m mobile and Independent mostly. So what’s the purpose for me? I want to say, I’m taking things as they come for now. Purpose is too grandiose for me, but I admire those who see a purpose for themselves and others.
I think purpose is important for daily motivation, feeling that I've contributed positively and thought not only about my own needs, but the needs of others. I think PTSD reduces our community to those we live with.......and in my case, I call them the Dysfunctionals. They believe they are normal and that I was the odd one, the misfit. But none of us were normal....there was absolutely no community outside the family......others didn't matter to my X...unless they were praising he great seeding job on the lawn, or saying he had the best light display in the neighborhood....he was all about looks and other's thinking he was the best. So to get along, I had only one relationship the husband felt was safe with....others weren't welcomed in the house.

I did have a job outside the home...in the helping profession, and it felt good to help others and see the fruit of my labor. Having purpose gave me a reason to get out of bed, organize ahead of time, be creative in a specific field where I could hone my creative skills (writing, art, music), and without a purpose I wouldn't have gotten outta bed to go be surrounded by the Dysfunctionals. Playing my music for the elderly in a nursing home, collecting needed items for the poor, helping new teachers keep afloat mentally, all those things gave me positive memories.......which helping others has been my purpose.

When I haven't been "withit" my purpose was still never all about me.....moreso was, so I could stay functional. Helping others, making their day a little brighter, gave me a time when I wasn't focused just on trauma, just on meeting my own needs. I think having a purpose often helps us with the social piece many are lacking. Sorry it's so long......
 
generally speaking, to solve or prevent problems and "leave the campsite better than i found it."
Looking out for certain others in my life.
Acting with integrity and objectivity.
Not being a hypocrite.
Competition/winning, doing whatever it is as well as possible. This is the healthier side of the former "putting up with more & not bitching about it" thing I had.
Learning new things and applying them to the above.

I don't believe my life has any particular special, ordained, metaphysical/religious type "purpose," (I think the things that make one happy, content, motivated, reduces discomfort, etc. are things that individuals select or gravitate to for themselves or are socialized/guided into valuing sometimes) but the above are what get me up and going day to day. This probably sounds fairly robotic and uninspiring but it's where I've landed and I'm fine with it; my partner seems OK with it too even though he is wired rather differently.
 
The purpose of my life right now is to focus less on a higher purpose and more on getting to know myself, my likes and dislikes, and doing more of what I like.
I used to think my purpose in life was to help others, but now I think it is the journey of healing and loving myself.
 
I don't believe in a "purpose in life". It's a really strange concept to me. First and foremost we exist because our genes need means to reproduce and not go extinct.

I didn't choose to be born. And I haven't been born to "fulfill" some sort of "purpose".
I'm not religious and I don't belief in some "afterlife", either. I don't have to "proof" myself to anyone/anything.
I also don't belief in some sort of "greater good". As mammals we're all first and foremost concerned with our own survival.
I don't want children, so that's crossed off the list of "purposes" that many seem to have, as well.

My goal in life is to be as good a person as I can be. Make the most of what I've been given by having been born and being alive. For myself and for others. Find a balance, i.e. not giving myself up for the life of others, but also not exploiting others for my own benefits.

My goal is to help keep the World a liveable place for the next generations and help improve shortcomings as best as I can. Maybe leave the World a little better place than when I entered.

But those are my goals. Not my purpose.

I know the notion of "not having any purpose" can turn really depressing really fast for a lot of people. Because if you turn it around, it quickly becomes "if I don't have a purpose, what's the point in being alive?". Only, I've never had that thought, ever. I've been born. I'm alive. So I guess my purpose is to exist. Nothing more, nothing less. And that's plenty enough for me.
 
There's just so many things.
Embodying the most loving, truthful me that I can be.
Transforming fear into strength and courage.
Developing wisdom.
Raising my family.
Developing my talents and aptitudes.
Sharing my knowledge.
Enjoying loving the one's that I'm blessed to have in my life.
Working with, rather than fighting against, the conditions I find myself subject to.

I would love to showcase my values in a visable way again; I used to be a musical performance artist, who had a raising awareness focus.

Now, I want to show how to live the values I espoused. I am passionate about health, which is not separate from one's lifestyle, worldview and choises, including living in a way that is sympatico with nature itself and supporting diversity of lifeforms, so my dream is to go back to a more peasant-like lifestyle, something that's been, modernly referred to as "permaculture" but with artist/renaissance overtones, in a very rural, garden, forest and orchard setting.

I already live in a very foresty, rural village, but, I'm squished into an overwhelmingly populated situation (cptsd and ASD are not a good combination for social ease) so, I feel I am not yet able to live up to my potential, particularly dealing with living in the same village as my long term abuser, who I also happen to have offspring with.

So being propelled into a situation where I can conquor my demons and embody my fuller, less contracted and more expressive self, again, is my current main goal and purpose. I have children so their existence drives me to be more me, triumphantly.
 
right now, to support my wife who is going through a rough time. I wake to her needs, I provide what she needs and I advocate for her when there is a need from the medical professionals. She will heal, and done right, our relationship will be stronger for it, trouble is i keep seeing the 1000 things I can do wrong but missing the chance at the one thing I need to do right.
Ever ride a motorcycle fast off road? You go where you are looking. Back in camp people will say "wasn't that beautiful where the peaks were shining white over the ridges?" and I want to ask how they were able to see them, all I saw was a trail 1 foot wide and 50 miles long. I go where I am looking and seeing a rock in the trail is fine but you have to look and see the route past it, you will hit it hard if you look at it too long. Life is like that now, looking around the obsacles, not at them.
 
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