What is Your Purpose in Life?

[Heather Shay]

I think once you know your own core values - you need to have purpose in this life to maintain a sense of well being and a reason to go on. The best I can determine for me is I live to help others who are willing to share their problems with me and to also maybe use my songwriting abilities to touch someone's life when they here what I've written. NOTE: I am horrible at being open to others and seeking help when I need it - so I'm working on that.... because it's hard to give what you don't have.

 

How about you? Have you really thought about what makes you the happiest in giving of yourself in some way?

[Jani]

Sometimes i wonder about that.  Soon after the death of our son I read a quote that stuck with me.  "Because I have been so quickly done for, I wonder what I was begun for?"   We all have a purpose, whether we know or understand it, or not.  I think showing empathy (caring) is what sets us apart from other animals.  By caring for others we ourselves are touched and that somehow makes us better.  Its like a big loop.  What comes around goes around. 

[Jackie C.]

Same. Love teaching others and helping themselves be better.

 

Not that that's working out so great right now, but what are you gonna do?

 

As a total aside, I have the same problem opening up to other people. I'll listen to whatever you need to say, but it's like... my therapist compared it to putting a castle to siege... to get me to share. I think it's a side-effect of hiding myself for so long doing a dance with my low self-esteem.

 

Hugs! 

[Heather Shay]

@Jackie C. bingo - I've hidden soooooooooooooooooooo long it's hard to break the muscle memory.

[MiraM]

I have no idea what my purpose in life is, which may be part of the reason that outside of my job, my life is pretty empty.  Most days I am just going through the motions on auto pilot.....get up, have coffee, go to work, go home, go to bed....rinse and repeat.  Some times it feels as though my purpose for existing is to serve as an example of what not to do with your life.  "See kids, if you don't straighten up, you'll end up like that."

[MiraM]

My lack of purpose may also have something to do with my life long struggle with addiction/alcoholism and 13 documented suicide attempts.

[Heather Shay]

@MiraM I can relate to running on auto-pilot. For some reason I found something I like to do and that helped. I just wanted to be blanked out and did anything I could just to fill in time before sleeping and doing it all over again. Finally facing my frankness and doing something about it has helped me and deciding to be as active on TP has given me purpose.

I know that just being you've accepted yourself and have made progress with self shows. I learned I got to love myself first and then I have love to give.

I wish you well and wish I could give you a big hug in person.

Heather