Discovering the Purpose in Life

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Posted on July 22, 2024

When I first heard about this assignment, my first question was: “What is your purpose in life essay? How formally am I supposed to write it?” Now that I understand that it is a semi-formal paper, I finally have the answer. I will share a few stories and thoughts with you, and hopefully, I can convey the meaning of having a purpose in my own life. To me, a life purpose is to support others while finding my own center at the same time.

Understanding the Concept of Purpose in Life

Before I sat down to write this paper, I had two questions. One was basic: “What is my purpose in life essay?” The other one was more profound since I have begun to wonder what the concept of purpose means to me in the first place. After all, one cannot make a generic goal like “getting rich” the purpose of one’s life. Correspondingly, I have understood that the deeper meaning of existence is multifaceted and complex. It cannot consist of a single aspect; instead, this concept encompasses many different life needs and challenges one wishes to overcome. Having clarified that, I have moved to the next stage of my inquiry.

The Role of Awareness in Finding Life’s Meaning

Self-awareness is a feature only humans possess, and it is one of the driving forces behind my purpose in life essay. Psychologically, awareness is a practice of constant self-analysis and in-depth understanding of one’s surrounding reality that aims to make one’s life more purposeful. Most people tend to assess everything they encounter in terms of being beneficial or dangerous to themselves, this fact prompts the conclusion that life purpose is inseparable from personal fulfillment.

Defining personal fulfillment can be challenging since this is a concept that everyone understands differently. For me, personal fulfillment is about creating a harmonious and peaceful environment inside my mind and around me. This statement might sound generic, but I realize that such a bold task requires setting specific goals instead of relying on one’s intuition. Therefore, I have researched this aspect as well.

How to Identify and Set Life Goals

When I was looking for purpose in life examples, I have found a few practical steps that answer the question of setting life goals. First and foremost, one needs to identify their priorities. For example, some people want to enjoy a peaceful life in the countryside while others need the fast-paced life of the city. The best approach is to go over each and every aspect of everyday existence, finding the things one wants to achieve.

After this step is complete, one can continue by creating the list of their main life goals. They can take a form of steps that lead to eventual success or one might opt for setting separate “big” goals and creating lists of steps to achieve them.

The Journey Towards Personal Fulfillment

For many people, writing their purpose in life essay can become the first step towards personal fulfillment. After all, each goal they identify brings them closer to understanding what they really need and require for a happy existence. Self-analysis and living with awareness are the two key components of learning what key steps one needs to take to consider their life purposeful.

It is crucial to realize that living with self-awareness means embracing the changes that may occur to one’s personality. Consequently, I believe that the best approach to setting life goals is selecting the ones that are least likely to change even if one’s beliefs shift in any possible way. Regardless of the approach one chooses, awareness is an integral part of this process.

The Impact of Values and Beliefs on Life’s Purpose

As I have precisely stated, one’s values and beliefs may change, thereby impacting one’s understanding of the meaning of life. Nevertheless, it is not possible to omit personal values and beliefs when setting life goals and understanding the steps one needs to complete to achieve these aims. This fact implies that one needs to either plan with this risk in mind or to focus on the most unchanging beliefs they have when defining their goals in life. In any case, passionate beliefs and adamant values are inseparable elements of the journey to fulfillment.

Overcoming Challenges in the Search for Purpose

Finding purpose isn’t only about self-analysis. Various issues such as lack of resources, possible loss of job opportunities, or similar problems occur in everyone’s life. Therefore, one needs to evaluate different risks, identify the most dangerous ones, and create a contingency plan that will counter those possible troubles. Otherwise, it can take one a lot of time to recover their original progress, which is an undesirable course of events.

It is important to remember that no list of life goals is change-proof, and one will not fail if they partially alter their aims or even completely change them. It is my firm belief that circumstances can also significantly affect one’s initial goals, so “recalibrating” them to fit realistic expectations is also alright.

Stories of Purposeful Living

Everyone might lose their sense of purpose, and for some, it takes a lot of time to find their sense of true self. There are two inspirational stories of transitioning from thoughtless to intentional living that I want to share in this essay. One is dramatic, the other one is less intense, but both show the importance of knowing one’s life goal.

The first tale is about my cousin who has fallen into the trap of alcoholism. He admits that he didn’t think about anything other than getting another bottle of gin or whiskey during that time. However, he found the strength to admit that he had an issue and began rehabilitation. That was a life changing decision for him.

The second story is about how my mother’s view of life priorities changed with age. She told me that she didn’t even want to hear about marriage or children when she was in her early twenties. However, after meeting my father, she had to admit that her perspective had shifted. According to her words, if she didn’t do that, she would have been unhappy for the rest of her life.

The Connection Between Purpose and Happiness

The life stories I have shared above taught me that changes in opinions and goals are inevitable When one pursues life significance. However, only by understanding one’s main intention can one hope to achieve real, meaningful happiness that will fill them with satisfaction and peace. In my eyes, such happiness should also give an individual more inspiration and strength to move forward and develop as a person.

Practical Steps to Cultivate Awareness

When I have embarked on my journey to gain life meaning as I understand it, I have found a few crucial steps that helped me cultivate my awareness. Firstly, I took some time to meditate and ponder the significance of each life goal I have set for myself. Then, I have filtered my aims, eliminating a few of the least important ones. Secondly, I have analyzed the value that I assign to every component of my purpose in life. This process involved monitoring my daily activities and noting the things I prioritized on a regular basis. Third, I have been practicing awareness ever since I have finished setting my goals to fully understand my desires.

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