The purpose of life is a life of purpose.

Robert Bryne

A common theme among not only teenagers and younger people, but also philosophers throughout all of history is to find out why we exist. “What’s my life purpose?” and “Why am I here?” are common questions that both I’ve asked myself, as well as questions people in my circles have asked.

This post is dedicated purely to help you figure out what your life purpose is, rather than reading what I believe to be yours. That, of course, would just come with skepticism and possible denial, but I want you to find something that you’re comfortable living for.

What is a life purpose?

Maybe this may be a new concept to some of you, something you’ve never taken the time to think about before. A life purpose is the reason why you exist, and is not always tied to a religious backing. Some believe that they have more than one life purpose, or one purpose that has multiple parts associated with it. However, an actual life purpose is something that is broad, it’s a general statement or theme for your life. In Japanese culture, your life purpose is called your “ikigai” or “reason for being”.

What’s Your Life Purpose?

Remember in school, when you were tasked with reading short stories in English class? There were times when you had to read the story, or maybe just a section of it, and determine what the theme of the story was. Some stories had the theme that ‘Good overcomes evil’ or ‘Don’t judge a book by its cover’.

Now observe your life, to this point. What has been the underlying theme?

If you’re having trouble with this, consider the following:

• Do you find yourself wanting to help others, sometimes above your own needs? Your life purpose may be tied to serving others. This can be through volunteering, or career-related efforts like participating in the medical industry.
• Do you find yourself with a constant thirst for knowledge and understanding? Your life purpose may be tied to learning more about the world, in all of its facets. If you’re this type of person, you may want to meet as many people as you can from different areas of life, so that you can start to better contextualize the world.
• Do you have a strong connection to children? Your life purpose may be dedicated to being the best mother, father, or caretaker for a child/children. It is common that women find their purpose to be in motherhood.

These are just a few examples to get your mind on the right track.

What’s mine?

My life purpose, for what I understand it to be, is to help people that I’ve connected with. I’ve found that in my life I tend to help not just my close friends and family, but also people that have shown me respect in the past, at times even beyond my own needs. I’m currently in college studying biomedical engineering in effort to go to med school, living out my purpose of helping people I connect with in a way that I feel knowledgeable about and comfortable with.

Why do I need to know my life purpose?

Knowing, understanding, and living out your life purpose will give your life a sense of fulfillment. This will ultimately make you happier, and a more satisfied person.

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This concludes this post on life purpose. If you like what you read and want to read future posts, there is a subscription option at the bottom of this page and is also a tab at the top of the page. Subscribing will send my posts directly to your email in full for a more convenient way of reading. If you have any questions or suggestions about this or other posts, feel free to leave a comment or send an email to brandon.admin@alookaround.blog.

Take care of yourself and someone else,

-Brandon