What is my life purpose? What am I here for? For centuries, human beings have been concerned about their destiny and the roles they are supposed to fulfill in the world. When we were children, dreams, aspirations, and projects used to occupy our minds. Yet, our daily routine, work, and personal relationships have slowly made us forget our hopes and long-term goals, leaving us dissatisfied and longing for a much-needed change.
We seek relief in temporary entertainment and distractions, when in fact, we are lacking something vital: purpose. Living a purpose-filled life can only begin when we discover a pursuit that absorbs us, challenges us and provides us with a sense of meaning and joy. This is by no means easy, but there are a number of things you can do to bring purpose to your life.
“Every being is intended to be on earth for a certain purpose.” — Sa’di, 12th Century Persian poet
What we struggle with in life
When you live your life feeling as though you are adrift, following a routine simply because you have to, you might experience an unshakable sensation that something is missing. You are stuck in a dead-end job, or feel like your dreams and aspirations have vanished over the years. When you stop for a second and ask yourself what is your life purpose, many tangled thoughts come to mind.
Having a successful career, a loving family, a secure home, and money might seem like the recipe for a perfect life and what everyone should strive for. However, many people who have ticked all of those boxes still feel that something is missing. That “something” is most commonly their purpose in life.
What does life purpose truly mean?
From a broad perspective, your life purpose consists of the central motivating aims of your life. It influences important decisions, behavior, and provides an overall sense of direction. It works differently for each person. You might find that some people’s purpose is linked to their career — a satisfying and equally rewarding vocation. For others, it is connected to religious beliefs or seeking meaning through spirituality. Or perhaps their purpose is clearly expressed in all of those aspects of life.
Talk show host and writer Oprah Winfrey struggled immensely before finding her life purpose or what she calls “the calling”. While working as a news anchor early in her career she describes not feeling right. “I knew I was not my authentic self.” It was not until her first experience co-hosting that she “experienced the first spark of what it means to become fully alive.” She describes feeling as though she had come home to her true self.
“I believe every one of us is born with a purpose. No matter who you are, what you do, or how far you think you have to go, you have been tapped by a force greater than yourself…” – Oprah Winfrey
Why true purpose is so hard to find nowadays?
Often, we find ourselves asking the questions “What am I doing with my life?” or “Where do I belong?” The outside world and our daily worries suffocate us so much that we prefer to leave these questions unanswered, choosing to focus on temporary problems and the immediate present.
Everyone feels drawn towards some kind of purpose in his or her life, regardless of how much it might have become blurry along the way. Remember the days when your head was full of dreams and projects you were determined to fulfill? Traveling the world, becoming a famous artist, helping others, or living in a nice house near the beach. Instead of working to making such dreams a reality, we become so enraptured by our daily engagements, responsibilities, routine, and so forth that our life purpose takes the backseat.
It also can be that you have tried finding your purpose but your approach is wrong. Frequently, our approach towards making a living and finding the ideal job is faulty because we try to become someone we’re not. For instance, we seek to transform ourselves and become engineers, lawyers, bankers, or anything that pays the most. We do this instead of asking ourselves if we actually want to be any of these things or not.
Modern Society and purpose
It is also true that life has become more complicated. Thousands of years ago, humans were not very concerned with the purpose of life. If you were a man, you were a hunter. If you were a woman, you were a gatherer. These were the default professions and everyone was destined to live similar lives. Now, in the 21st century, there is a general perception that you can do whatever you want; be whoever you want to be. With the options being so abundant, it harder for us to decide just who it is we want to become.
The popularity of social media and the rise of the information age doesn’t make the task much easier. In fact, a recent study suggests that there is a link between the use of social media and negative effects on well-being, particularly depression and loneliness. Jordyn Young, co-author of the paper published in the Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology states that “if you use less social media, you are actually less depressed and less lonely, meaning that the decreased social media use is what causes that qualitative shift in your well-being.”
Be it social media or the hardships of contemporary life, the consequences of not finding your purpose lead to chronic dissatisfaction, an overall absence of inner peace, and a sense of not being in sync with your inner voice. As you wake up every morning and go to work, your inner self knows that your life purpose is not connected with your outside reality.
Why it’s important to find out who you really are and what your purpose is
Finding your purpose is more important than you might believe. In fact, it will help you live longer. A study by University College London found that those people with high levels of eudemonic well-being — which involves having a clear sense of purpose, control, and feeling like what you do is important and rewarding — tend to live longer. Researchers discovered that individuals with the strongest well-being were 30 percent less likely to die during the eight-and-a-half-year follow-up period.
What’s more, a 2016 study published in the Journal of Research in Personality found that people who feel a defined sense of purpose accumulate more wealth than those who feel as though their lives lack meaning. It is believed that people who feel their lives have meaning are goal-oriented. By looking at their long-term goals, they are motivated to develop better financial habits.
It’s clear that living a life of purpose and meaning is something that should be number one on your to-do-list. The benefits speak for themselves. Now the question is… how do we achieve this?
How to discover your life purpose
There is no straightforward formula for finding your purpose and passion in life. What works well for some people might not necessarily be what you need. That’s why you should get to know yourself well. This process might require plenty of self-reflection; time to take a deep and careful look within your true self, allowing your intuition to become your guide. This is where mindfulness plays an important role as it will be the bridge in the personal path to a purpose-filled life.
Meditate
Meditation has existed for as long as 5,000 years. Regular meditators often manifest how meditation has transformed their lifestyle and well-being. Additionally, meditation helps us to feel less stressed and anxious. As we meditate, we begin to understand that our imagined scenarios and projected feelings are unrealistic. We feel more capable of loving and being passionate, and more connected to all living things.
Real purpose comes from within, which means that your meaning in life is encoded deep inside of you and will reveal itself through your emotions and feelings. If you are out of touch with your inner self and focus on temporary relief or answers from the outside, it will be impossible to access the truth within.
This is where meditation comes to the rescue. Meditation aids you to explore and reconnect with your inner self. More than sitting in silence for hours, meditation is an engaging practice capable of unlocking human potential and exploring the unconscious mind, a deeper sense of self and the world we live in. Luckily, there are countless meditation methods to try out depending on your level of expertise. Soon enough, you will be enjoying a hundred benefits of meditation.
Step out of the comfort zone and see the world
Why not take a well-deserved vacation? You don’t need to have tons of money, just the intention, and the right mindset to step out of your comfort zone, discover new places, and cultures. Two weeks abroad or a weekend in the countryside can change your life for the better. Not only will you be taking a much-needed rest from your daily routine, but also getting to know new people and fresh perspectives. In order to become the best version of yourself and rediscover a new sense of purpose, you will integrate what you’ve learned during your travels into your daily life.
Meet new people
In our digital society, you are just one click away from meeting dozens of new people every day. You should resist the urge of scrolling down on your social media feed in favor of going old school and talking to the people who surround you. Although, it might be harder for certain people, engaging in conversations with strangers outside of your social circle can bring countless benefits. For instance, you might broaden your horizons and discover activities, projects, and even career opportunities you could never have imagined before.
Surround yourself with positive people
Who are the people in your everyday life? Do they bring you joy? Do they inspire you to become the best version of yourself? As the saying goes, you are the company you keep. If you surround yourself with people who are making a true difference or positive change, you will likely follow their example. Filter all negative ties from your life and stick with those who make you happy and inspire you to grow every day.
Explore your interests and what makes you passionate
When was the last time you took a break to pursue your interests? Sometimes, we get so drowned in work, studies, and personal commitment that we neglect our hobbies and the activities that bring us joy and purpose. The question, “what are your interests?” becomes difficult to answer the more we focus on other things. You can start by taking a trip down memory lane and reflecting on activities that made you happy previously.
Listen to feedback
Give an ear to the people around you. Perhaps you don’t realize your own potential because it is simply not something you see. If you are not conscious about your talents, your friends or family might be able to give you some insight. Don’t be scared to reach out and ask them what reminds them of you or what is the first thing that comes to mind when thinking about you. You could also start noticing when somebody pays you a compliment or makes a nice observation about you.
Find out who you want to help and how
Get in touch with your altruistic self and embrace your empathic nature. Many people find their life purpose by being of service or supporting others. This can be by volunteering for significant causes, teaching your children, engaging in personal hobbies or simply doing something that makes them feel alive. If there is something that upsets you or a big problem you would like to solve, go for it and start making a difference today.
“People take different roads seeking fulfillment and happiness. Just because they’re not on your road doesn’t mean they’ve gotten lost.” ―Dalai Lama
Having trouble meditating?
Meditation doesn’t come easily to everyone. Each person is different and might find it challenging to abstract themselves from the worries of everyday life in order to live in the present. Fortunately, Synctuition has been specially developed by over 1500 professionals to help you achieve a pleasant, meditative state naturally.
While listening through stereo headphones, Synctuition takes you on a relaxing lucid dream through your imagination. This dream feels like a personalized movie that is played back in your mind through the powerful audio stimulation. The mental images that start to surface are unique and are all somehow deeply meaningful to your life. Ultimately, this wonderful journey will help you reconnect with your inner self and guide you towards the right path to discover your life purpose.
Our clients state “a combination of sounds patterns, rhythms, and beats going in and out and from left to right was incredibly soothing.” What’s more, they recall deeply personal experiences.
“I was able to be more present and relaxed than if I had taken an actual walk through a beautiful garden with a flowing waterfall and birds chirping and children playing… It was exactly what I needed”.
More clients say…
“I’m not a believer in meditation apps for sleep. I have tried and failed many times. However, by accident or by faith, I installed this app three months ago. I was in terrible grief. Sleep was an enemy; fear and loneliness were my bedtime companions. To begin with, the first couple of weeks were hit and miss as I was overanalytical and very exhausted. As time went on, I was looking forward to the darkness of night and the familiar voice and comfort this app was providing. I seriously recommend to anyone who struggling due to emotional loss and a heart too broken to rest.”
“I thought Synctuition was spectacular. The sounds chosen were a medley of pleasant music, animal calls — I know I heard the soothing sound of water — and also the ‘faraway’ drone of aircraft. What I really enjoyed, actually, was the melodic voice of the female commentator; the 3-D technology made it seem she was to the right, left, and then behind me. So awesome!”
Give a new meaning to your life today
Living a life of purpose is not an easy task, as there is not a straight-forward formula to follow and every person is unique — you might find it easier or harder than others. As studies have discovered, finding your passion and purpose in life will not only bring you immense joy but also enhanced well-being and personal success. You can take the first steps towards a purpose-filled life by asking yourself what motivates you, where your passions lie, or by taking the time to meet new people and places. Meditation is the most effective and easiest way to achieve this. By helping you become in sync with your deeper sense of self and the world we live in, meditative practices might just be the solution you have been looking for.
Take the first step towards connecting with your inner self and becoming your best version today with Synctuition.
