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If life feels meaningless, you need to find your purpose in life.
“The man without a purpose is like a ship without a rudder—a waif, a nothing, a no man.“
– Thomas Carlyle
Perhaps you’ve been feeling tired, weighed down, or overwhelmed. Maybe you’ve been told that’s just life, that’s just the way it is, or that’s how it’s always been and/or always will be.
After all, we’re simply human / we live on Earth / [insert other lame excuses here].
“It is usually meaningless work, not overwork, that wears us down, saps our strength, and robs our joy.”
– Rick Warren
Deep down, you know there’s something more to life. There’s got to be something more than survival, stability, or even success. You crave significance.
But you’re already doing so much. How can you do less while achieving more?
Find your purpose and focus on what matters most.
How to Discover Your Life’s Purpose
When you find your purpose, you can:
- Reduce stress
- Simplify your decisions
- Increase your satisfaction
- Feel a sense of energy, hope, and joy
- Make an impact on others
“Without purpose, life is motion without meaning, activity without direction, and events without reason. Without a purpose, life is trivial, petty, and pointless.”
– Rick Warren
Gain Clarity in Your Life
Subscribe to receive instant access to 50 journal prompts to help you gain clarity and improve your life.
1. Believe that life has meaning.
There’s no use in taking time and energy to discover your purpose if you believe that life is meaningless. To find your purpose, start with the belief that life is significant, worthwhile, and precious. More importantly, that YOU are significant, worthwhile, and precious.
Believing in yourself is especially important if you struggle with anxiety, depression, or other mental health issues.
Remember that nothing is arbitrary. There are no accidents, and you’re here for a reason.
2. Tap into a higher power.
God, The Universe, The Powers That Be… Whatever you want to call it, how can you attempt to know what you were created for without consulting your creator?
“Without God, life has no purpose, and without purpose, life has no meaning. Without meaning, life has no significance or hope.“
– Rick Warren
DO: Spend some time in prayer, meditation, or whatever mode of deep thinking and reflection that works best for you.
DON’T: Attempt to rely on your own wisdom. Your brain got you into this mess in the first place!
“We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.”
– Albert Einstein
Having a mentor can also help with gaining perspective if you’re not into the “higher power” thing (or even if you are). The point is to get input from someone who’s further ahead of you and has the fruit and results you’re looking for in life.
“Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor. If either of them falls down, one can help the other up.”
Ecclesiastes 4:9, NIV
Seeking perspective is important because your perspective will influence how you invest your time, spend your money, use your talents, and value your relationships.
3. Follow your passions.
You’ve been blessed with gifts, talents, opportunities, energy, relationships, and resources. Use them!
When we deny our dreams and passions, our unused potential leads to unnecessary stress and dissatisfaction in life.
If you’re feeling stuck, trying asking yourself some or all of the following questions:
- What is my driving force?
- Who or what excites me the most?
- What is one person, thing, or idea that I couldn’t live without?
- Where would I like to see myself in five years? 10 years? 25 years or more?
- What would I do if time and money weren’t an issue for me?
- Ideally, how would I like to spend most of my time and money?
4. Let go of old wounds.
Do you feel “out of control”? Perhaps your life is ruled by problems, pressures, or deadlines. Or you might be holding onto painful memories, haunting fears, or unconscious beliefs.
Some of the roadblocks in life include:
- Guilt
- Anger
- Fear
- Materialism
- Need for approval
“Fear is a self-imposed prison that will keep you from becoming what God intends for you to be.“
– Rick Warren
Maybe you’re crippled by anxiety or depression, or perhaps some really bad or unfair things happened to you.
You can’t travel the road to finding your purpose while carrying a bunch of luggage. Whatever is holding you back from pursuing your life’s purpose, let it go.
You are in control, so take charge of your life!
5. Realize that it’s not all about you.
Being successful and fulfilling your life’s purpose are NOT the same thing!
Your life purpose fits into a much larger picture.
“The purpose of your life is far greater than your own personal fulfillment, your peace of mind, or even your happiness. It’s far greater than your family, your career, or even your wildest dreams and ambitions.“
– Rick Warren
This goes back to the “higher calling,” as noted in step 1.
“It’s in Christ that we find out who we are and what we are living for. Long before we first heard of Christ…He had His eye on us, had designs on us for glorious living, part of the overall purpose He is working out in everything and everyone.”
– Ephesians 1:11, The Message
Whether you include religion or not, living a truly purposeful life involves other people.
“You will get all you want in life if you help enough other people get what they want.“
– Zig Ziglar
Conclusion
If you’ve read this far, you’ve probably realized that there’s more to life than just the here and now. To create a lasting impact, we must think long-term. Actually, we must think and act in light of eternity.
Our actions (or inaction!) have consequences. Live your life so that your life outlives you.
“The greatest tragedy is not death, but life without purpose.“
– Rick Warren
What steps are YOU taking to live a purpose-driven life?
If you need some more help finding your purpose, Rick Warren’s book, The Purpose Driven Life is an excellent 40-day guide on how to find your purpose.
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