Stop Looking for a Purpose

scintillaic (51)in #life • 6 years ago (edited)

Flooded with choices and a wide-open world, we, humans of today are now faced with a new kind of challenge: that of finding our purpose. Instead of having to live a predestined life with a given career without choices, we now are able to choose our own path, giving us the freedom to do whatever it is that we were ~meant to do~.

We think that being able to now choose our path, or find our purpose somehow makes us better and freer than those that came before us. And while it can be true, it definitely isn't when we feel like we have to choose some kind of path - or rather, one kind of path. With the pressure of finding a purpose comes an idea that we only have one purpose in life, and that we somehow have to find this purpose. And yet we think this is freedom.

Or so we think.

However, looking at the problem itself may reveal that it is still the same thing - a forced choice under the same dualistic paradigm - just dressed in different clothes.

Take this as a sign to stop looking for signs.

Why do you need to find a purpose? Why do you need to find a certain thing to do?

Perhaps you think finding this will somehow make you freer, somehow make you happier. Yet if that is what your real goal is, then why not feel happy now? Why not live in the moment now, instead of trying to escape it to a better future, that will never even be here, as the only thing we ever have is the godforsaken present.

As amazingly intelligent we humans are, we can sometimes be complete dummos. Our survival instincts are great at keeping us alive when properly used, but horrible for our wellbeing when used in wrong places (which is most of our worries in this day and age where instead of chased by lions we utilize the same flight-or-fight mechanisms for being afraid of people not liking our instagram post). Have you ever seen a peacock in the corner stressed about its future life goals or whether it will be able to support all the kids that its beautiful feathers will probably help it have? No, there it goes stepping around basking in its full glory of being the most amazing motherfucking peacock. The only animal that can even stress about its own purpose in life is human, yet stressing about the purpose we completely miss it: the sole purpose of being a-live.

So perhaps, as humans, we should take example of our sometimes-wiser animal cousins and simply be. Be grateful for this moment, for today, for our lives thus far, for everything. To let the flow of life take us instead of fighting against it so much, simply because life is better that way. And so much more fun.

Oh, and did I mention that doing that will also start making you happier and feeling like there is purpose in life, in itself. Just as it is. In the mysterious and beautiful dance of life that takes place all the time right in front of our noses, yet we somehow have become masters at ignoring that. But you know what, that's okay too, because you can always come back to the appreciation of the moment. Always. It's never too late. And I suggest you start now.

You are a human, alive. Start LIVING.

Photos from here, and here.