The Quest For The Purpose of Life!

 



I came across this wonderful note on a site and couldn’t help musing and pondering over it. 

At this point of time, as I reach the middle-age, a question often pinches me – ‘What is the purpose of my life?’ Have you come across this question? And most importantly, did you get the answer for this? I haven’t yet!

For those like me who meander through life living in the moment and carrying out their day-to-day activities with no thought for the future, the above note comes as a life-saver! As the note says, our purpose of life need not be something very magnificent or huge. Too often, we set high goals for ourselves. Most of the times, the little things we do in our daily lives more or less help in achieving the purpose of our existence.

It could be something like preparing a meal whole-heartedly and lovingly for the family. It could be spending some quality time with your kids and giving them your whole attention. They do say that charity begins at home! It could be even something as simple as exchanging a smile with someone you see while you are on a walk! These are small gestures for sure, but their impact is definitely big.

We tend to take these little gestures for granted and often despair about not knowing our life’s purpose or not doing enough justice to the same. What if our life’s purpose comes down to this – living THIS moment fully?! There is a lot that we can do in a moment! We can brighten someone’s day with a kind gesture. That person, feeling euphoric, may decide to pass on some of the kindness to someone else. And thus, we may usher in an entire Caravan of peaceful people spreading their joy to others.

 And what if we realize that the purpose of our life is to be kind and rational even when the others around us are not? Being calm when we could have unleashed the storm brewing in our mind? Showing compassion and patience even though it feels difficult to do so? We all have done all these at some point of time or the other. We have let someone walk away from the argument feeling as if they won when clearly they didn’t win. We have let ourselves stay calm when the urge to revert back was at its strongest. We have stood our ground even when our patience was tested the most. At all these moments, we have already achieved the purpose of our life!

‘You equate your purpose with goal-based achievement’. The note says. And indeed we do this. But as the note states further, the Universe has nothing to do with our achievements. All it is concerned with is random acts of courage, of kindness and of compassion. Simply by being our best at THIS moment, we will have taken another step closer towards our purpose.

I am the least-qualified person to talk about this, I feel! Mistakes I have made many, regrets there are many too! But I am not what I was. Today, as I try to be a better version of myself every day, it definitely feels like I am making some progress. There are miles to go, but atleast I have set out on the path.


Next time you are confronted with the question – What is the purpose of my life – look back on all the random acts of kindness you did, the moments when you were at peace, the times when you felt deep gratitude within you. Those are the moments when you already met the purpose of your life! And for those who live in the moment, let us bring down the purpose to just this – to live the moment well, fully and to be the best version of ourselves now!

Comments

  1. Poornima SivaramanNovember 30, 2021 at 2:13 PM

    Dear Deepa, as I was reading each line, I felt you have put my thoughts into words.I agree to what you have written.This is the purpose of life.To help others and be of help

    ReplyDelete

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