Saturday, March 7, 2015

Is There A Purpose In Life, One Wonders

By Leslie Ball


At some point or the other in life we all reach a situation that makes us question our very existence. Why are we on this earth? Is there a purpose in life? What are we meant to do or be? While nobody has been come up with any clear answers to such question, various theories do exist. And for peaceful living, following one of these becomes a wise thing to do.

For some people, these questions get answered by the path of religion, science, politics or any other that they have chosen to embark. Almost imbibing a way of life via this path, many find the meaning to their existence within the teachings or methods of this path.

Some people live their lives according to the teachings of spiritual or religious leaders, who they call gurus. Their outlook to life and the way of living it is all governed by the belief system set by that religion or spiritual path. Their sense of meaning in this world is achieved by fulfilling what this cause demands of them.

Similarly, for those who choose to live by the scientific methods preached and advised by a theory or organization, all logic and reasoning is defined by that very theory. Meanings are searched within the knowledge of that methodical functioning.

Not everyone on this earth, however, is fortunate to have a cause or following they can connect with. Not everyone has something to hold on to for searching meanings and looking for answers. A lot of mortals simply spend their life lost and aimless, only because they could not find a road they could travel, a mantra they could live by, or a calling that could define their beings.

In some people this situation can even take a turn for the worst and make them give up on life itself. Having made no sense of this world, they may decide to quit it entirely. This is an extreme situation, but highly plausible too.

Spending life mulling over such thoughts is actually the antithesis of this dilemma. Not having a goal should not mean dire fruitlessness of existence. In fact, it is up to a human being to find a goal or an objective and make it the purpose of their life.

A case in pint could be that of an atheist and dreamer who may be a music artist or architect by profession. This person may not have found his calling via his profession, nor any chosen path to traverse life. He may, on the other hand, have found that the essence of his living lies in working toward literacy of underprivileged children. He may spend his weekends and hours after work teaching slum dwelling kids in his vicinity. That may be the purpose in his life.

Another case such as the above may be that of a botany lover, who may not be a professional, but a visionary in her own way. She may devote her time and mind to research on certain types of plants that the others may deem worthy of little thought. This could be the purpose of her existence.

A meaningfulness does not come upon one at any decided time in life. Neither are people born with it, nor do they necessarily find it as a result of education. The true significance of our lives is almost always found within ourselves.




About the Author:



No comments:

Post a Comment