Living or Existing : The Real purpose of Life

Author : Haseena Kabeer (DTM)

Assistant Professor (English)

Vivekananda Global University, Jaipur

Mail id-haseena.s@vgu.ac.in

www.daylife.page 

Life itself is insolvent if we are merely living for the sake of just living. Those who lay down their lives for the sake of others will certainly dwell forever in a world of ecstasy. Rivers never stop flowing even after all the adversities it faces. Absorbing all the trash within it, it is persistent and never loses it purpose. A tree standing firm, throughout the years withstands the sweltering heat and still produces sweet fruits that benefit others. A  Mountain endures extreme cold and unnerving winds yet yields useful herbs for mankind. If your life revolves around the monotonous run for avaricious contentment, after a period you lose the purpose for what you are exactly living for.

Clever people will go on inventing various purposes of life. The political group will have one purpose, the religious group will have another, and so on and on. And, how are you to going find out what is the purpose of your life... when you yourself are confused.Surely, as long as you are confused, you can only receive an answer which is also confused. If your mind is disturbed, if it is not really quiet, whatever answer you receive will be through this screen of confusion, anxiety and fear. Therefore the answer will be perverted. So the important thing is not to ask what the purpose of life is; but, to clear away the confusion that is within you.

According to Aristotle, every human activity and pursuit has a purpose or function to fulfil. People will go to great lengths to achieve this goal. And when people have a clear goal in mind, it will work miracles. Aristotle argued from the beginning of moral doctrine that all things act and choose to rationalize some good. Man's ultimate goal is to seek the highest good.

We all have the same destination in life, and that is death. We are all going to die; the only thing we can change is our "journey." Making our journeys beautiful and exciting. Doing all of the things that will brings us temporary happiness will not bring us long-term happiness. Let’s not forget to work on long-term happiness. Let’s findour own definition of happiness. Find what makes you happy. For some people space exploration can be happiness for some people working for their country can be happiness for some people travelling can be happiness(now there is a big difference between a hobby and a passion. Hobby is what you do when you're free and if something is your passion you can do that work for your wish. When you're done, when you've found your passion, just decide what you have to do for your passion, for example, if travelling is your passion, you need money for this and for money you need a job, so go and work for that job...and start loving your job "love what you do until you're able to do what you love.

Whether you are at the pinnacle of success or loss, remember that "there are super powers greater than all of us but you have to believe in something. As said by co-founder Steve Jobs “So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something—your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life”. Thus, believing in ourselves is another key to happiness and definitely it will lead towards success and ultimately towards the purpose.

There is a Chinese saying that goes: “If you want happiness for an hour, take a nap. If you want happiness for a day, go fishing. If you want happiness for a year, inherit a fortune. If you want happiness for a lifetime, help somebody.” For centuries, the greatest thinkers have suggested the same thing: Happiness is found in helping others.

Helping others may just be the key to living a happier, healthier, wealthier, more productive, and meaningful life. However, it is important to remember that giving does not always feel good. Giving, on the other hand, can make us feel depleted and taken advantage of. 

What a dreadful, opportunistic world this would be if we only gave to get something back every time we gave! However, if we are guilt-tripped into giving, we are unlikely to be long-term supporters of the cause. The key is to find an approach that works for us. When we do, the more we give, the more we stand to gain purpose, meaning, and happiness - all of the things we seek. Thus, the purpose of life is to be useful, to be compassionate and to make some difference in the lives of others. (The author has his own study and views)