Purpose

Everyone has a purpose, an ulterior motive which guides their every action, though we usually aren’t even aware of, or haven’t figured out what this abstract purpose is . This Motive acts as a compass, forever pointing in one direction, though that direction may change(Ha! Metaphor) as one grows older.

Humanity has always yearned to be part of something bigger. For the larger part of history, we have considered ourselves to be at the centre of the Universe. We invented Religion as a means to justify our existence, to give meaning to our lives.

As we looked out to the stars, we searched for someone else in the firmament, who could accompany us in our journey through the cosmos. First, it was God, then aliens, but to no avail. This only led to more uncertainty about the nature of the Universe and our place in it.

Why were we created?

Are we alone?

What happens when we die?

What is my purpose?

In the last few centuries, the importance that we, as a species, have conferred upon ourselves has slowly eroded. Science and Logic became the centrepiece of philosophy in this world, after millennia. Slowly, the world has moved away from religion, but the longing to find meaning in our lives has not waned.

What has resulted is the growth of an ideology focussed on making the most out of the limited time that we have- You Only Live Once- by prioritising happiness through experiences and possessions over long-term contentment. While this doctrine isn’t necessarily detrimental to the fabric of society(it actually sounds quite good in a macroeconomic sense), it does have its pitfalls. Millennials are more likely to be dissatisfied with their lives than older age groups.

Our world is nowhere near perfect. We don’t have to face the ravages of war and famine that our ancestors experienced, but we have our own set of hurdles, like global warming and economic inequality. When a large cohort of society is of the belief that this is the only life we have, and if we aren’t having a great time all the time, precious moments are being wasted, they are more averse to struggles and hardships and are easily negatively impacted by them.

There are a multitude of reasons to feel pessimistic about the future, but it is our outlook on these problems that defines who we are. When we figure out for ourselves what our role is in the machine that is mankind, and we begin to focus our attention towards that ultimate goal, all other issues that usually plague us start to seem inconsequential. Trust me, it works.

Find your purpose.

-Ishaan Mishra