Can a life have no purpose?

[Adodd]

My life has no known meaning and I am passionless. 

I have spent the last year or so of my life doing the best I can do to transform myself for the best. Specifically I have worked more on "practical aspects"(emotional intelligence, meditating and being more proactive) of self improvement than "existential aspects"(like understanding nonduality or metaphysics) and i have reaped enormous benefits. My life has had huge changes obvious to myself and others. I was lazy and eating disgusting unhealthy food all day and acting out angrily to my children, wife, coworkers etc.

 I now eat healthier than anyone I personally know, workout at least 4 times a week and have better control over my emotions than MOST people I know.

But when it comes time to get out of bed it has to be FORCED and not because im tired but because i cant think of a reason to get up. Chasing physical health is becoming my crutch to feel like i have a purpose or goal but I don't. Not even a little bit. At this point of my life, even after all of this improvement, I am just living to die. I just dont know what i want to do. I cant think of a life purpose that would excite me. I have no passion. Seriously ive put considerable thought into this and I'm lost. 

At this point i wonder if everyone will have a personal purpose. This IS discouraging as much as I wish it wasnt. What now? Just keep swimming?

Edited October 18, 2020 by Adodd

[Pallero]

Yes, everyone and everything has a purpose in this universe, including you. To discover that purpose can be tricky though. Have you taken time to disconnect from everything and look deep within yourself?

And remember, your purpose is not about what you do. It's about what you give. What are YOU meant to GIVE to this world?

[Megan Alecia]

Life  does have a purpose. It is the way things happen, in the sense that birds chirp, ants hoard food, dung beetles gather and roll poop, wolves hunt, etc etc. 

Now, meaning is man-made. Really, without it we would only endlessly (and as history has shown, inevitably) fulfill our "purpose", which is being the biggest, greediest, cruelest animals in the Earth. 

Edited October 19, 2020 by Megan Alecia

[Adodd]

2 minutes ago, Pallero said:

Have you taken time to disconnect from everything and look deep within yourself?

I'm not 100% sure what you're asking... But I feel like the answer is probably no. I still struggle somewhat with balancing everyday life (5 kids, wife, pets, food, providing etc.) with spiritual practice. I haven't found out how to do them simultaneously. I have a 7 day solo trip to the woods planned for this coming spring. I hope that helps with the disconnecting and inquiry.

[Adodd]

@Megan Alecia

How do you find purpose and meaning? I know it almost sounds like im asking someone to find my purpose for me but that's really not it. 

[Matt23]

Have you watched John Vervaeke "Awakening From The Meaning Crisis" series?   Might help.

 

Like, it's quite long and covers a lot of stuff.  But it might ignite some new direction or ideas for you.  

I haven't watched them all.

John's a professor at the University of Toronto and is a cognitive scientist.  He also teaches Buddhist studies.

[Preety_India]

In a stage Beige groups, (very rare to find, tribes or prehistoric humans), you'll notice that they only live to simply survive with no real purpose other than survival. 

It's kinda paradoxical. 

On one hand, it might appear that they have no purpose at all other than just living and on the other hand, they might be living the greatest purpose, Survival. (if survival is to be perceived as a great purpose). 

 

[Roy]

17 minutes ago, Preety_India said:

On one hand, it might appear that they have no purpose at all other than just living and on the other hand, they might be living the greatest purpose, Survival. (if survival is to be perceived as a great purpose). 

It's interesting, survival might appear to be in the drivers seat. But there is a background hum to their existence that they are surviving to have as many chances as they can at the luxury of wonder, no matter how short it might be.

Raw survival activities might dominate 98% of their energy and focus, but I imagine prehistoric and even recent humans are subconsciously doing it so they can look up at the stars and think to themselves, "what is going on and why am I here?".

[Preety_India]

@Roy yea

[Megan Alecia]

@Adodd Well I keep on learning.. keeping on feeling... keep on living. 

I won't pretend to have found meaning yet. All I can tell you is try, try new things, always do that. That's where all the lessons wait for you, ime. 

Hope this helps! 

Edited October 19, 2020 by Megan Alecia

[SgtPepper]

1 hour ago, Adodd said:

@Megan Alecia

How do you find purpose and meaning? I know it almost sounds like im asking someone to find my purpose for me but that's really not it. 

In my experience,

It's by asking yourself a series of questions when you are a clear state of mind.

 It's a combination of a vision, asking yourself what you want, your interests, and what you find joy doing.

Also, Leo does have a life purpose course and it sounds like you might benefit.

 

Edited October 19, 2020 by SgtPepper

[Adodd]

2 hours ago, SgtPepper said:

Also, Leo does have a life purpose course and it sounds like you might benefit.

Yeah this is already something I'm highly considering.

[Adodd]

@Preety_India

Although I cant positively say what my purpose is I can confidently say that it is more than just surviving.

I guess that's a start right?

[Preety_India]

@Adodd  that's a good start. But make sure that your purpose is also good for your health and aligned with your values. 

Have a good day. 

 

[Brittany]

Really cliché and trite but:

"You don't HAVE a life. You ARE life."

[Leo Gura]

@Adodd Your life doesn't have a purpose because you didn't bother to create one.

You are like a bird sitting on a branch crying to the other birds who are flying by you with straw in their beaks, "Can I has a nest? Where is my nest?"

[Hello from Russia]

You can train your physiology and mind to be more passionate and loving on a daily basis. Just practice being more passionate and loving (specifically about stuff that you do) and see how it will work for you.

For sure It is also a good idea to ask yourself what the F do you want to do in life and have a vision of your desired more passioned life, where you pursue the things that you enjoy the most every day. And then you align to this vision, and then - bam, you live a purposeful passionate life, you're happy, everything is nice and great.

It will continue until your mind comes up with some other issue, but at least now you will have that!

Edited October 19, 2020 by Hello from Russia

[Pallero]

12 hours ago, Adodd said:

I'm not 100% sure what you're asking... But I feel like the answer is probably no. I still struggle somewhat with balancing everyday life (5 kids, wife, pets, food, providing etc.) with spiritual practice. I haven't found out how to do them simultaneously. I have a 7 day solo trip to the woods planned for this coming spring. I hope that helps with the disconnecting and inquiry.

Well, when you look at animals and plants in their natural habitat, you can see that they have no problem living according to their life purpose. Everything in nature works "as it should" and the ecosystem is in harmony if it's not interfered with.

Human beings on the other hand have disconnected from their nature for the most part. Our societies are mostly toxic and harmful. When you are on your solo trip in the woods, you can really slow down and reconnect with yourself, that is your thoughts, your emotions, your desires, your truth. Hearing and seeing all that is true about you will reveal your life purpose to you (over time).

Also, try to let go of the need to know and define your purpose right now. Reconnect with your inner truth in silence, ask yourself questions (What do I want? What is important? etc.) and move towards whatever feels right, good, and meaningful, whatever fills you with energy and contentment. Whatever feels like "this is me". This is living your life purpose.

I feel like I'm just repeating what others have already posted.

Also, you don't need to wait until your trip to do this. Even a solo, couple hours walk in nature with no distraction will already help. Better yet if you do it every day. If you stop everything and be with yourself with no distractions you will start getting insights into your truth and subsequently, your life purpose. It's a guarantee.

[Gesundheit]

@Adodd You don't need a purpose or a passion. Your life is already abundant and you have a lot of gifts to appreciate and be grateful for.

Purpose or passion equals thirst or hunger. The only reason you will ever have a purpose/passion is if you desire something that you don't currently have. If you have passions that means you don't have enough, or at least you don't think you have enough. Not having enough (or thinking so) creates desire which manifests in two different ways; the first is passion, and the second is dissatisfaction, like you're currently experiencing (probably because you're unable to find something to do about your desire).

Imo, you should stop seeking what you don't have and be happy with what you have because it really seems like you have wonderful blessings that you're not appreciating well enough.

[Someone here]

There is no objective purpose for your life (besides survival) really anything else is something we as humans just made up.

So don't go looking for what you should be doing with your life as a given.. Or something inherent in reality that you just need to discover.. There are no right or wrong answers.. You create your own purpose. If you don't create one.. You will automatically live a purposeless life.  Which is not bad btw. Imo living a conscious purposeless life is the enlightened life.