Page 2 of 6 FirstFirst 1234 ... LastLast
Results 11 to 20 of 51

Thread: What is your Purpose?

  1. #11
    Senior Member SteveinMN's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2012
    Location
    Saint Paul, Minnesota
    Posts
    6,618
    I believe our purpose in life is to find out who we are. All of us consider ourselves to be ... whatever: kind, generous, a teacher, driven, a good cook, analytical, ... But we really don't know that we are that until we put the concept into action and respond to the obstacles to that concept that we encounter.

    If you think of yourself as generous but never give away your time, energy, or possessions, are you really generous? If you like to think of yourself as an artist but all you paint are windowsills and garage-sale signs, are you truly an artist? So the purpose of life is to identify that which you believe yourself to be -- or to discover through how you respond to the Law of Attraction that you are ... something else. It's an education. I haven't yet satisfied myself that I am who I believe myself to be. So I keep going.
    Success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached in life as by the obstacles which he has overcome. - Booker T. Washington

  2. #12
    Senior Member razz's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2010
    Location
    Ontario, Canada
    Posts
    8,169
    My purpose has become clearer as i worked my way through the experience on becoming a 'solo' after my beloved DH's passing. I am telling those with whom I am comfortable sharing, that I am now employed full-time. I have been given the precious gift of life and am striving to live up to my highest sense of right complying with my SLF signature - thoughts, feelings and actions in harmony. Simple but blessing every encounter with others. Hard to do!
    As Cicero said, “Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all the others.”

  3. #13
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Jan 2011
    Posts
    1,508
    Quote Originally Posted by Ultralight View Post
    Payin' bills.
    That falls under my umbrella purpose for life (‘to glorify God and enjoy him forever’). The Bible says to ‘give unto Caesar…..’ in other words pay your bills/taxes. Obeying Gods word is giving Him glory. Funny how that works out in practicality.

  4. #14
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Dec 2010
    Location
    SoCal
    Posts
    9,656
    what I actually focus on is often things like trying to be a good partner to my bf etc.. Although that sounds quite hopelessly dependent, look I'm a woman in my own right having a bf or no. I'm just saying day to day that that is what I even have the energy to focus and care about beyond the bills, the bills, the bills that kill (and really I earn more than enough to pay my bills, but the current workplace is abusive - and any workplace drains me of course and that maybe even more). Oh I try to be a decent daughter to my mother etc.. At the end of the day ... I'm just a woman seeing myself relationally maybe at least to the extent I have any energy beyond surviving. Though I ALSO think one of my purposes is to keep learning about things, right, yea. I always have thought so. That is why I said I could ask that question, look at my book collection and think: keep it! Ha :P
    Trees don't grow on money

  5. #15
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Jan 2011
    Posts
    8,306
    To help myself and others live a life worth the pain of living.

  6. #16
    Geila
    Guest
    Such interesting responses!

    I think for a long time my purpose was survival and now that I'm in a different place, I'm just now starting to look at what I want to choose as my purpose. But I do feel very grateful to have a choice.

  7. #17
    Williamsmith
    Guest
    My purpose is to lift the human race. Humans are not just simply moving about on our Earth. We are moving in a direction. You are either helping lift it or you are a drag on it. There is no neutrality.

    To use an example:

    Margaret Atwood in "The Handmaidens Tale" wrote, "Better never means better for everyone.....it always means worse for some."

    My purpose is to make her character's assumption wrong.

  8. #18
    Geila
    Guest
    Quote Originally Posted by Williamsmith View Post
    My purpose is to lift the human race. Humans are not just simply moving about on our Earth. We are moving in a direction. You are either helping lift it or you are a drag on it. There is no neutrality.

    To use an example:

    Margaret Atwood in "The Handmaidens Tale" wrote, "Better never means better for everyone.....it always means worse for some."

    My purpose is to make her character's assumption wrong.
    I find this very interesting in light of your support of Trump. He has made life much harder on a large portion of the human race. I would say that he illustrates perfectly Atwood's quote that you reference.

  9. #19
    Williamsmith
    Guest
    Quote Originally Posted by Geila View Post
    I find this very interesting in light of your support of Trump. He has made life much harder on a large portion of the human race. I would say that he illustrates perfectly Atwood's quote that you reference.
    A friend of mine owns some very prime deer habitat. For many years now, he has graciously allowed me to put one portable tree stand on the property so that I can harvest some meat for next year. I always leave the tree stand in the woods. This year I wanted to move it a bit. We broke the stand down into two pieces. In order to get to the new location he cut directly toward the new tree, going through briars, stepping over fallen logs and traversing a patch of poison ivy. I on the other hand went back out into a soy bean field, circled around the edge of a corn field and came in from the opposite side.

    We both got to the tree at approximately the same time. I didn't tell him he was crazy for going the way he did and he didn't say a word to me about the extra distance I walked. Upon our arrival, we took the two halves of the stand and placed them together using pins. Then we laid the ladder stand down with the feet nearest the tree and hoisted it up together. He held the stand while I climbed up and using a ratchet strap, tightened the top solidly to the tree.

    The above is a simple story. There can be some assumptions made about its moral or lessons. But they are only assumptions. I just ask you to accept that I am being authentic. Atwood said and I paraphrase. You must be willing to write like no one will ever read it. Following your pencil strokes up immediately with an eraser. I think that is true. We are all too complex to figure out, don't you think?
    Don't you think it sometimes is the dog chasing its tail?

  10. #20
    Senior Member iris lilies's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2013
    Location
    Always logged in
    Posts
    25,378
    Williamsmith, what a great parable.

Thread Information

Users Browsing this Thread

There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •