Purpose
What is purpose and how to find it
Lack of Purpose
Today, more than ever, people are lost for purpose. For many, life seems like a tedious hamster wheel, with the same daily routines lacking a real sense of meaning.
It is no coincidence that this feeling has increased over the years alongside technological advancements. The more technology and external stimuli we have, the less connected we become with our internal selves, leading to this sense of meaninglessness and lack of purpose.
Things can also become more challenging when others attempt to impose a purpose or expectations on you. This is particularly common with overbearing parents who push their children towards professions like doctors or lawyers, for example. These individuals might follow the academic path, achieve the highest grades, and even become those things. However, this externally given purpose often leads to many internal questions and issues of unfulfillment.
Why We Lack Purpose
With the advancements in technology, our attention has become greatly externalized. If you think about how much of your day is taken up by reading something, listening to something, watching something, or scrolling through social media, etc.
It is quite uncommon now for people to not be engaged in any activity. There’s always something there to capture our attention.
You may even notice the times when your attention isn’t externalized, such as a walk without music or moments in the shower without technology – your thoughts will be very different from usual. Hence, the term “Shower Thoughts.”
When our attention is externalized, there is little room for internal purpose. People often make the mistake of trying to replicate societal or other people’s ideas of purpose, such as pursuing wealth, owning nice cars, seeking fame, or other similar things. In most cases, this approach will not succeed, as it does not align with your internal passion or purpose.
This is greatly exacerbated by social media, as people frequently portray images of happiness or success that others adopt as their own expectations.
How to regain purpose
When your attention has become mostly externalized, the key to finding purpose is to internalize it.
When we think, our thoughts are usually stimulated by our sensory organs. An alternative source to this is our memory or internal thoughts. We need to work on cultivating these thoughts that arise internally without external stimulation.
This can be challenging because, with internal thoughts, the first things that often emerge tend to be negative. This is evident when people lay awake at night trying to sleep and end up ruminating on negative aspects of their lives or having general negative thoughts.
To regain internal consciousness, external stimulation must be reduced. We shift our thoughts from being sensory-stimulated to being more internal. There are several ways to achieve this; some methods include walks, hiking, and meditation. However, there’s a crucial aspect to keep in mind.
Initially, when engaging in this process, you will encounter thoughts about many external things outside of yourself. Subsequently, you might go through a phase of extreme boredom and impulsive urges. This is because the external sensory inputs that we’ve become reliant on for stimulating thoughts are no longer there to keep our attention. The critical part here is to acknowledge this boredom but resist giving in to it.
Over time, these impulsive thoughts of boredom will begin to subside and slow down. Eventually, you’ll reach a point where they seem to quiet down and subdue. Internal values and thoughts will then become the primary driving force of your mind.
Once you discover these internal thoughts and values, you can align your “purpose” or “passion” with them. This approach allows you to understand your genuine desires rather than merely adopting other people’s ideas of purpose.