How To Figure Out What Your Purpose In Life Is A discussion on the best way to discover your purpose

[freenrg 0]

Life with a purpose is a happier life, don't you think? I feel that, without a purpose, life is rather meaningless and sometimes hard to bear. If you do not agree, that is fine. Life without a purpose can sometimes be fun too. It is just not for me. I need one.

 

If you would like to discuss whether life (or your life) has a purpose or not, I would suggest that you post in this other topic: Does Life Have A Purpose?

 

If you feel you need your life to have a purpose but you have not figured out what that purpose might be but you would like to find out, then we are in a similar situation. Well, actually, I have already started to move in the direction of figuring it out and I feel I am getting somewhere.

 

I am starting this topic to share what I have found and to invite others to share their view on this and to participate their findings.

 

Here is a preview of what I have started to find:

The purpose of my life is not something that somebody else can tell me. I have to ask myself, not others.

The purpose of my life has something to do with what I love to do.

The purpose of my life has something to do with what I am very good at

The purpose of my life has something to do with contributing to the happiness of others

The purpose of my life has nothing to do with watching my favorite soccer team play

I am pretty sure that my purpose probably has something to do with learning and teaching because I love doing both, but this is just my case, and I still have to put this to test, as it is not enough just to love to do something.

 

Now, I have not defined a process, or a recipe, to figure out your life's purpose. That is what I would like to try to do with you if you are interested.

 

What about you?

Are you interested in finding out what your purpose is?

How do you go about finding out your life's purpose?

Or if you are already living a life with a purpose, could you share your views on this with the rest of us who are still in the process of finding out what our purpose is?

[webishqiptar 0]

I don't know what to answer. I have heard people saying that : There are two disappointments in life..one when you reach what you always dreamed about..like being a successful musician and be famous and earn money...and one disappointment when you don't..So taken in a spiritual perspective, if you feel happy and feel fine inside nothing material can replace that, not even money or richness. I think that should be a purpose in life. How to achieve it? I don't know. Some believe religion and God and obedience to them. So I think everyone has different view points about this topic. You can't decide in one moment what your aim or purpose in life is. Maybe we are all so fighting for reaching the Goods in this life so don't have time to think about this.

[truefusion 3]

I have a couple of questions for you concerning some of the things you said.

 

The purpose of my life is not something that somebody else can tell me. I have to ask myself, not others.

If you do not know what your purpose is, how can you ask yourself what your purpose is?

 

The purpose of my life has something to do with what I love to do.

The purpose of my life has something to do with what I am very good at

So, you're not necessarily looking for an objective purpose then?

 

The purpose of my life has something to do with contributing to the happiness of others

So you already know your purpose?

 

The purpose of my life has nothing to do with watching my favorite soccer team play

But what if you're good at doing that?

 

Are you interested in finding out what your purpose is?

Sure.

 

How do you go about finding out your life's purpose?

I search for an absolute, conscious authority, for only an absolute, conscious authority can tell me my absolute and objective purpose. The reason why i mention that it must by necessity bear a conscious is because it would not be able to tell me my purpose if it did not have a conscious.

 

Or if you are already living a life with a purpose, could you share your views on this with the rest of us who are still in the process of finding out what our purpose is?

To me, without God there is no such thing as purpose. Without God, science works in vain, for science tries to look for a cause, an explanation on why something is. But if without God life has no cause, then it follows that to study the universe is in itself pointless, therefore making science pointless. This, of course, would mean that if life has a cause, then there is a God. A universe that is eternal has no cause, but science, i hear, argues that our universe isn't eternal.

[freenrg 0]

truefusion

If you do not know what your purpose is, how can you ask yourself what your purpose is?

Good point

I am not getting an immediate answer by asking myself, but I do think that the answer lies within. Living according to my true purpose will feel right. It is not something I can confirm using logic or rational thinking. It has to feel right. During the process of defining my purpose I am using ideas and tools that feel right to me. This is not a scientifically proven method.

 

So, you're not necessarily looking for an objective purpose then?

If by "objective purpose" you mean a "target" type of purpose, as in something to achieve in a distant future, the answer is no. I am trying to define a way of living my life, a direction and a way of moving, rather than a specific destination.

 

If by "objective" you mean the opposite of "subjective", then I guess the answer is, again, no. I am not expecting to find an objective purpose. I am basing my approach on paying close attention to how I feel about different ways of living life, on whether they feel right to me or not. This is a subjective approach, would not you say? Unless we interpret that this "feeling right" is God's way of telling me that I am choosing my true "objective", predetermined purpose (a bit of a stretch in meaning). My hunch is that there is no single objective purpose written in stone waiting for us out there. It would be more like God or Spirit is giving us a chance to give our life a good purpose, and there is more than one right answer to this puzzle.

 

QUOTE (freenrg @ May 5 2009, 12:16 PM)

The purpose of my life has something to do with what I love to do.

The purpose of my life has something to do with what I am very good at

So you already know your purpose?

No, I still have not put all the pieces together. These sentences refer to rules that I am applying to think about my purpose, but they do not fully determine my purpose. There are many things that I like to do, and a number of things that I am good at. I try to look at the intersection of both (in fact, I also have to take other things into account. For example, I think I will not be happy if I do not somehow contribute to the happiness of others) to focus on fewer options. I keep the "be good at" rule flexible, because I could potential become good at something that I am currently not so good at.

 

By the way, these rules feel right to me, but maybe they are not good for everybody. I would love to hear about other rules people may be using to determine their purpose. Maybe I could use them.

 

QUOTE (freenrg @ May 5 2009, 12:16 PM)

The purpose of my life has nothing to do with watching my favorite soccer team play

But what if you're good at doing that?

Do you mean "good at watching soccer"? That sounds funny, but anyway, for me it is not enough just to be good at something and enjoying it. I also have to contribute to the happiness of others. I do not see how watching soccer could contribute to the happiness of others... well, maybe the owner of the TV station would be a tiny bit happier....Nah.

 

I search for an absolute, conscious authority, for only an absolute, conscious authority can tell me my absolute and objective purpose. The reason why i mention that it must by necessity bear a conscious is because it would not be able to tell me my purpose if it did not have a conscious.

A good system! If you pose the question to an absolute, conscious authority and you get a clear answer, well, that seems to me like a an optimal way to clarify your purpose.

 

The system does not work for me because I would not know how to do that. I do not envision an absolute conscious authority out there whom I can ask. Instead, I see myself as an integral part of a omnipresent conscious energy or spirit. The only way I can imagine to successfully reach that conscious spirit to ask for guidance is by asking myself and listening with careful attention. There is a part of me that knows. I just do not listen to it enough.

 

To me, without God there is no such thing as purpose. Without God, science works in vain, for science tries to look for a cause, an explanation on why something is. But if without God life has no cause, then it follows that to study the universe is in itself pointless, therefore making science pointless. This, of course, would mean that if life has a cause, then there is a God. A universe that is eternal has no cause, but science, i hear, argues that our universe isn't eternal.

"without God there is no such thing as purpose." feels right to me. Let me twist it a bit and add it to my set of rules.

New rule: The purpose of my life will strengthen my connection to God. (Spirit/Cosmic Consciousness/you name it).

 

Regarding science vs God, I think that is a different topic as I do not think I will find my purpose through science, although a scientist may, of course.

 

Maybe we should start a new topic for that, but until then, ... When you say

"Without God, science works in vain, for science tries to look for a cause, an explanation on why something is. But if without God life has no cause, then it follows that to study the universe is in itself pointless, therefore making science pointless."

you seem to imply that scientists do not believe in God. Did you mean that? Or do you mean that science must work within the context of the belief in the existence of God?

 

Many scientists do not believe in God but I think the correlation between science and atheism is becoming much weaker. There are many scientists that believe in God. Even 70 years ago, Einstein declared that the purpose of his work was to "understand God's mind", and the latest scientific theories about the nature of the physical world are so weird that they seem mystical. I am not a scientist, but I think science is one way to approach God, specially in the case of leading scientists. When you reach the limits of human knowledge you are faced with the big questions and those are the right ones.

Edited May 5, 2009 by freenrg (see edit history)

[freenrg 0]

[...]if you feel happy and feel fine inside nothing material can replace that, not even money or richness. I think that should be a purpose in life. How to achieve it? I don't know.

Exactly! An excellent overall purpose is to feel happy and fine inside. The tough part is to figure out how, and I think it may be different for each person. Any ideas on how to reach "feel happy and feel fine inside" state? Crazy ideas welcome. Edited May 5, 2009 by freenrg (see edit history)

[Albus Dumbledore 0]

Personally, i don't really burden myself with discovering what my purpose is in life. I don't think discovering ones purpose in life gives someone a reason to live or be in existence, one should live not for a purpose, but for the sake of living, for learning, living, and experiencing something that is as abundant as life.I like to live my life as it gets presented to me one day at a time. Trying to discover my purpose might set me on a track to fulfill that purpose. And as much as i like to set goals and how good it feels to achieve those goals. Setting a purpose in life, and striving towards that purpose is a HUGE goal, and not one that I'd like to dedicate my life to.I have been a close study of Albert Einstein since 6th grade, and i do not recall him ever claiming to be doing the things he did to 'understand god's mind' (although obviously i haven't studied everything). Einstein wasn't exactly an atheist, he didn't believe in a personal god, but more rather a greater force at work in the universe and i think that if he ever did say something like that, he would have meant it in a theological sense, meaning he is doing his work to understand why people are so keen to disprove science and prove that there is a god, and at the same time understanding the universe.

Edited May 6, 2009 by Albus Dumbledore (see edit history)

[freenrg 0]

Hi Albus Dumbledore,

Regarding Einstein's remark, I am not sure Einstein actually said it, but I have read it many times. Here is one reference to it from the BBC:

"I want to know God's thoughts""I am not interested in this phenomenon or that phenomenon," Einstein had said earlier in his life. "I want to know God's thoughts – the rest are mere details.

About purpose, the kind of purpose I am after is not a target or goal. It is actually a way of living.

To me, what you wrote, "one should live [...] for learning, living, and experiencing something that is as abundant as life. [...] to live my life as it gets presented to me one day at a time. " sounds a lot like a purpose and a pretty good one by the way. As long as you can keep that in focus and not get sidetracked by the worries of life, that purpose should serve you quite well, I think.

I understand that the word "purpose" has several meanings, including target or goal.
The meaning I am referring to here is number 1 below ("the reason for which anything is done, created, or exists").

purposeNoun
1. the reason for which anything is done, created, or exists
2. a fixed design or idea that is the object of an action
3. determination: his easy manner only lightly conceals a clear sense of purpose
4. practical advantage or use: we debated senseless points of dogma for hours to no fruitful purpose
5. on purpose intentionally
Verb
[-posing, -posed]
to intend or determine to do (something) [Old French porposer to plan]
Collins Essential English Dictionary 2nd Edition 2006 Š HarperCollins Publishers 2004, 2006

Edited May 6, 2009 by freenrg (see edit history)

[truefusion 3]

If by "objective" you mean the opposite of "subjective"

That's what i meant, yes. When you think of a desk or a chair, what purpose do you think it has? Isn't its purpose whatever its designer gave it? Can the chair or desk tell itself, "I know my purpose in life"? Of course these objects bear no conscious, so this is obviously metaphoric. But it also implies that if there is no creation or designer, then there is no purpose. That is, any purpose then would instead be made up.

then I guess the answer is, again, no. I am not expecting to find an objective purpose. I am basing my approach on paying close attention to how I feel about different ways of living life, on whether they feel right to me or not. This is a subjective approach, would not you say? Unless we interpret that this "feeling right" is God's way of telling me that I am choosing my true "objective", predetermined purpose (a bit of a stretch in meaning). My hunch is that there is no single objective purpose written in stone waiting for us out there. It would be more like God or Spirit is giving us a chance to give our life a good purpose, and there is more than one right answer to this puzzle.

I see. Anyway, be careful concerning with what "feels right." There's a proverb concerning such a thing.

Do you mean "good at watching soccer"? That sounds funny, but anyway, for me it is not enough just to be good at something and enjoying it. I also have to contribute to the happiness of others.

So basically all targets have to be hit?

Did you mean that?

No.

Or do you mean that science must work within the context of the belief in the existence of God?

Science works with the premise that everything has a(n) (natural) explanation. This premise does not do away with a God, but since science won't consider anything they themselves can't observe, and since God can't be "placed under the microscope," God won't be considered as an explanation. However, i do not mean to say that you can't be both a believer and a scientist. I see science as merely attempting to answer the question: "How did God do it?" To run off of the premise that things can be explained is to imply that everything has a cause, so one is, i would say, at least working, though indirectly, within the context of the existence of a god. Otherwise you'd run into an infinite regression or a paradox. For even if one says that the Big Bang is where everything started (therefore avoiding the infinite regression dilemma), you'd run into the paradoxical dilemma, that nothing can cause itself into existence—it must either have always existed or was caused into existence by an outside force. And since the former is refuted by the Big Bang theory, that leaves you with the latter.

[Albus Dumbledore 0]

About purpose, the kind of purpose I am after is not a target or goal. It is actually a way of living.
purpose
Noun
1. the reason for which anything is done, created, or exists

Yes, i figured that you meant it like that. But to me i look at it in the way that if i were to think about my purpose, or reason why i exist, i think of my future and i think about being a kid and pondering what i wanted to be in life, like a Doctor, and in that sense thinking, 'I exist, so i can become a doctor and do great things'. If i were to desire that more than anything, a goal, i would mold my life, the way i live it, to becoming a doctor and doing great things. It's just the way i think, and we all think differently, some think too in depth, some just skim the surface and fill in the blanks.

To me, what you wrote, "one should live [...] for learning, living, and experiencing something that is as abundant as life. [...] to live my life as it gets presented to me one day at a time. " sounds a lot like a purpose and a pretty good one by the way. As long as you can keep that in focus and not get sidetracked by the worries of life, that purpose should serve you quite well, I think.

I do suppose, that depending on how in depth you look at the word purpose, that my previous statement about living to learn, live, and experience life and taking it one day at a time would be my purpose in life in a less technical way.

Regarding Einstein's remark, I am not sure Einstein actually said it, but I have read it many times. Here is one reference to it from the BBC:

Haha, well that probably explains why i never saw it, i don't frequently come across websites from the UK in my Google searches and i just haven't read it on any US Website yet.
I haven't read anything about Einstein working on anything in his death bed, but i have done some research just now because i never really focused on how he died. As it turns out he died of a ruptured artery in his sleep at the hospital. Everything that i can find doesn't have loss of consciousness as a symptom or effect of a ruptured artery, so i would have to question the validity of the BBC Article posted. However, like i said, i cant even come close to knowing everything about him, or understanding him, as much as i would like to, and i am not a master mind at medicinal practices, so it could very well be true. It requires more research on my behalf
Edited May 7, 2009 by Albus Dumbledore (see edit history)

[freenrg 0]

That's what i meant, yes. When you think of a desk or a chair, what purpose do you think it has? Isn't its purpose whatever its designer gave it? Can the chair or desk tell itself, "I know my purpose in life"? Of course these objects bear no conscious, so this is obviously metaphoric. But it also implies that if there is no creation or designer, then there is no purpose. That is, any purpose then would instead be made up.

I think you are right. If there is a creator, my purpose should be the one that the creator gave me. If there is no creator then any purpose I choose would basically be made up, but I still think it could be a useful exercise to lead a happy life. For me this whole thing is not about being right, or very accurate, it really is about happiness. So if I die and I find out that there is no creator and that my purpose was totally made up, that is alright, as long as I lived a fulfilling life, happy and contributing to the happiness of others.

 

Also, I do not think we should condemn atheists to feel that they cannot have a purpose. Should we? They are also creatures of God

 

Let us try to formulate a method that covers different cases:

 

CASE 1A. THERE IS A CREATOR - I BELIEVE THERE IS A CREATOR

This is your case. In this case your method is to ask the creator.

Some believers may feel they are not getting an answer. What would you suggest they do?

 

CASE 1B. THERE IS A CREATOR - I BELIEVE THERE IS NO CREATOR

An atheist has a designed purpose and she wants to find a purpose for her life, but she cannot ask Him, because she believes He does not exist.

She could try to believe in the Creator. Not easy, but not impossible.

If she cannot make herself to believe in the creator, is there something, in your opinion, she could try to somehow connect to her true purpose?

 

CASE 2A. THERE IS NO CREATOR - I BELIEVE THERE IS A CREATOR

This could potentially be your case (I sincerely hope not:). You have asked with your heart and believe you have received an answer.

If you are happy with your purpose and your life and you are helping others be happier, I see nothing wrong with that.

If somebody does not get an answer, well, that is not surprising, is it? But I would suggest they try the same "plan B" as in case 1A.

 

CASE 2B. THERE IS NO CREATOR - I BELIEVE THERE IS NO CREATOR

What to do here? If an atheist wants a purpose and there is no creator, as you rightly pointed out whatever she comes up with will be made up. I know you probably will not feel comfortable thinking a method for this case. You strongly believe there is a creator so why bother to cover this case, but for the sake of completeness what would you suggest here? Really.

 

 

Personally, I am in case 1A or 2A. I do believe there is a creator. Maybe my mental image of that creator does not exactly match yours, but I do believe something conscious created us or is creating us, and I am not sure that this conscious power is a designer of our purposes, but my intuition tells me that it is. I am not getting an answer from the creator, and I have asked, so I would like to know your opinion on what to do in this case.

mmm, by the way, I forgot to consider the possibility that there is a creator but He did not give us a purpose. Ah! yes, also forgot to include agnostics (people who do not believe that God exists but also do not believe that he does not exist). OK. Never mind. the methods might work all the same.

 

I see. Anyway, be careful concerning with what "feels right." There's a proverb concerning such a thing.

That is interesting: "There is a way that appears to be right, but in the end it leads to death."

What in your opinion does this way refer to?

And what would be the meaning of "lead to death" here?

 

So basically all targets have to be hit?

Yes. That is the way I personally want it.

 

Science works with the premise that everything has a(n) (natural) explanation. This premise does not do away with a God, but since science won't consider anything they themselves can't observe, and since God can't be "placed under the microscope," God won't be considered as an explanation. However, i do not mean to say that you can't be both a believer and a scientist. I see science as merely attempting to answer the question: "How did God do it?" To run off of the premise that things can be explained is to imply that everything has a cause, so one is, i would say, at least working, though indirectly, within the context of the existence of a god. Otherwise you'd run into an infinite regression or a paradox. For even if one says that the Big Bang is where everything started (therefore avoiding the infinite regression dilemma), you'd run into the paradoxical dilemma, that nothing can cause itself into existence—it must either have always existed or was caused into existence by an outside force. And since the former is refuted by the Big Bang theory, that leaves you with the latter.

You are right. God cannot be considered as an explanation by science. Science requires theories to be refutable (i.e. that they can be proven wrong through experimentation. The theory must yield predictions that can be put to test). So if a theory went something like: "Pphenomenon X is caused by God.", scientists would be stuck. What predictions could this theory yield? OK, if phenomenon X is caused by God, then it must follow that if we put this bucket of sand here Y will happen, but Z will not .... It seems impossible. Anybody wants to try?

 

I too see science as a method to answer the question "What mechanisms did God use (or is using) to make things happen?". That was Einstein's view too, I believe.

 

Interestingly, the logic you are using (infinite regression, paradox, nothing can cause itself into existence) to demonstrate that God exists actually led me to doubt the existence of God when I was 17 and to become an atheist for many years. Why? Because I went too far and applied that logic to God too. Where does God come from? Who or What created God? etc. And I killed Him. Sorry about that.

 

That and the fact that I believed in a Good God and I saw a nasty world. That also helped.

 

After years I realized time is an illusion. Therein lies one key. We live trapped in time, but the creator is not trapped in our time. The creator sees accesses all time "at once" and it is not constrained by time. The whole concept of causality is based on the concept of time. Causality does not apply to something that is out of time.

 

By the way, scientists reading this, science (quantum physics) is showing that the normal flow of time breaks down at the subatomic level. Stuff that we expect to be sequential happens all at once or events take place in reverse order. Time is not what we think it is.

Edited May 7, 2009 by freenrg (see edit history)

[buxgoddess 1]

I have my differences in opinion with the previous authors just like anyone else will have their own. But then one thing is for sure, we are here for a purpose and often in the world with material goals leave us scattered an lost for a while but we ultimately manage to get to our actual goal sooner or later.Lets take the example of the sages. They are always in stride for achieving enlightenment and they achieve by techniques we general people find hard to follow on daily basis. There are obvious reasons for them and one of them being we wish more than what we can handle or are capable of handling. Coming to if we know what we are for, most of us don't because we do not know how much we can handle or should handle.The very purpose of life is again hidden in the tasks that we do or perform and thus our purpose is our life itself. We become slaves of the material world and thus do not follow the path we are meant to follow and thus realize more sorrow and misery for all.

[freenrg 0]

Hi buxgoddess

[...]Coming to if we know what we are for, most of us don't because we do not know how much we can handle or should handle.

Good. That is why I started the topic: Because most of us do not know and some of us would like to know, and we need a way to find out.

How would you suggest we find out more about what we are here for?

We become slaves of the material world and thus do not follow the path we are meant to follow and thus realize more sorrow and misery for all.

Very true. So, how would you go about understanding or discovering the path we are meant to follow?

[truefusion 3]

Also, I do not think we should condemn atheists to feel that they cannot have a purpose. Should we?

I do not think we should condemn them too. I do believe they have a purpose, even if they would prefer the "purpose" they give themselves over any objective purpose.

 

Some believers may feel they are not getting an answer. What would you suggest they do?

I am not getting an answer from the creator, and I have asked, so I would like to know your opinion on what to do in this case.

Assuming the Abrahamic God, God is known to answer in about three ways (probably more): (1) instantly, (2) when He feels the conditions are right, or (3) never. The question may come up, "If He never answers, then how can that be considered an answer?" Not answering can itself be an answer. The hard part is telling the difference between 2 and 3—that is, number 2 can take several years. I say these things from experience. This is assuming that the believer actually believes that God will respond. Merely wanting Him to respond isn't necessarily enough. By believing that He'll respond you'll be more aware of your surroundings, and, more importantly, allowing for a closer connection with you and God. Therefore when you look back on everything you may then see that you were on a path this whole time. Again, this is from my experience.

 

If she cannot make herself to believe in the creator, is there something, in your opinion, she could try to somehow connect to her true purpose?

In this case, unfortunately, i do not believe it is possible for this person to become aware of her purpose. This is not to say that she may not be placed on a path anyway, but due to disbelief, chances are, they'll end up digging a hole for themselves.

 

What to do here? If an atheist wants a purpose and there is no creator, as you rightly pointed out whatever she comes up with will be made up. I know you probably will not feel comfortable thinking a method for this case. You strongly believe there is a creator so why bother to cover this case, but for the sake of completeness what would you suggest here? Really.

In this case, even though there may be times when they are not fully satisfied with the purpose they gave themselves (assuming they actually were capable of achieving their personal goal—since i hear many having trouble doing so), it cannot be helped. If dissatisfaction arises, you may find the person stuffing their face in sensual or work related things in order to avoid the world. Whether they consciously know that they are trying to avoid the world is beyond me, but in doing so they'll just be placing unnecessary burdens upon themselves.

 

This reminds me of the book Ecclesiastes. In the book, the author mentions a lot of things he has observed and experienced in order to find the point to life. No matter what the author did, he could not find complete satisfaction in life, and starting calling everything meaningless, even life. But in the end, he managed to conclude that there is something that can be done though life may be dissatisfying at times. This book is extremely similar to your current situation, only the author assumes more experience. The text suggests that Solomon (the wisest person in Jewish history) could be the author, but there is no absolute way to tell. Nevertheless, i recommend you read it.

 

That is interesting: "There is a way that appears to be right, but in the end it leads to death."

What in your opinion does this way refer to?

And what would be the meaning of "lead to death" here?

Knowing Solomon and some of the things he has observed during his time, it may have been about disbelief and thinking that one would not need God. However, i do not see this as an all encompassing answer, and from experience it can fit into situations that doesn't even include God.

 

You are right. God cannot be considered as an explanation by science. Science requires theories to be refutable (i.e. that they can be proven wrong through experimentation. The theory must yield predictions that can be put to test). So if a theory went something like: "Pphenomenon X is caused by God.", scientists would be stuck. What predictions could this theory yield? OK, if phenomenon X is caused by God, then it must follow that if we put this bucket of sand here Y will happen, but Z will not .... It seems impossible. Anybody wants to try?

I'd try to go at it, but i am having trouble following it, so i would need it to be said differently.

 

Interestingly, the logic you are using (infinite regression, paradox, nothing can cause itself into existence) to demonstrate that God exists actually led me to doubt the existence of God when I was 17 and to become an atheist for many years. Why? Because I went too far and applied that logic to God too. Where does God come from? Who or What created God? etc. And I killed Him. Sorry about that.

Yes, interesting. But if you were to ask who created God in that case you would run into the infinite regression problem, so it becomes impossible for God to have been created. The question, "Where does God come from?" already assumes God's existence—that is, it is not (or need not be) limited to His existence, but could just be where He is positioned.

 

After years I realized time is an illusion. Therein lies one key. We live trapped in time, but the creator is not trapped in our time. The creator sees accesses all time "at once" and it is not constrained by time. The whole concept of causality is based on the concept of time. Causality does not apply to something that is out of time.

 

By the way, scientists reading this, science (quantum physics) is showing that the normal flow of time breaks down at the subatomic level. Stuff that we expect to be sequential happens all at once or events take place in reverse order. Time is not what we think it is.

Time is hard to understand. And yet, so is a world that is timeless. Does the fact that when we try to imagine a timeless world and find difficulty doing so imply that time exists, that it isn't just a concept? And is it the reason why we would find difficulty is because this world runs mostly on such a thing? Whatever the case, we cannot understand other things like "begining" and "ending", "past," "future," "present" without time.

[Ousk 0]

Well i don't get it is this an abstract question? like what is the purpose of humans on this planet or just my personal plans, long term plans? Anyway my purpose is to live and be lived. I don't like making plans because i find the world to be a really random place and as so many things change around me why should i stick to plan and not change with it?

[freenrg 0]

Well i don't get it is this an abstract question? like what is the purpose of humans on this planet or just my personal plans, long term plans? Anyway my purpose is to live and be lived. I don't like making plans because i find the world to be a really random place and as so many things change around me why should i stick to plan and not change with it?

Not a purpose for humans as a group. I am talking about purpose as an individual, not as a group. - Not against purpose for a group, just not what I am asking here.
And also not about plans,...I intended the question not about an ultimate goal, or something to achieve in the future, but more about the reason for leaving and the way of leaving according to that reason. Why would I want to do that? Because I think when I live according to a purpose that resonates with me, I feel happier and more energized.

You say your purpose is to live and to be lived. Sounds good to me. It is a bit broad. it could mean many things, but as long as you know what is means that is great.

You have defined a purpose and now this is a tool, like a compass. Think about a compass. There is no destination on it, but it does help you move and face life in a certain "direction". You are saying "I want to move always facing NORTH (live and be lived). Note this is not a destination, it is an orientation. If you keep the compass at hand, and check it regularly, you may suddenly realize that you are living facing WEST ("worrying and agonizing about what is happening regarding person X. / job / "), and feeling miserable.

Now, regarding plans. I understand that you do not like to make plans because life is random, but I find that, with the kind of purpose that I am defining for myself (I would like to keep the details to myself for now - this topic is not about my purpose, is about how to figure out one's purpose), I will need to do some planning to channel resources according to my purpose. Only the plans must be flexible because life is unpredictable. I make plans according to my purpose and if something happens than renders those plan useless, I change them and move on.

The one thing that is very clear in my mind: With the right purpose there is no possible failure, the same way there is no "final" victory. When I say there is no possible failure I do not mean that nothing bad can happen to you. I mean that those setbacks are not perceived as failure, because you do not measure your success by results or achievements. You measure your success based on how well aligned your actions are with your purpose.

Let us look for a moment at an extreme example: Mother Theresa.
Do you think Mother Theresa had a purpose?
What do you think her purpose was?
Do you think Mother Theresa ever thought "That's it, I have achieved my goal- Good job, I am done!"?
Do you think Mother Theresa ever thought "I am a failure. I am not good at this, or I am worthless"?
Would you guess Mother Theresa was a happy person? Or do you think she was stressed out or sad? Maybe concerned about her own health?

I am writing too much. I will stop now.
Edited May 11, 2009 by freenrg (see edit history)