What is my purpose?

What is my purpose?

Why does this question even occur? As babies, we experience joy: someone feeds us, bathes us, puts us to sleep—there is no worry whatsoever. Why can't we be like newborns and take everything as it comes, fluidly maneuvering like water passing through a stream? Why do we even have to think of a purpose? If you are strongly driven by one, that's good. If you aren't, that's also good. Is there a need to have a purpose? What brings you to the point of asking this question?

"Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin."

— Jesus Christ (Matthew 6:28)

This profound quote from the Gospel of Matthew serves as a timeless invitation to surrender the heavy burden of anxiety and the relentless demand for self-imposed purpose. In the context of your reflections on life’s unpredictable "scripts," these words act as a bridge between the frantic desire to perform and the quiet dignity of simply existing.

Questioning one's purpose is rare. It never occurred to me to question the purpose of my existence until recently, nor did anyone around me ever questioned it. The script for life seems very clear at birth; we always know what to do next. For instance, if we don't find the job we want, we know we will look for another; finding a job is an unchangeable part of the script. Personally, I never questioned it either—until 2019, when my marriage dissolved in a week. Before then, I was largely driven by societal expectations—study, marry, have children—a predefined script for the ideal life.

However, when life deviates from this script—when a new, unexpected variable is introduced for which you are unprepared—we are often thrown into an unforeseen turn of events. This can happen through the death of a partner, divorce, a life-threatening illness, retirement, or other dramatic, transformative events that push us to our mental limits. We find ourselves in an empty mental space, suddenly our analytical mind is unable to predict future outcomes that it had successfully deciphered so far. We are left without a script, and a new one does not appear. No one has prepared us for not having a job; they prepared us for pursuing one. No one prepared us to live without our partner or family; they prepared us to lean on a support system that will always be there. No one prepared us to fight a life-threatening disease; we need to etch the path ourselves. This unpreparedness for such a situation creates a significant void. While everyone else continues to follow their own scripts, we are left without one.

We've all encountered situations so dire they make us think, "That's the worst thing that could happen, and it would never happen to me." Yet, sometimes, it does. The shock of such an event takes a long time to process, leading to a previously unimaginable question. You'll ask yourself: if this question never existed before, why is it here now? While this question can fuel your next steps, it holds no intrinsic value and offers no solution. You won't find a purpose; your quest will only neutralize the question itself.

This reminds me of something beautiful our Himalayan master once said:

"If we place the responsibility for our happiness on someone else, we will be perpetually sad. If we take hold of our emotions and see them as our own responsibility, we will be that much happier. We can love others as they are, however they are. But, keep your remote control with you."

"Your presence is enough. Your being here is enough."

— Baba Nityananda

“Your purpose in life is to find your purpose and give your whole heart and soul to it.”

— Gautama Buddha

If the soul has matured to a certain extent, this question arises naturally, without any triggering event. Many spiritual gurus have been asked this question countless times. Humans have conquered oceans, the sky, and are conquering space, yet they struggle to conquer the depths of their own hearts and find solace. As the revered Gautama Buddha said, when such a situation arises, there is no other solution than finding something meaningful to dedicate oneself to. This situation does arise for many, as any significant life change is perceived by the mind as a form of death, creating voids and gaps in one's consciousness.

Mindfulness and Presence

Everything is right there when you find your presence. When uncertain about the future, continue to do what is in front of you with all your heart and with love, and what is meant for you will find you.

— Sodashi Mataji

The Power of "Goodness"

When faced with the pressure to constantly do better or be the best, Gurumayi has encouraged students to ground themselves in simply being "Good."