A Matter of Perspective

What is your purpose?

People talk about purpose all the time, but what is our purpose? Why are we here?

If you are looking to this column for an answer to this age-old question, you will probably find yourself disappointed. I don’t have an answer for your purpose. I don’t even have an answer for mine—yet.

It seems like from the beginning of time people have questioned their purpose. The “big” why and here becomes a much larger look at the world we live in as we seek out a reason for being here.

I think—and this is just my opinion—that part of the reason we are here is to help others. No matter what else we do, helping others seems to play a significant role in our reason for being.

I believe that when the desire to help others gets lost that is when we forget our purpose and live to only satisfy ourselves. We make more money, but spend less on others. We work harder, not smarter.

Without purpose, we tend to feel that our lives have no meaning. I mean, it can’t only be about accumulating more things, can it? We can be fairly certain that we can’t take any material things with us when we die.

From a religious point of view, I believe our purpose is to serve others and direct them to Christ. In a world of confusion and hatred that can be hard to do.

But, of course, not everyone is religious and not everyone is the same religion if they are. That does muddy the water a bit. Sometimes more than a bit! Just ask Allah, Buddha, Muhammad, Jesus or any of the other entities vying for our souls and minds!

Ultimately, purpose seems to be what drives us, that which keeps us going another day.

The strongest sense of purpose for me is to do my best to help others in whatever way I can.

What is your purpose?