I wish it were some fantasy come true. Like the Disney movies play it out to be. The hero struggles to find his purpose, and his meaning. Then, thru trials and tribulations of all sorts, he grows into a deeper and tougher human being. Finally, he finds his mission and purpose in life.
And finally, he is a complete and whole individual. It’s quite the story. One that’s been played out over and over on the TV shows, Marvel movies, and all types of Hollywood blockbusters.
When the next show comes out on Netflix, I’ll be sure to check it out. I’m still a sucker for this storyline. And many of us grow up watching these shows like true fanatics.
We dream of someday being a superhero to “save” countless of millions of lives. We dream of fighting the super villain and eventually coming out on top, despite the challenges that were thrown our way.
We were fed this mystical hero’s journey time and time again by the TV media, that our mindsets have grown into unsustainable egotistical proportions.
There’s this preoccupation with people trying to find the sole purpose of their life. The meaning behind it all. The grand kahuna of what life is meant to be. Like some star in the distance that is beyond your reach but oh so close.
It’s kind of inspirational yet sad at the same time. Why is there a search for meaning? I’ve been dragged into this search here and there as well. As if beyond the horizon, something will just flash into my eyes and a light bulb will go off inside my head.
I’ll finally know why I was created. What I was put on this Earth to do. I will have unwavering clarity in my purpose. The meaning behind my sole existence. And I will live a complete and fulfilling life.
It sounds quite adorable now that I think about it. Why is there such a commotion about finding purpose? What if all there is to do on this planet is to simply have fun and enjoy what you’re doing?
No need for soul-searching. No need for mind-wringing riddles. What if *gasp* there is no meaning to actual life. What if we were all here on Earth simply because we are all here on Earth?
Is that too hard to grasp? Is that too much to handle? What would be wrong with that? What is with this need for meaning?
It feels like we can just enjoy life for what it is. A simple existence that will have its share of ups and certainly its share of downs. There will be no perfect formula. No magical wand to wave and you will wake up one day charged with purpose.
Is it okay if we never have any purpose to life? What if life had no purpose? Is it really that apocalyptic? That cataclysmic? That horrific?
As a wise Indian sage once put it, the universe is so grand. In the universe, the Milky Way is a micro-speck. In the Milky Way, our solar system is a micro-speck. In our solar system, the planet Earth is a speck. In planet Earth, New York City is a micro-speck. And in New York City, you are somehow a grand human with immense potential and an unwavering ginormous purpose?
That sounds silly just thinking about it. The universe is so cosmic and grand in its own right. It’s almost kind of a travesty to place the unsustainable burden of purpose on a mere human being.
The world is like the way it is simply because it is the way it is. The Earth moves around the Sun because it simply does. Our hearts beat inside our chest because they simply do. That’s the way they function. That’s it. Nothing grand - yet it is similarly miraculous.
Can’t we just find the grand in the simple? Is that not enough for us? Do we must make a big fuss over the universe if we can’t find that elusive thing called purpose?
It’s like when I was young, I wanted to be a tennis player like Michael Chang. I dreamed of one day similarly being a star like him. But as I grew older, realism kicked in and I realized that I wasn’t born to be a tennis player. Not many people really are.
Similarly, many people in this world can unsatisfyingly say that they have not found their purpose yet. They don’t like their work. It’s not meaningful enough. And they don’t like it.
But, what’s wrong with that? Does the world need to be an ideal party for everyone? It’s just not the way it’s painted on the TV shows or on social media. Purpose is not a neatly wrapped gift that is sent to the front doors of every household in the world.
Quite frankly, it’s okay if you haven’t found your purpose. You are not alone in that.