6 ways to discover your purpose in life

Remember the last time when those feelings of emptiness and worthlessness crept over? What did you do about it?
Now if you’ve ever stepped in the same direction as I did, you’d have asked that question many times over, ‘I just need a purpose in life’. Because that is the most valid question to counter that feeling of being empty, sitting idle, not knowing what to do next. I started exploring everything I liked, and oh, I had like, a list of about three things. And that’s common when you haven’t even started exploring who you are and have a schedule that holds nothing more than sleep for 12 hours while being on the phone for another 12.
So I read a little, spent hours listening to podcasts, and watching some of the ted talks, and here are some of the answers I got which I think can be helpful.

Surround yourself with people who are positive.

You are, as the adage goes, the company you keep. What do you share with the individuals you choose to spend time with?
It’s not about seeing coworkers or family members that you feel compelled to see. Consider who you choose to spend your time with outside of work and family gatherings. The individuals you associate with reveal something about you. If you’re surrounded by people who are making a difference, you might be inspired by them.
If the people around you, on the other hand, are negative and bring you down, you may want to make some adjustments. When you’re surrounded by people who aren’t interested in making good contributions, it’s difficult to feel enthusiastic and meaningful.

Narrate your story

Curiosity about your own life is a common source of purpose. What challenges have you faced? What strengths did you have that helped you overcome them? How did others assist you? How did your abilities contribute to the betterment of others’ lives?

The inspiration usually stands close, we may just need to make fine adjustments to view things from a changed perspective. Draw from the inspiration that is YOUR LIFE. There are certain incidents, situations which inculcate or contribute to the values you hold, examine that sense of values, explore how you feel about the things that surround and most importantly, what is it that you feel most strongly about?

What about yourself now would make your eight-year-old self cry?

Okay, well…this is something I picked up from themarkmanson.net, it’s interesting. I remember reading his book ‘the subtle are of not giving a f*ck’, and I absolutely loved it, I adore this man since then.

Now about this, he says that we all have a propensity to forget what we enjoyed as children. Something about adolescence’s social constraints and young adulthood’s job responsibilities saps our enthusiasm. We’ve been taught that the only incentive to do something is to be rewarded in some way. And the transactional character of the world suffocates us, leaving us feeling confused or stuck.
I mean, this holds true for every single person, you too, what was it that you loved to do in your childhood that you no longer do?

What would you do if you didn’t have to work again?

I can hear you daydreaming about a beach vacation. You’d enjoy it…for three days. Soon, you’d be on the lookout for a quest, a mystery, or anything else to take your mind off the boredom.

What would you do with all that free time if you didn’t have a day job but yet had money? What would you study, what would you produce, and where would you travel if you had the opportunity? Take your time away, this is something which needs time to be thought upon.

Take the time to Look FOR YOURSELF.

“What is my purpose?” is a profound question that needs thought and study. You never have time to sit quietly and reconnect with yourself when you spend your days rushing from one commitment to the next. Make sure you set aside enough personal time to tune out the outside world’s noise and expectations and focus on what you desire.
Take a deep breath and focus yourself if you’re feeling exhausted while looking for purpose in life. Take time for self-care, whether it’s a spa day or a stroll in the park with a good book. You may discover your values — the beliefs that serve as a guiding force in your life — by searching within. Without initially taking a step back and relaxing, you won’t grasp how to find your purpose.

Confronting Your Inner Critic

There will be early resistance, a pervasive dread of the unknown, when you first begin to dig into your thoughts and aspirations.
Internal beliefs are likely to be the first inner demon you’ll fight. They could attempt to halt you in your tracks or tell you that you’re insane for even trying to find your purpose.
You must first recognize your inner conversation in order to resist it. When you start paying attention to your ideas as they spin out of control, they lose their power. They gain power by functioning beneath the surface, therefore they lose influence over you when you throw a spotlight of knowledge on them.
It will be simpler to kill these inner demons if you are familiar with them. I know this screams ‘It’s easier said than done’, but trust me, you hold far more courage and power than you realize, and as you embark on this journey, you will discover your strengths. The strengths you never really knew existed and lay dormant within you.

Understanding yourself, your life and your purpose is something which goes on till the end of the time. However, there’s one thing worth keeping in mind, that the life opens numerous doors and sets you into flow once you set on to accomplish a goal. The journey of finding your purpose brings you certain experiences, which continue to be a part of you, bringing you a step closer to what feels crucial to you. You’ll discover new levels of possibility, and your eyes will be opened to all the possibilities available to you. To begin, simply shift your attention to your thoughts and dive right in.