The concept of living a purposeful life has been defined in many different ways. For some, purposeful life is defined as having clear direction and understanding of how to navigate life.
For others, it’s a specific goal or target to achieve, or it simply translates to creating meaning in our lives, and feeling happier and more fulfilled.
The most basic definition and explanation of purpose I’ve found thar most closely mirrors my own personal definition of purpose is “the reason for which something is created or for which something exists”
So, in essence, purpose reveals the reason why someone or something exists – the original intent.
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Though the definition may sound basic enough, the actual pursuit of a purposeful life is a whole different story, and one that can take an entire lifetime to uncover.
It requires intention, resilience, patience, surrender, and large amounts of faith. But even with all that is required, it is still a small price to pay in comparison to the rewards hidden along the way and on the other side of the journey.
When you know exactly what you want to do with your life, you have a clear plan or path. You don’t have to wake up each morning wandering about your day.
Pursuing purpose has a couple of big advantages over simply existing
It Gives Your Life Meaning
When you decide on your life’s purpose, it gives what you do so much more meaning. Every step along the way, and all the work you do towards reaching your goals, serves to bring you one step closer. It becomes much easier to get things done, especially when they are done with purpose and with a firm goal in mind.
Read More: 5 Things You Need To Create Fulfillment In Your Life
It Creates A Value System
Living a purposeful life also helps you define and set a system of core values that will guide you throughout the coming years. These values will essentially become your compass and help keep you on track, while also informing your decisions.
You don’t have to waste time and energy each day trying to figure out if what you’re doing is right or worth doing. You’ll have confidence in taking action towards the things that align with your purpose.
It Increases Your Feeling Of Self Worth
When you are living a purposeful life and working towards a worthwhile goal, you take a lot of pride in what you do, and you’ll gain a great sense of self-worth and self-confidence.
That’s not to say you’ll have life figured out, but rather the clarity gained around your “north star” will become your anchor. So even when challenges arise or you find yourself fearful or unsure how things will work out, knowing you’re on the right path, will give you the confidence and courage you need to maintain your focus and continue moving forward.
It’s Good For Your Mental And Physical Health
Living a purposeful life is good for your health. Being needed, being helpful, and adding value to the lives of others have a measurable effect on both your physical and mental health.
Living a purposeful life decreases your risk of heart disease and stroke, while it is also protecting you against depression.
In fact, one of the best ways to fight depression is to find meaning and purpose in what you do each and every day.
It Leads to a Purposeful Life
Lastly living purposefully not only increases your feeling of self-worth and self-confidence but also greatly increases your overall happiness. As human beings, we are designed to make a difference, have a purpose, and make an impact in society.
Some may think material things are what bring us happiness, but in reality, being able to do the thing(s) we were actually created to do, has the greatest effect on our state of being and feelings of fulfillment.
In the end, that’s what it’s really about, isn’t it?
We all want to live a happy and fulfilled life with meaning. We want to leave this earth feeling that sense of accomplishment, knowing we’ve done all that we could do towards fulfilling our purpose and leaving this place slightly better than it was when we got here.
