I’m 53, a recovering alcoholic (23 yrs), father of 2, married nearly 29 years, but I could not tell you what my purpose is in life. Could be raising 2 boys and having a lasting, loving marriage is my purpose, but there’s got to be something else.
This is in no way a “woe is me” post. As long as my boys remain happy and healthy, that’s all I ever wanted.
BUT there is something missing – my purpose – and I do not know what it is.
Starting to worry a little about never finding it. Do I hunt or wait?
© 2026 – SoulSequel
8 responses to “Do you have a purpose?”
I’ve always enjoyed the quote “Dissatisfaction is a symptom of ambition”. It’s not that I think that you’re dissatisfied in your life – it sounds like your life is very full and well-rounded…but if you’re asking about a purpose, then I would agree with you that something is missing.
I experience this occasionally, and I think it’s likely that many of us do from time to time. I think it has much to do with our served purpose and our new purpose. I think our purposes are self-proclaimed, once we feel that purpose is fulfilled, we once again look for something else.
Which leads me back to the quote. If you perceive to have achieved a purpose, you must find a new one. I believe you are often referred to as a ‘go getter’ so…get get it.
Oooooo Dissatisfaction! i havent thought of that as a symptom but it makes sense. great quote!
someone told me i am always reaching. wanting more. which could be a symptom of dissatisfaction in a way… or of sense of worth. or desire for more. or knowing i can do or have more.
hmmmmmmmm
I’m almost 60, a recovering workaholic, father of 3, married nearly 36 years and think I have it figured out, but not in the BIG scheme of things, just the little one that represents my life.
My purpose is to provide. Provide a home and shelter for my immediate family. Provide gratitude when justified. Provide solutions when requested. Provide my attention when warranted. Provide answers when questioned. Provide effort when motivated. Provide example when inspired.
The emphasis on provision is associated with productive contributions whenever possible. As I get older that takes more focus. There is a tendency to want to get cynical when you see yourself as a giver and rarely experience any degree of reciprocity. It makes you wonder’ why bother? But in the end you realize that anything you give, is really a form of getting IF you derive a sense of satisfaction from a job well done.
Part of my personal purpose is to try and take a positive out of anything including negative experiences that influence a desire for a positive personal behavioural…at the gut level… adjustment. Sometime I can and sometimes I can’t, but it’s rarely because I just don’t want to be better.
In 258K+ years I have not yet found any one purpose to being here on this lump of dirt you people call a planet. Oh, I could take the high road and say that my purpose is the betterment of mankind, but that would be stretching the truth a bit more than even I can muster. Maybe closer to the truth is the possibility of some sort of self enlightenment. My being here at all is more of an anomaly than a miracle of nature. Simply put, I’m still looking for whatever purpose my existence holds…by the way, a massive CME is going to hit the Earth on or about the 26th of May, 2017.Hold on tight, it’s going to be a bumpy ride.
In the grand scheme of things, no I don’t have a purpose. When I was a Christian, I used to think my purpose in life was to serve god through everything I did, and after death to serve him for all eternity through worship and praise. Since I gave up my faith, I find that it’s better to say there is no purpose — at least not inherent to me and me alone. To say that you need a purpose seems disingenuous in the grand scheme of things.
I have no purpose that I can think of. I just help bring food, care, comfort and peace to my household. To the stray cat in the front yard, I am a source of food. I am good for a nice canned cat food meal to a cat that is wild and causes havoc with other cats in this neighborhood. He comes to me battered, split open, bleeding from fighting. I give him a good meal. To him, that is my purpose. I try to be a good mate for Immortal Pirate. Right now, that is all the purpose I care to be.
That is a good, but very hard question for me. I could state something general, such as “to dream”, or for God to work in me so as to display his work, eventually, but this is all very, very general. And from my viewpoint, God has that exact purpose for everyone, ever, good or bad.
The fact is I have an amazing life, with vast mysteries, where I really do not know so much about ultimate objectives. And, so, I wonder. All the time. And seek, all the time. No choice.
As a teenager I received a very powerful message, one which was emphasized very strongly, and it included a question which I have yet to be able to answer, which is ‘do you know what you must do’.
I do not know, yet, what it is I must do.
I do know that I also got the spiritual name for me, and the importance of it, which is “dreamer of hearts”, though I am yet figured out what this is. And I am in my mid forties.
And even worse, this is my job, how I get paid, how I live, what I do all the time, inside.
It is critical for people to be able to say “I do not know” and figure out what they are not so sure on. This is one of those areas, for me, regardless of how big it is.
I would say, most leadings I see, point to a direction about something having to do with the book of revelations, ancient prophecy, and the end of the age to the transitioning to the ‘age to come’.
this reminds me of conversations ive been having with my son lately. about how some people always have a sense of “what they want to be when they grow up”/career they are headed for, and others have a purpose, or calling but maybe dont have a specific career in mind.
i fall into the 2nd category. ive always been a Helper/Care Giver, in various fields and jobs. it isnt as stable as the first, but i feel like as long as i have a job that includes helping and care giving, im living true to me and my purpose. which doesnt necessarily ease his worries that “if i dont know what i want to do when i grows up will i end up as a hobo mum?” (the kinds of conversations we have when we are stalling at bed time are Epic but maybe also essential)
i have my dreams, and i have my responsibilities, but i also have my purpose. my dharma. and who i am … i dont necessarily like the job i have right now, but i do get to be true to the above, on a good day anyway
i dont know if you should hunt Or wait, but i think you should explore!