Living a purposeful life is a choice. It’s a choice to live with intention, rather than simply letting life pass you by. It’s also important not to confuse purposefulness with happiness. In fact, according to Ralph Waldo Emerson, “the purpose of life is not to be happy. It is to be useful, to be honorable, to be compassionate, to have it make some difference that you have lived and lived well.”
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When you think about Emerson’s quote, you’ll probably start feeling one of two ways. Either you’ll realize that you’re already living with purpose; content to be useful, honorable, and compassionate.
On the other hand, you might feel like you’re stuck, and that your life isn’t moving forward. Thankfully, choosing to live a more purposeful life can happen today, no matter who you are, what you’ve done in your past, or what you want for your future.
What is a Purposeful Life?
The first step to take is understanding what it means to live a purposeful life. For starters, take a look at what you currently do each day. Do you follow the same routine from the moment you wake up to the moment you fall asleep?
There’s nothing wrong with routine. It provides comfort and can help with feelings of anxiety and stress. If your routine includes little more than working, watching Netflix, and checking your Instagram feed, however, it may be time to rethink things. A purposeful life is about connecting with your desires and the things that matter to you. It’s about moving into a life that focuses on the “why’s” – why do you do the things you do, what do you want to do, and why do you want to do those things?
If it sounds complicated, it doesn’t have to be. There are a few simple ways that you can make your life more purposeful immediately, such as:
- Finding your specific mission for life
- Choosing to act today
- Taking small steps forward
- Focusing on one thing at a time
- Looking at obstacles as signs
When you live with purpose, you live with focus. On a personal level, this could cause a variety of benefits including increased productivity, more motivation, and an increased drive to achieve your goals. You might also find that you’re less distracted as you go through your everyday life. Even things like driving in your car become more intentional, so you’re focused on everything around you while you’re behind the wheel. By practicing this mindfulness, you can reduce your risk of getting into an accident and give yourself an enjoyable perspective on something as simple as driving.
Purposeful people tend to live in the moment and appreciate it while having big goals for the future. When you’re focused on today and decide to make changes now, not later, you’ll start to find fulfillment that much faster.
Finding Power in Your Purpose
One of the best things about living a more purposeful life is that it goes beyond yourself. Living a more purposeful life means looking past the internal and thinking about how you can be more purposeful with your daily habits. Your purpose should also be your passion. Your passion can bleed into everything from equal rights to sustainability. If you want to build a greener, cleaner tomorrow, consider taking charge by:
- Making DIY household cleaners that are free from chemicals
- Reducing your waste
- Recycling
- Buying from sustainable companies
If you want to get involved in political changes to make a difference, do your research, donate your time and money, or run for office! Finding your purpose doesn’t just benefit you, it can easily benefit others, whether that’s your immediate circle of friends and family or the entire planet.
Choosing to combine your passion and your purpose is a wonderful way for the benefits of your actions to last. You could also be inspiring others in the process.
The Consequences of Zero Intentionality
While there are countless benefits to living purposefully, there are just as many consequences for choosing to live without purpose and intention. Most importantly, a life without a clear purpose is incredibly unfulfilling.
No purpose tends to mean no meaning. Think about living your life that way, constantly wondering what you’re here for. This line of thinking makes it easy to fall into bouts of depression, and you might even struggle with your self-worth. Other common consequences include:
- A lack of goals
- No motivation
- Anxiety
- A lack of growth or focus
In addition to your mental state deteriorating, your physical health can suffer, too. Any stress on your mental health also affects your body. It can contribute to things like high blood pressure, heart conditions, or even a stroke. When you forego things that make you feel centered, like meditation, mindfulness, or basic self-care, it’s easy to feel like it doesn’t matter what you do or who you are.
Life isn’t meant to be stagnant or without meaning. The consequences of that can be grim. The good news, however, is that you have the power to keep them from becoming a reality. Choose to live with intention, and seek out your purpose in life. When you do, you’ll find it more fulfilling, and you won’t just be taking care of yourself, but your family, friends, and your future as well.
