What’s your life’s purpose?

[sengsational]

^I like (identify with) the Renaissance person bent. You can often help others when you take that route, and that's what makes life worth living.

[kcowan]

My purpose is to make a noticeable difference in every endeavour I choose.

The differences are not always welcome by others at first until they see the difference!

[Teacher Terry]

My whole life I have been drawn to helping people. No surprise that my first career was as a social worker and then helping people with disabilities return to work. Now in retirement I teach. I have always helped people on a personal level with whatever was needed. I really enjoyed having my kids and family. Now with most of that behind me I am focusing more on what I want at this stage of my life. Also did dog rescue for 15 years and now just have 2 lap dogs. I enjoy my adult kids and thought I would miss having grandchildren but I don’t. At 65 that ship has sailed and I doubt I would want to be actively involved. I am enjoying semi retirement and our slower pace of life and travel.

[Spock]

I'm just a free range human (or I used to be free range) on a tax farm.

[WyomingLife]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Spock I'm just a free range human (or I used to be free range) on a tax farm.

+1

[DAYDREAMER]

Ever since I found my purpose, I haven't stopped playing with it!

[Sunny]

Being a positive influence or force for others, and making those close to me happier.

[daylatedollarshort]

I don't feel a particular need to have one all encompassing purpose these days. I have goals like decluttering and doing more yoga, but that is about as deep as it gets.

[Rianne]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sunset I used to have this as one purpose. It gave me purpose to raise, nurture millions of subjects, I was their god as they toiled away eating sugar. I relished in their success and growth. Then I exterminated them all due to their propensity of overpopulation.

I thought this thread was about your purpose, not the purpose of a bacteria or virus. Noticed your personal quote is from Louis Pasteur.


My purpose is to convince the world my ideas are the best and to learn to accept failure. It's been a tough road.

[O2Bfree]

Quote:

Originally Posted by bonvoyage Understand and characterize human cognition and how it evolved

That has always intrigued me as well. To that end, I've been studying and dabbling in Zen Buddhism. The energy I devote to this waxes and wans, but it's what I'm most curious about. It's a great purpose for these stay-at-home times!

[aja8888]

Quote:

Originally Posted by daylatedollarshort I don't feel a particular need to have one all encompassing purpose these days. I have goals like decluttering and doing more yoga, but that is about as deep as it gets.

DLDS, is there a "bottom" to your decluttering after all these years?

[arbeadub]

My purpose is to provide sustenance.
My goal is to resist entropy.
My dog still looks up to me, unless I'm lying down.

[HI Bill]

Life's purpose versus life's goals?

Not sure I have a purpose, exactly, except to ensure that my wife and I have the means to enjoy life post-FIRE. This goes along with my primary goal (starting in 1998), which is to FIRE so that I can dive and travel. This was partly inspired by a former coworker. He was working on a FEMA earthquake project in California. He casually said "I just want to have fun". I've tried to take that one to heart. As I've mentioned before, the desire to FIRE was further inspired by eight of my 'Maui multi-millionaire friends' who all retired before 50; all but one failed at their original attempt at RE; one's still w$rking at age 69!

My post-FIRE goals include getting in better shape, travelling the world, diving the world, sharing underwater and above water photography of what I see, and just enjoying what's here. Life is short. Time in RE is shorter.

[bonvoyage]

Quote:

Originally Posted by O2Bfree That has always intrigued me as well. To that end, I've been studying and dabbling in Zen Buddhism. The energy I devote to this waxes and wans, but it's what I'm most curious about. It's a great purpose for these stay-at-home times!

Interesting! I am approaching this topic from the psychology side. I have worked in the AI field for almost thirty years and am frustrated with the limitations of machine learning. One of the main reasons I plan to retire this year is to spend my time studying human cognition.

[bloom2708]

1. Retire early. 2. Think about what my life purpose should be.

Still working on #1.

[daylatedollarshort]

Quote:

Originally Posted by aja8888 DLDS, is there a "bottom" to your decluttering after all these years?

I hope so, but for right now there is still too much stuff.

[aja8888]

Quote:

Originally Posted by daylatedollarshort I hope so, but for right now there is still too much stuff.

Maybe you need an intervention to help you get to the bottom of the "stuff"?

[daylatedollarshort]

Quote:

Originally Posted by aja8888 Maybe you need an intervention to help you get to the bottom of the "stuff"?

That doesn't feel like a very nice comment.

[aja8888]

Quote:

Originally Posted by daylatedollarshort That doesn't feel like a very nice comment.

I was jesting. Sorry you took it wrong.

[John Galt III]

Quote:

Originally Posted by aja8888 I was jesting. Sorry you took it wrong.

He was just kidding, DayLate. I too am decluttering the stuff my late girlfriend left behind. Lots of it. It is looking like a lifelong project, lol. A bit here, a bit there. Always something to do when bored. And satisfying.