To ask what is your purpose in life/your reason for living?

[Query45]

I’ve had a lot of free time on my hands recently which has had me thinking a lot. And I can’t seem to find my own personal answer to this, and just wondered what the answer is for others?

I don’t have one, there are things that hugely enhance my life, but my life would still be worth living without them.

The most important and joyful thing is raising my son, seeing him grow, have fun and play just doesn’t compare to anything else.

2020 has left me feeling like my only purpose is to service the kitchen and feed a hungry family...

Normally I feel purposeful by doing things with young people (helping out in school/ Scouting/ Guiding/ Junior parkrun)
I normally have running races to train for and aim for pbs to push myself.
I miss the social connection of organisations. I miss time to be solitary (other than plodding out for another solo run)
I went into teaching because I wanted to pass on my love of my subject to more young prople. I left teaching because my DCs needed more of my time than I could spare and still be a "good" teacher.

I would like to hope that when my funeral eventually comes (hopefully 4 or 5 decades away) it will be a day of laughter through tears. That people's lives will have been perked up by the fact that I existed. I suppose that's a purpose.

I have no real quality of life and would be enormously relieved for it to end. But because other people in our society want to hide from their mortality I am not allowed a humane death, I must continue to suffer as long as possible, so that is apparently my purpose. I also have it in writing from the professionals involved that all options to help me have been exhausted and there is nothing more to be done.

Before anybody trots out the ignorant "just ask for help" bullshit. Not all suffering can be alleviated.

Incidentally, surely "enjoying life for as long as possible" is a purpose for all those saying they don't have one except...

Experiencing things. I'm not a thrill seeker though, I prefer more sedate experiences like new foods, new places, learning about different people's lives and cultures. Not so much skydiving and so on.

I would love to add to the general knowledge/resource pool by discovering something or inventing something or even just collating something into an easier to use format. I think I've done this a bit and intend to keep doing it as much as possible. I think everyone can do this and it's part of what society means - building/creating things as well although I don't see that as my strength.

I also think affecting others' lives positively/having good and healthy and mutually enjoyable relationships is really important. Some people treat others so badly that they create waves of cruelty in the world - I think you can do the opposite with kindness and acceptance.

My kids. I looked at my first born and knew that I could never be the same again.

To outlive the man who tried to murder me.

@user1369875695412 this feels like a very inadequate response to your post but I'm so sorry that you're in this situation.

Oh user, I am so sorry you are in this situation.
And I don't disagree with what you are saying about being disallowed to choose our exiting of this world

vampirethriller, best revenge is a life well lived

@IDontLikeZombies

BadLad, I might crush some enemies but I don't have the same talent for it.

Few people have the same talent for it as Conan the Barbarian.

I have no purpose in life at all and no compelling reason for living other than the inconvenience it would cause were I to die at the moment.
It is rather a sobering thought.

I don't know and I have days where I wish I was dead. If I didn't love my mum and brother so much I probably wouldn't be here. I don't see myself as being of much value to the world.

The DC (grown up now)
DH
Our home
The garden
My work
Friendships
..and yes I supposed it is love and also joy in the world around us. The smell of wrt earth this morning was divine.