If I needed to answer this in one sentence, it would be like this,
Life doesn’t require a goal but a purpose.
Some days back, I was scrolling through Instagram when I saw a question. That question is the title of this blog. When I asked this question to myself, I could not get any proper answer. That led me to think. Even when I was doing some other work, that question always kept coming back. I tried to search in Google and honestly, there was a lot of content regarding it, but nothing could satisfy my soul.
Yesterday, after I slept, I started thinking about it again. I visited all the memories I have- both good and bad. Finally, I was able to find the answer.
Note this one. Goals and purpose are different. But they always go hand-in-hand.
Goals are often exhaustible. They are time-bounded.
How? Suppose, your goal is to crack the toughest exam in your country. When you do that, your goal is fulfilled. Hence, it is exhaustible. Also, there is an age- limit for appearing in that exam. If you start late, you have less time to crack the exam. Once, you cross that age, you are no longer eligible to appear in that exam. Therefore, it is time-bounded.
Now, let’s come to a purpose. It means 'reason’. They are not exhaustible and time-bounded.
How? Continue reading.
Suppose, your purpose is to serve humanity. So, how can you do that? Either you can crack the toughest exam of your country and become an administrator or you can simply be a kind human being and treat every people equally. Isn’t your purpose still full filled? Hence, inexhaustible. Also, you do not need any particular age to fulfill your purpose. You can be 17 or 71 to serve humanity. Therefore, not time-bounded.
If we dive deeper into this, because humans are goal-oriented, hence they get hurt more. We are always chasing material wealth- big houses, cars, branded clothes, etc. Amidst all these, we forget our purpose. And by the time we realize that it’s late.
But, I would like to add this point here. Chasing material wealth is not wrong. Even I am also a part of it. But a life without purpose is meaningless. There should be a balance of both in our lives. When you cannot achieve 'true happiness' with your goal, your purpose will help you to achieve that.
Thumb rule? Find your purpose. Then your goal.
Extra: My purpose in writing is to make humanity realize those things which they cannot realize themselves.
