Finding Purpose: What Do We Actually Come to Earth to Do?
It happened over a cup of lukewarm coffee. A friend of mine leaned towards me. I could see the heaviness in his eyes, and while I was still anticipating why he was acting so weird, that was when he asked me a question that to me felt simple, yet hard to answer. "What are we doing here on Earth?"
I opened my mouth to give a standard, "follow your passion" response, but the words felt hollow. I realised I didn't have a straightforward answer. Like many of us, I’ve spent years checking boxes, education, career, family, and bills, only to realize that "doing" isn't the same as "purpose."
That particular question my friend asked me has always been in my head. Since that incident, I have read books, spoken to people whom I felt were knowledgeable, and made my own observations about life. I still do not have all the answers, but I have decided to share with the world what I have learned, experienced, and what my thoughts are.
Why This Question Is Harder Than It Sounds
When I was first asked this question, I couldn't answer it right away. And if you happen to find yourself in my shoes, I am certain it would have been harder for you to answer also. Why this question was harder than it actually sounds is because, from a very young age, we are trained to chase the outcomes and results of our everyday life, not the meaning of it. We were trained to have a focus on:
- Getting good grades while we participated in exams
- Securing good jobs that paid well after school
- Earning some money through whatever good means we deemed fit
- Starting a family and having a good home
- And as well as making it in life.
These are important things in our lives. They were the outcomes of our ambitions and hard work, and not explanations for why we needed those outcomes. They tell us what to do and do not explain why it exists.
The Psychologist Viktor Frankl, in his widely cited work Man's Search for Meaning, had argued that humans always search for the meaning of why this or that happened, and not often for pleasure and power. But, yet, the modern way of life humans live does not give us the space to ask these questions deliberately.
When I took out a survey, some people claimed they had the answers, but then, when you think about it clearly, you realize that those answers are not even complete.
Common Answers People Give And Why They Often Feel Incomplete
1. We Came to Make Money
Money, I know, is necessary for the survival of man, but even that, economists agree realisationsis a means to earn a living, not an end. Studies from institutions like Harvard University show that beyond a certain point in a person's life, an increase in income does not necessarily ensure that a person is happy for a long time.
To help you understand one thing, if money were the most important purpose of life, retirement would feel useless, and everyone would have found ways and means to print their own money.
2. We came to Worship or serve God
For people of faith, this is valid and to them meaningful. But only if this is true, some people still argued that we came to reproduce and fill the earth, and only if that was true, some even argued that we only came to journey, and at the right time, we will return to our maker. However, even within religious traditions, worship is often tied to:
- How we treat others
- How we steward our talents
- How we live ethically
Thinking about the answers people gave me did not give me the answers to this question.
3. We Came to Be Happy
If Happiness was a reason why we are here on Earth, I am sure that nothing like pain should have even existed. And even that is not all, we are here to contribute something very unique to the world, experience something, or encounter someone, and moreover, turn our tragedies into happy endings.
For those who did not know the answers, they often say, "Whatever you decide to do here on earth is often worth doing.
Practical Ways to Think About Why We’re Here
While everyone shares their reason as to why we are here, I have learned a few from my grandmother, who has been through life and at least have some of the right answers. Below are a few of the ways she shared with me.
- To learn and grow
- To contribute to the world beyond contributing to ourselves
- To teach what we know by creating something useful
- To solve problems in our community and raise children by instilling values in them.
Though all these answers may not seem right, I can still fathom that it is okay not to have a perfect answer.
