Butter Robot: What is my purpose?
Rick: You pass butter.
[Butter Robot looks dejected]
Butter Robot: Oh my god…
Rick: Yeah, welcome to the club pal.
Have you ever thought about what your purpose is? Of course, you have. Everyone believes there's something they are meant to do for their finite time here, in this world. See, like you, I have also thought about the concept of purpose and what it means to me. I have thought about what it is, how I could achieve it, why I want to achieve it, and lately if I even want to.
Everyone talks about purpose and discovering that singular thing that is supposed to drive you in life and keep you motivated. I rarely come across people who actually tell you what theirs is. It feels like everyone agrees on the concept, but no one fully believes they have found theirs. Is it just a myth then? Or have we all gotten the definition of purpose wrong?
"Let me make this simple: Life is meaningless." - Timon (Lion King, 2019)
If you're one of the lucky few that have found yours, or believe you have, what comes next? Do you dedicate your entire life to a singular thing? What happens if you aren't able to achieve it? What happens if you are?
Some of the things that make life interesting and absolutely annoying are it's finiteness and unpredictability. These 2 concepts do not play well with Purpose as it makes it hard to plan when or if you will achieve whatever is it you think you're supposed to. Time is a major factor in making any measurable plans, but no one knows how much time they have. This makes it super hard to decide what the plan for your entire life is. Are you just hoping? Or is Purpose not measurable?
I am generally a believer that it is easier to connect to dots looking backwards, than planning forward. It is hard to dictate how you'll feel about something a week from now. Nearly impossible to dictate how you'll feel about the same thing a decade from now. Isn't it better to live in the present and focus on your "daily happiness"?
I didn't write this to show how or why you should or shouldn't find your purpose. Like you, I'm genuinely just asking questions.
Butter Robot image from YouTube