Do you have an overarching life purpose?

Have you given any thought to your overall life purpose?

If you were to finish the following sentence, what would it say:

"I feel like I was put on this Earth to__________"

(No credit for "kick ass and chew bubblegum and I'm all out of bubblegum". I've heard that one before)

Have you always felt that way? How did you develop that concept? Have you ever had a different life purpose, that you abandoned? Why did you abandon it? Do you feel like you missed out on anything because of it?

All answers (career related, sports related, family related, religion related) are accepted. Whatever you're into is what you're into, so no judgment. Just mainly looking for stories about realizing that certain things were no longer providing the push that they once did, and making a change based on that.

First thing that comes to mind is a Ronny Mund  

tjf1967 wrote

First thing that comes to mind is a Ronny Mund

69!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

No. I reject the position that we were "put on this Earth" period, let alone for a specific purpose.

I am very happy/satisfied with that position which I have embraced my entire adult life.

I've certainly gone through phases when certain things were the most important aspects of my life and those things have changed over time. But I've never associated the things I've pursued to purpose.

Of course I have a story.

There was a time thought I thought ceramics was my thing. I had one professor in college, that I really respected.  He was the only teacher in the art department that could have fully supported himself and made more money selling his art.  He started as ceramist and eventually got into blowing glass.  He'd run his glass furnace for the month of july cranking out work all month, to get the most out of his fuel.  He would let the system cool off in august, taking his vacation.

I worshipped him, kinda.  At the end of my senior year he pulled me aside and said "you can do this."  We were sitting out by the kilns and he pointed to some students walking by. He said "you see these people?  Most of them want a BMW and will probably have one within ten years. If you choose art, you can never achieve your goals!"

Sweet sales job. I believed him but also saw a road of suffering ahead.

I got out of college and started looking for work. I was riding my bike alot to try to stay sane.  I stopped at this place one day, not far from my parents house, and realized it was a working pottery. I asked for a job and they offered me $525 an hour.

I started to think, maybe it was destiny, for me to be a potter.

I worked for that guy for 3 1/2 years. He was great about teaching me skills and letting me run the whole process. His downside was that he was a naturally mean person, and not all that pleasant to be around.

Eventually he pushed me too far and I quit.  I started making my own stuff (I had a fully decked out studio at home).  I also started teaching high school art to private school brats.  To be fair some great students and some jerks.

The whole thing sucked. I had no money, and I hated what I had to do to produce my work faster.  The compromise removed all the fun.

After my awesome GF dumped me, I quit and found my way into the company I work at now.  That has changed my life.

I always thought that if I ever found something again, that I loved as much as pottery I wouldn't ruin it by trying to make it a business. I did find ski blogging, I love it, and that is why I won't makes changes around here based on revenue.

Is that close enough to the intent of the OP? I don't know, but the story popped into my head when I first read it.

Oh man, I’m not ready to sit down and write an in depth description about this right now but the timing of this thread is interesting.

Let’s just say I’ve been actually saying that I’ve rediscovered purpose this past summer and then, over the last three days I thought I was watching that purpose go up in smoke.....literally. It’s all going to be ok and it wasn’t as bad as it could have been but that was pretty scary for a minute there.

When I was a kid I used to tell people I wanted to be a farmer but that’s only because I watched Bonanza every day and I thought the Cartwrights were farmers so I guess I really wanted to be a cowboy. I accomplished that in my mid twenties (well I was a horse wrangler which is close enough) but I found it didn’t pay well so I kind of floundered a bit- tried a few things. By now I probably would have tried every profession out there except that I had some kids so feeding them more or less became my overarching purpose in life at that point.

Fight for your right to party

I would give my left nut to be airline pilot..but red /green color blindness squashed that plan..

JasonWx wrote

I would give my left nut to be airline pilot..but red /green color blindness squashed that plan..

While watching the helicopters fight the fire Cody thought that being a pilot would be a really cool career. I’m all for it.

JasonWx wrote

I would give my left nut to be airline pilot..but red /green color blindness squashed that plan..

Same here

When I joined the Air Force I was informed that being a pilot was not an option due to my color blindness

riverc0il wrote

No. I reject the position that we were "put on this Earth" period, let alone for a specific purpose..

Yeah, it's more of a psychological thing. Most of us realize that we're just a collection of atoms and cells, but, in my opinion, the human experience requires self-examination & goal setting to accomplish [whatever it is that one wants to accomplish].

Much like studies about how the placebo effect actually works as healthcare (because, psychologically, if you *think* you did something to feel better, you start to feel better), some research shows that people who can define a purpose tend to be happier at work and tend to achieve more in their chosen field.

I'm wondering about that process, and if people were able to find a new purpose once they abandoned their old purpose, or if they just settled in to a job that pays the bills.

campgottagopee wrote

JasonWx wrote

I would give my left nut to be airline pilot..but red /green color blindness squashed that plan..

Same here

When I joined the Air Force I was informed that being a pilot was not an option due to my color blindness

I think I have told this story before, but I was very close to going to the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs after high school (I went so far as to get letters of recommendation from my Congressman and Senator, which I heard was traditional). I would've tried to be a pilot (I've always had good vision and never needed glasses). I decided not to apply after I realized that I don't have the right personality for the military.

At least you realized it wouldn't be for you. I was real bummed that I couldn't go in after cutting my thumb off. That said who knows what life would've dealt me had that path been open. No complaints from me. Well, other than the usual

Harvey wrote

I worshipped him, kinda.  At the end of my senior year he pulled me aside and said "you can do this."  We were sitting out by the kilns and he pointed to some students walking by. He said "you see these people?  Most of them want a BMW and will probably have one within ten years. If you choose art, you can never achieve your goals!"

This is big. If someone is super passionate about something (so passionate that they make sacrifices to pursue that thing over all other things), it can inspire others to be passionate about that thing, too.

.  I stopped at this place one day, not far from my parents house, and realized it was a working pottery. I asked for a job and they offered me $525 an hour.

What?!?! Is there supposed to be a decimal point in there?!?!

I worked for that guy for 3 1/2 years. He was great about teaching me skills and letting me run the whole process. His downside was that he was a naturally mean person, and not all that pleasant to be around.

And this is the converse of the first part. If you're around an asshole who isn't fun, you can teach all you want, but nobody cares because they don't like you. Hmmmm...

Eventually he pushed me too far and I quit.  I started making my own stuff (I had a fully decked out studio at home).  I also started teaching high school art to private school brats.  To be fair some great students and some jerks.

The whole thing sucked. I had no money, and I hated what I had to do to produce my work faster.  The compromise removed all the fun.

So, you did not find a "purpose" in teaching. But it seems like you still enjoyed doing the craft? Like you enjoy creating things? Which is why it was easy to transition into the other stuff?

I always thought that if I ever found something again, that I loved as much as pottery I wouldn't ruin it by trying to make it a business.

This might be a good point. Maybe the best career is one that pays well, and you can use the parts of your "passion" that you are good at (for you, creativity, self-empowerment & self-employment, etc.) but not deal with the mundane tasks involved in pursuing the actual passion?

I was randomly placed here on earth.   I have no pretense that I am anything more.   I do not believe in a god..
My life has no overarching purpose except for me to thrive and live my best life..

JasonWx wrote

I would give my left nut to be airline pilot..but red /green color blindness squashed that plan..

FYI, this is not as cool as it appears. One of the people I went to college with went this route. He stuck with it for about ten years and eventually gave up because he couldn’t make ends meet even though he was rated as first officer for some of the bigger planes, 757s and such, and married another airline pilot. Last I heard the guy I knew is selling real estate in California (badly I understand) and trying to get rich on game shows.
Also, he was and is the biggest douche I’ve ever had as part of my social group but I guess that’s neither here nor there. The guy soured me on airlines and airline pilots forever.
That being said, flying looks fun as hell. Getting a helicopter ride around Denali NP in exchange for taking the pilot’s family riding was one of the coolest experiences of my summers up there.

i know a dude that flies for Jet Blue...makes in 150 range..

What’s more important in life? The thing you pursue or how you go about pursuing it?  I think at its core, this is one of the big questions of the universe. My company’s success or failure is only of consequence to its owners, suppliers and employees. We have a job to do and we hopefully do it well but it’s not a patriotic or moral mission in any way. My wife on the other hand has a job that’s a lot more important to society as a whole. I hope we both live by a set of principles that would stand up to scrutiny and set a good example for our kids and others but in one case the work being done is a lot more important (societally) then the other.

JasonWx wrote

i know a dude that flies for Jet Blue...makes in 150 range..

That’s pretty good even in NY. Like I said, this guy was pretty much a complete asshole so maybe that held him back.