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The Importance of striving to fulfill a purpose in life Essay
The Importance of striving to fulfill a purpose in life Essay
The importance of purpose in life
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The day that I discovered Alan Watts, was the day that everything changed for me, and I mean that in a literal sense. After attentively listening his numerous seminars, I realized that I have been approaching life in a miscalculated way and sense; I have contemplated life as an obligation, rather than an actual experience. That duty being to get financially opulent and reproduce. Unfortunately, this is the way a majority of individuals look upon life, which is why most people never really fulfill their “purpose”, or achieve true happiness. That is on the grounds, that it is unyielding for someone to truly discover what they covet. That being said, when I stumbled upon this quote last summer vacation, I had an epiphany. I realized that if I
William Manchester, the author, wanted us to comprehend that it is goal-oriented people such as Desiderius Erasmus who doubtlessly have all the capacity to alter the world. As Erasmus once said, “There are some people who live in a dream world, and there are those who face reality; and then there are those who turn one into the other”. If people do not have faith in themselves and work hard towards their goals, then they will never reach said desired goals and continuously remorse the days that they did not take advantage of.
When I hear the word “legacy,” I often feel intimidated because I instinctively compare myself with those who have accomplished something significant. In fact, I get the impression that I am disadvantaged, or strictly speaking, useless, compared to those who are leaders. I feel that my fate prevents me from meeting new opportunities, which ultimately impedes me from making great accomplishments. However, after reading “Home of the Free” by Wendell Berry, I am forced to riffle through my life span and smile at the great accomplishments that I, as a “disadvantaged” kid, have taken pride in. Berry’s thesis can be summarized by a quote from the famous existentialist Friedrich Nietzsche, who wrote, “If you wish to strive for peace of soul and pleasure, then believe; if you wish to be a devotee of truth, then inquire.” Nietzsche establishes the notion that, in life, we should not avoid “the necessary work of human life” and only seek pleasure and peace. This notion, which is what comprises Berry’s concept of “satisfaction,” makes me ponder everything in life that can make existence prove worthwhile.
He was not alone, many of his peers felt the same drive. John Lewis quotes, “Jim Lawson conveyed the urgency of developing our philosophy, our discipline, our understanding. His words liberated me. I thought, this is it… This is the way out.” John Lewis’s calling becomes clear, his new sense of purpose is what drives his motivations now. This drive is, in part, because he recognizes his own power to change his world. He also realizes that he does not have to accept the way life he was born into. This rejection is what liberates him, he sees the potential of what his world can be and this potential is recognized within his
“I have lived every day of my life asking myself ‘is what I’m doing reflective of who I am? Or who I want to be?’ If not...”
In The Meaning of Lives by Susan Wolf, she states, “They [people] want to be important, to have an impact on the world, to make a mark that will last forever. When they realize that they cannot achieve this, they are very disappointed. The only advice one can give to such people is: Get Over It”(846). Which is a statement I do not agree with. Many people are determined on making a difference in this world, whether it is small or large. Although, of course, every journey isn’t easy and it consists of many bumps along the way, which, in one of those bumps, could easily bring one down to think one cannot achieve our goal. That we cannot make a difference in this world. But no one should simply say to them “get over it” and make them think this.
The quote itself can be translated into, an everyday person does not want to be happy and ambition. That person will settle with what will keep them alive. I agree with this quote for a few reasons. To begin, the people in today’s
He achieved so many of his dreams and lead his life in a such a magnificent way. To me his statement speaks the truth. To lead your life in the best way possible for you, is to pursue and achieve your dreams first. By doing this, you can lead your life doing what you love and living in the way you want. No one wants to live their life not pursuing something.
To Thoreau, life’s progress has halted. It seems people have confused progression with captivity driven by materialism. To Krakaeur, people are indifferent to pursing the sublime in nature. To Christopher McCandles the world around him is forgetting the purpose of life. People are blind to nature. In the eyes of these men the world is victim to commercial imprisonment. People live to achieve statuses that only exist because man made them. Fame, money, and monotonous relationships do not exist in nature; they are the pursuits of soulless fundamentalism. The truth is that people pursue meaningless goals, and people don’t want to hear or know how they are foolish. When exposed, reality is so unsettling that it seems wrong. Yet, to be free of the falseness in life is in essence the point of singularity that people realize if there is no truth in love then it is false, if there is no truth in money then it is worthless, if there is no truth in fame then it is undeserving. Without truth everything is a worthless pursuit of a meaningless glass ceiling.
I was practicing the routine for my opening act, for the Broadway musical "The Sound of music." I am an actress playing the lead role of the main character Maria. My director Jane Marshall says," Barbara, you only have twenty minutes until your performance." My only chance to start a satisfying reputation for myself and please the audience. As I listened to those words come out of my directors mouth, that's when it dawned on me. I will only have one chance to do it right. I wouldn't want to cause any disarrays.
My life intersects with Into The Wild because I never had a good relationship with my mom or stepfather Dan who was 21 years older than my mother. So I “escaped” to Columbia much like Chris did from his own reality. Dan would drink every day; you would rarely see him without a drink in his hand. His drink of choice would be either whiskey or beer depending on what he could afford. You could always tell when he was smashed and when he was I was the person he wanted to tear down with his words the most. I remember one night after my grandma just had surgery and she was staying with us my mom asked me to cook. I told her I would. I then went outside to check what I was grilling and I knew Dan was out there intoxicated.
What I learned in a 7th grade basketball game was one of the biggest things I learned so far in my life, and that is to be confident. No matter what it is, be confident in everything you do.
I had done two shows before, in 3rd and 4th grade, but they were never as good or as professional as GREAT Theatre’s shows. I hadn’t really heard of GREAT Theatre before my friend Brianna asked me to audition for The Hobbit with her in 5th grade. It was exciting to audition for my first big show, and it made me remember how much fun I had had the last two years’ plays. When the cast list was posted, I carefully scanned the list looking for my name, which I didn’t find. I was devastated when I didn't get in so I tried again, and again, and again. I just could not get into a show, and that made me even more determined to get into the next one: Charlotte’s Web. When I auditioned for this show, I tried my best to be the best; I spoke with volume,
After hearing my mother's thoughts on the three things my parents have give me, I have insight on how important they are. Not only did the values they have taught me stem from their own morals, but also from past experiences, and their childhood. I like to think that each parent bases their teachings on what they personally experienced in their lives both negative and positive. Without the morals, and teachings my parents created from their past experiences, I would not be the person I am to day.
quote: "For the secret of man's being is not only to live... but to live for something
“Your time is limited, don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma, which is living the result of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of other opinions drown your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition, they somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.”