I'm beginning to seriously doubt that I'll ever figure out what to do with my life. I thought I had a plan, up until today, only to have the foundations of what I'm doing thrown into question. Sorry I can't be more specific--those of you who know me can e-mail me, and I'll give you an answer--but this is a public forum, after all.
I'd like to address more generally the question of purpose in life. Is it possible to determine your purpose in life? I'd like to propose a theory--that it's not possible. Think about it--purpose implies a why for something, a reason for being. But the why for something is really only evident (if it's ever evident at all) in hindsight, when you can look back and say, "Oh, that's the reason that happened!" This is how it works in scientific experimentation--you experiment, test your results against a control, then evaluate the variable as it pertains to the cause of your experiment.
Only in life, you have no "control," no "second experiment." You can look back, make reasonable guesses about why something happened, or why some decision was made, but to look into the future, figure out a course of action, and say, "yes, this is the purpose to which I must dedicate my life," this is something that seems impossible to me.
Instead of purpose, which is how I realize I've been thinking about things recently, I think I need to re-frame my question, to read, "what am I called to do with my life?" This question is becoming more real to me, as I contemplate my future and my past.
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Ok, so if you figure out your call, wouldn't you then know your purpose as well? But if one knows his purpose, does that mean he has been called? While, I have not taken sufficient time to think about it, my gut tells me that there is a difference and that purpose may connote an active searching on our part, while a call may be placed on us without any searching. Seemed that with with the prophets in the OT. Let me ponder some more...
If you're given a set of natural talents would that make your purpose in life easier to determine? Could you pontentially say, I am good at 'x' so therefore I must be here to do that. But then, say someone determines their skill is say 'stealing'. Not a noble purpose at all. Unless, that is not there true skill. Either way, I'm back to the drawing board... ah well, such is the mystery of life! Ain't it grand? On a less philosophical note, I am giving you a 'calling!' Unless there are objections from other parties, Soul Calibur 3 is fair game (get it? "game") for your personal purchasing. I could narrow it down for you, but that would ruin the surprise. I apologize for the bad pun.
I also apologize for grammitical errors. I'll work on those,
Love you!
I think maybe now is the time for a little wisdom from the Tick:
"Everybody was a baby once, Arthur. Oh, sure, maybe not today, or even yesterday. But once. Babies, chum: tiny, dimpled, fleshy mirrors of our us-ness, that we parents hurl into the future, like leathery footballs of hope. And you've got to get a good spiral on that baby, or evil will make an interception.
SPOON!!!
I would like to take this opportunity to apologize for my absence but also to note that I have been rather absent from my own blog as well. Regarding this particular post of yours, which I really wish I had read sooner, may I say I can identify to some degree, though our situations are quite different. I think the older I get, the unwiser I become. Not to imply that that is the case with you; just how I have been feeling these days.
Alright, B-Money -- I've been faithfully checking your blog on a twice-weekly basis, and I've been disappointed for a month! How will you be able to change poopy diapers every day if you can't even keep up a blog properly? ;-) [This is why I will never have kids or a blog...]
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