What is the purpose of life? Why do we live? All things considered, we are just one of roughly 8.5 billion people living on this earth, with our own emotions, feelings, and ways to pass our time. We never asked to be born, we just got born. We didn’t choose our family or where we grew up, until we became adults and can control our destiny a little bit more. So, why are we here, and what should we be doing?
There is no simple answer to this question. There is no solution to life, either. I personally thought that I needed a high-paying job, that the money would automatically make me happy — and yes, money absolutely helps especially with stress and freedom of choice when going out but it is not the full picture. Money does make it easier to be happy, but it is definitely not a cure-all. Getting a lot of money can’t be your purpose, since there is always more money to get out there. So, what is the purpose of life? To always be happy? To strive every day to be the better person? To be “fruitful and to multiply”, like it says in the torah? Well, those things may make you feel accomplished, and that feeling is definitely priceless.
Since everyone chooses what they want out of life, I would argue that the purpose of life is to actually live it. Now, what does it really mean to “live your life”? That’s the million dollar question. Only you can truly answer it.
My advice on living life is finding that important balance between living it fully and knowing when to sacrifice a bit in order to get ahead with your goals. Sometimes, you just need to study for a certain exam or course, and that means not going out with your friend that one night. Sometimes, that means not working your dream job, but the money is somehow fantastic for that position that you took. When you take on these sacrifices, it’s definitely not ideal — but it’s necessary for you to live in a certain way and get to a higher, more gracious goal
Finally, just remember that happiness is a state of mind. Therefore you can control what you do, who you meet, where you go at any given time. Some places are tougher than others, but there is always some amount of flexibility on how you spend your time and what you choose to work on in a given day. So, embrace where you are at, that you are alive, and remember that your purpose in this world is to live your life.
Ultimately, only you know how to live your life properly. You don’t need to go to your family’s thanksgiving dinner. You don’t have to be there for your spouse. However, you should choose to live your best life, and unless your family is toxic it’s usually a good time, and you generally love your spouse so you ideally should want to be there for her. Ideally, you reach the point of transcendance: you know your purpose by living your live, doing a lot of things, and staying away from distractions that may pull you away from reaching your true potential of truly living your life to the fullest.