The True Purpose of Life: Navigating Conflicting Ideas

MULTIPLE EMPTY CHOICES

Anyone who sets out to discover the real purpose of life must penetrate an incredible muddle of conflicting ideas. Today it is widely assumed that the main goal of life is simply the freedom to pursue whatever makes you happy. Millions have followed the "Pied Piper" of personal pleasure to experiment with drugs, all kinds of illicit sexual activities, easy couplings and divorces, affairs, trips, parties and the acquisition of material things—only to find that physical things and physical experiences fail to bring any lasting satisfaction or provide real meaning in life. Some of the richest and most famous people in the world have led the most empty, lonely and frustrating lives, because they had forgotten—or never knew—important advice that could have brought them happiness.

Not taking care of yourself

For some people, taking care of others might come first. This could lead them to put their own needs aside for a long time. This, in turn, may lead to feeling empty.
You might feel that making others happy makes you happy, too. Even if this is the case, it’s important to consider that supporting others is not exclusive of supporting yourself.
Everyone needs support and care, including you. Often, when your needs are fulfilled, you become better equipped to help and support others, too.
Abandoning yourself, not listening to your own hopes and desires, could make you feel empty, explained Kaitlyn Slight, a marriage and family therapist in Durham, North Carolina.
Not taking care of your needs can lead to anxiety, guilt, and shame, Slight said. These symptoms might be what you call “feeling empty.”
How much time you spend on social media might also affect how you feel and could fuel the feelings of emptiness.
In many instances, accounts you follow on social media might portray a lifestyle that’s not realistic or a perfect life or appearance. This could lead you to compare yourself and inevitably underscore your life.