Because it may have started out complicated. But ultimately, it is you who have allowed it to grow out of control!
Have you ever come across an animal, a plant or anything in life that have an organic characteristic that ask the question – what is my life purpose?
The answer should be unambiguously “NO”!
The animals are biologically hardwired to execute the law of nature as intended – find food and shelter, pair up with a mate and stay out of harm way.
All this efforts are ultimately support the process of procreation.
We have an endless drive of making our lives so much more complicated than the natural law had intended. If the plants and the animals can speak in just two words of the human language, they will unequivocally repeat the phrase to everyone – make babies.
That is it!
Procreation is a simple and truthful answer to the non-complicated life purpose for all living things, plants and animals – and yes you and I are animals.
Perhaps through dreams and aspirations we see ourselves much more than reproductive machines.
Many members of our kind had came, reproduced and left behind a glorious of existence – larger than life persona – Albert Einstein, Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King – we will not be denied.
I have asked this simple question, “What is your life purpose?” to emeritus college professor, successful business owner, doctor, engineer and lay-person on the street.
The responses I got ranged from poetic pie in the sky philosophy, “…saving the world…” to owning a sporty motorcycle.
Why this question is so difficult for many people to give a straight answer – most people will eventually have children, yet they seemed to have the difficulty mustering up for a proper response.
Procreation, however, will not happen for 100% of the population – premature deaths, biological limitations and life style choices are examples of nonproductive instances.
Regardless, anything that broke the living barrier and came into existence, even for a short time, has its purpose.
Giving the total freedom without any constraint, naturally most of us will eventually dance to the tune of our individual unique potential.
In fact, this potential is so precious that Nature hardwired us with the capability to reproduce – nature makes sure the progress of evolution is captured and backup along the way.
It is similar to the cautionary custom to make a copy of the original work to preserve the integrity before taking on any chances. But, the story does not end here.
For the last few thousands of years, we have managed to lower and or eliminated many hostile barriers – diseases and natural disasters. Effectively, we have globally increased our species life expectancy, and effectively raised our standard of living throughout the world.
Now a day, it is quite common to find many people across the globe with the average life span well into the 70’s. This is 30 to 40 years beyond our primary reproductive years.
For hundreds of thousands of years, our days are numbered soon after reproduction the the rearing of the offspring.
This begs the question, what is Mother Nature intention for us with the remainder of the time? As we pondering on this question, be mindful that Evolution does not provide a free lunch.
Scientifically, we have ample of evidences that living things such as the plants, the animals and the humans are propagating their genes faithfully, and instinctively.
With respect to our kind, majority of us will be governed by the same natural order. Most will succeed with reproduction as seen by the size of the burgeoning population.
However, there is a small percentage of the population will not reproduce.
Procreation is the default life purpose for many. However, it is the process of creating or creation – is the physical manifestation of the virtual essence of purpose for all.
Creation is “the action or process of bringing something into existence”.
This can be a child, a piece of art, a new innovation, a new start-up, a new process, a new medical procedure, and your very own new fill in the blank are all examples of personal creation.
In essence, creation definition is an opt-out option for people who by choice or due to physical limitation do not want to go down the path of procreation – be warned, it will take a genius to create “something” that come close to match the potential of a new birth.
Why having a clear understanding of life purpose is important?
It’s about resource maximization. The shortest distance between two points is a straight line. It is a fact that each and every one of us does not command the same amount of resource – time and money.
However with a clear purpose, the most strapped resource person can maximize the mission chance of success.
Most of us are surprisingly ingenious with personal resources. This is seen all around the world, especially in poor countries. The people in these countries are living in so much poverty that their primal survival instinct is constantly at work.
It is a challenge for the citizens in developing countries to accumulate minimal resources, enough to manage an average family needs. The resources which were successfully acquired are maximally utilized in many cases beyond their engineered intention.
The opposite behavior is seen in wealthy countries. The people here manage their resource much more loosely and have lessened the grip on their primal survival instinct, in turn, less in tune with their hardwired purpose.
A passionate life is inspired and in tune with a purpose. Less than one percent the population is fortunate enough to discover this tune in the very early part of life and have the opportunity to dance to it to the very last day.
The rest of us will have to fine tune our personal life path along the way.
With the embrace of the premise that each and every one of us is here to CREATE something and procreation is the default place holder – we are embarking on a high probability path for a purposeful and fulfill life.
Creation spawns progress. Life feeds on progress. Without progress, life will wither and drain out of existence – carve out your piece or pieces of creation and life as you know will blossom to the fullest.
What is the creation that is worthy of your precious existence?
Let’s play the game of life!
Can you share whether you have kids and how has the raising process been so far if so?
Thx
Sam
Yes, my wife and I are blessed with a daughter whom we may have invested a tad bit more love than we should. The first 18 years with her were the best years of my life.
That is why when I read your blog and saw the picture of your little son stood by you it brought back so much of wonderful memories with my own daughter. You will have only pass to experience the innocence of your child.
In the last 6 years, it has been challenging for both of us. As parents, we are experiencing her struggles with college, work and personal relationship. This is an expected rite of passage. The hardest thing for me is to stop being her father and made the transition to be her life couch.