For more than 200,000 years, we’ve turned to the cosmos and the divine beings for guidance. We’ve examined the stars, calculated the Big Bang, and even traveled to the Moon.
Our existential question continues, despite our best attempts to discover the answer to the same old question: “Why do I exist?”
It’s an intriguing one, surely. Ultimately, it explores the fundamental question of what it is to be human and how and why we survive. But in an intriguing disclaimer, you can only discover the solution in oneself.
Indeed, it is far simpler to be told what to do than to decide what to do. But, on the other hand, your goal must be something you come up with on your own.
As Fyodor Dostoyevsky famously said, “The secret of human life rests not in merely staying alive, but in discovering something more to live for.”
This article will give you an insight into why you exist.
So, let’s go.
What Is the Reason for Existence?
Humans don’t survive for long when they lack direction and a sense of purpose. The fight, the desire, and the hunger for more give life its meaning. It is easy for individuals to fall into dispassion when there is no hope for the future.
There’s no point in living if you’re not going all the way, so why bother? As a child, you were taught to be interested and to challenge yourself.
But how do we know this? Look around you; everything in our world is either thriving or withering. So why do you believe you’re any different?
According to Dr. Gordon Livingston, for people to be content, they need the following three things:
- Something to do
- Someone to cherish and love
- Something to be excited about
Like Viktor E. Frankl, who famously said, “In the same way, you cannot seek pleasure and neither success. It only occurs as an unforeseen byproduct of one’s devotion to a cause bigger than oneself or as the byproduct of one’s surrender to a person other than oneself.”
This means that being happy has nothing to do with being happy. We think it’s a result of living in harmony. So having a purpose and prioritizing your time is what causes this.
To that aim, we’ve written this piece. We hope it’s helpful!
This is going to be a blast.
You Need Something To Do
Almost everyone has the wrong idea about what it takes to have a life filled with passion and harmony, says Cal Newport, author of the book “So Good They Can’t Ignore You.”
For example, most individuals think they need to go out of their way to discover their true calling and that it’s impossible to enjoy what you do unless you’re motivated to do it from the inside.
However, what you do is not crucial. Instead, it’s what you do for others that matters most. In Newport’s words, “
To enjoy what you do, it is necessary to change your perspective from one of a demanding person to one of a providing person.
Isn’t it more important to focus on how your talents and abilities may assist others rather than how you can make yourself happy?
When you move beyond yourself, your talents and abilities become more than simply a collection of pieces; they become a part of a larger whole, giving life purpose.
Confidence rises when you observe your efforts’ positive impact on others’ lives. Confidence leads to a deepening sense of satisfaction with your job, which ultimately leads you to perceive it as a “calling” or “mission.”
In light of this fact, it is easy to see why so many individuals choose careers like physicians, therapists, and teachers, where their work directly impacts the lives of others.
Why Cal Newport says, “What you do for a livelihood is considerably less essential than how you do it.”
Alternatively, you don’t need to “find” or “follow” your passion; rather, your passion finds you. It’s a direct outcome of your mentality and actions. But, rather than the other way around, this is the case.
To live this truth, you must know that your existence is about more than just yourself. To put it another way, it’s about making a difference in the lives of others. Putting your whole heart and soul into something is the only way to succeed. It’s all about finding something that you like.
This brings us to our next point.
You Need Someone to Cherish and Love
“Alone we can accomplish so little; together we can achieve so much.” – Helen Keller.
According to research, when it comes to love reciprocation, the more you give, the more you get. As far as we’re concerned, we all have the same basic requirements. Wanting to be loved and accepted is in our DNA.
A lesser-known truth, however, is the notion that love is a verb rather than a noun. Inactivity will result in its deterioration.
Sadly, this occurs much too often. Our partnerships are taken for granted. We let life get in the way and cease making time for the people we care about in a meaningful way.
You can show true love in many ways. You’ll put yourself out of your misery and become the person you were meant to be.
The problem isn’t only with romantic relationships but with any interaction. Love alters not just the recipient but also the one who gives it to them. So, what’s holding you back from doing so?
Although love is a tremendous force, having someone to adore isn’t enough. Ultimately, it’s still up to you to achieve your personal goals.
As Grant Cardone has said,
Never underestimate the power of a single human being to elevate your level of contentment above any pre-existing level of fulfillment.
That brings us to our next point:
You Need Something To be Excited About
Research shows that individuals feel happier while anticipating an event than compared to when they are present at the event.
A vision is needed. Expectations provide motivation. Every day, you should be working towards a specific objective.
Keeping in mind that the vision, not the result, is what makes it worthwhile is essential. Once you’ve got one, you’ll want a second one. Making them should be an ongoing, lifelong endeavor for you!
As Dan Sullivan has pointed out,
As long as our desires outweigh our memories, we’ll always be youthful.
Not to go ahead of yourself, what do you see in the near future?
What’s your ultimate destination?
What kind of person do you see yourself to be?
What do you intend on doing?
With whom would you want to do it?
When you picture the perfect day, what do you see?
Instead of thinking about them in terms of where you are now, focus on where you want to go. When pursuing their dreams, many individuals are stifled by past constraints.
Despite this, you shouldn’t allow your existing circumstances to prevent you from building something considerably more powerful.
“Whatever future may seem like a dream to you now is only a future reality that you have yet to create,” remarked Hal Elrod.
You’re indeed both the designer and the maker of your existence. Each of us must be fearless and strong.
What Does It Mean When You Exist?
To exist means to live life meaningfully.
There are many phases in our lives, and we establish objectives for each. Everything we do has a deadline attached to it. Every area we visit has certain rules regarding how early we should rise, what we should wear, and how we should behave.
When we set out to do anything, we give ourselves many justifications. Nowadays, every business creates a vision statement outlining the company’s long-term aims and core values.
The fundamental conclusion is that everything we do has a purpose. And yes, we are aware of this. As a result, we conduct our lives as we do because we concentrate on the purpose and the path ahead.
Why Do I Feel Like I Don’t Exist?
We can’t answer many of life’s most pressing concerns definitively. Nevertheless, it is in our nature to ask questions, and it is also in our nature to be unsatisfied when we are in a state of ambiguity and lack of knowledge.
At some time in your life, you could start to ponder difficult questions, such as the following:
Why do individuals have to go through such hardships?
“What happens once a person dies?”
“What do I don’t exist?”
“What if I am unable to find love in my lifetime?”
As you search for meaning in suffering, injustice, and difficulty, you can discover that it overcomes you with uncertainty and even terror. People commonly referred to these feelings as existential dread.
You may, over time, come to terms with the fact that it is generally impossible to obtain the answers you are looking for and re-adjust your self-concept to match your newly acquired understanding of reality.
Existential anxiety, on the other hand, might leave you with a pessimistic outlook on the world and your future.
If you do not have any answers, you do not have a certain sense of purpose. However, you do not have any influence over the final course of your life. For example, you may feel discouraged, uninspired, and unable to stop cycling through the same questions that do not have many solutions.
Does this sound familiar to you? There’s a possibility that you’re struggling with existential depression.
Why Do I Question My Existence?
If you question your existence, you may suffer from an “Existential Crisis.”
A person going through an existential crisis may ask, “Does my life, or does existence itself, have any purpose that was there before?” The idea of leading a life without purpose is repulsive to most people. As a result, people invent meaning for their lives when they cannot discover it.
Religion was the source of this meaning in the past. However, now it might come from other places, such as family, employment, hobbies, interests, or even travel. The fundamental concept behind this is that each individual discovers their purpose in life since the life of a person’s ancestors does not come with any predetermined significance of its own.
However, suppose a person cannot establish a sense of meaning via the process of asking these questions. In that case, they may experience profound emotions of existential distress.
Final Words – Why Do I Exist?
The goal of your entire life is not to be happy but to learn and develop. After you’ve put your time and effort into something larger than yourself, you’ll be happier. But, of course, you should never do the wrong thing.
In the modern age, instead of pursuing fulfillment for only you via enthusiasm, your goal should be to provide value to other people’s lives and make them lead better lives. A sense of accomplishment comes from knowing you’ve positively impacted the world. To feel as though your time on this planet significantly impacted the world.
All of this human nature is subjective. You are the only one who can provide meaning to the world around you. We all have been conditioned to view the world in a certain way, and that’s how we see it.
As a result, you are the only one who can judge if you are fulfilling your “purpose” or reaching your “potential.”
In addition, love allows you to see beyond your ego because both the donor and the receiver change. So, what’s stopping you?
Finally, make a plan for the future. People decay away quickly when they have no goals for the future to work for. So, where do you see yourself in the future?
