One of the things I saw when I visited Shanghai, China in 2011 was a lot of people standing by the side of the road. Lots of roads. They were just standing there. Not looking at anything or anyone, not even sitting down. Just standing. They had nothing to do, nowhere to go, noone to talk to. Their eyes were dead, and they had no purpose to animate them. They were zombies, but they didn’t even have the purpose of seeking brains. They were just waiting until they could die.
It saddened and depressed me. It made me realise how lucky we are in the western world, where most of us are seeking purpose to our life. We’re doing what we can to enjoy our lives, to find fulfilling careers and lifestyles, and to die knowing that we’ve done all that we can in this world.
Ok… maybe not. Most people in the western world are living a life without purpose too. They just spend their life in front of the tv or their phones, doing nothing to help themselves or to help other people.
I know I’m practicing my purpose – it’s to write and bring value to the lives of other people by sharing my own life. What I don’t know just yet is how I can make a living doing that, but I have a strong feeling that one day I will.
Having a purpose gives us hope and reason to go on. It helps us overcome depression, and it gives us faith that perseverance is the key. Having a purpose is what drives us forward.
Every day I see zombies. Not the same as the zombies I saw in China, but zombies nevertheless. At least the zombies here in the western world are mostly walking around, but their own brains are being wasted as they do nothing with their lives.
But you didn’t stumble upon this post because you’re looking for your purpose. You’re here because you want to ‘live a life without purpose’. Those are the search terms that brought you here, right? Well, here’s a few steps on how to ensure you live a life without purpose.
- DO NOT get a blank sheet of paper or open up Word on your computer
- DO NOT write at the top of the page, “What is my true purpose in life?”
- DO NOT write an answer (any answer) that pops into your head
- DO NOT repeat step 3 (hundreds of times if necessary) until you write the answer that makes you cry.
When you cry, you’ve found your purpose. You need to avoid this at all costs. No crying!
By making sure you follow the above advice, you’ll ensure that you continue living a life without purpose, where you can comfortably watch TV or play with your smartphone, and not have to worry about the responsibility of actually living a purposeful life.
Because once you know your purpose in life, you’ll have a responsibility to yourself and other people to live your life according to your purpose. It will make you happy, but you’ll be the busiest you’ve ever been in your life.
If you must do what you can to try and find your purpose, don’t say I didn’t warn you. It would be easier for you to move to China and stand by the side of the road with dead eyes than it would to live a life of purpose.
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