The Purpose of Life in Retirement

The purpose of life is not to be happy. It is to be useful, to be honorable, to be compassionate, to have it make some difference that you have lived and lived well.” ― Ralph Waldo Emerson

For some people, the purpose of life may be to make the world a better place. Others may believe that the point of life is to find and achieve personal fulfillment. And some may feel that the point of life is simply to enjoy it as much as possible.

Many scientists would say that the purpose of life is to evolve and to live a life of purpose, according to Psychology Today magazine.

Evolution is the process that allowed organisms to survive and thrive. Humans, along with every living animal or plant, owe our existence to it.

Our purpose is to “evolve” during our lifetime because that is consistent with our evolutionary purpose.

Thus, the purpose of life?” is that we are here so that we can continue to live, adapt, learn, and grow. A purpose of life, and our purpose, is to continue to evolve.

We Evolved to Evolve

“Evolution” is a process of learning, adapting, and growing to be more effective and efficient, we see evolution everywhere.

Evolution is fundamental to every living organism. Inherent to our existence is that we learn, adapt, and grow. Additionally, maintaining healthy personal relationships is existential to our existence

Health, happiness, and longevity are the payoffs for this. Since our biological evolution is the foundation of our existence, a purpose of our lives is to continue to “evolve” during our lifetime by learning and growing.

There are several ways to grow, adapt and learn (to find purpose) in life, such as:.

  • Helping Others – Volunteering your time to help others can be a source of purpose.
  • Cultivating Relationships – Spending time with friends and family. Healthy and supportive interpersonal relationships are essential for both physical and mental health.
  • Continuing to Learn and Grow – Henry Ford stated, “Anyone who stops learning is old — whether this happens at twenty or at eighty. Anyone who keeps on learning not only remains young but becomes constantly more valuable — regardless of physical capacity.” To learn is to grow.  
  • Pursuing Your Interests – Pursuing hobbies or activities you enjoy can be an effective way to bring meaning into your life. Focus on doing work that is meaningful to you, whether it involves pursuing a career that you love, developing your creative skills, or simply enjoying your leisurely pastimes.
  • Building Your Awareness – Becoming more aware of your own thoughts, interests, and connections to the world around you can also be helpful when you are questioning the point of life.
  • Practicing Gratitude – Practicing gratitude, or the act of feeling and expressing thankfulness for the things that you appreciate in life has been shown to have a range of benefits. It can strengthen relationships, improve happiness, boost resilience, and improve overall health.

References:

  1. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/tech-happy-life/202010/what-is-the-purpose-life
  2. https://www.verywellmind.com/whats-the-point-of-life-why-you-might-feel-this-way-5272182
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