purpose of life

i just want to see if anyone else feels this way
all my life i have felt that ok since its supposed to be this way looks like i got to do it
graduated high school , then miltary , then college & marriage & a son well that part went really fast i kept plodding along like a middle class man is supposed to . but i felt if i stumbled i would lose it all , my house my job , my family .
well i hit 49 years old my son turned 18 & im divorced & move sooo whats the reason for the next 25+ years ???? the bulk of life is done ,& im happy about that but now what, im looking for a job ,& that sucks but even living with my g.f i feel outta place .
not like we are going to get married and start a family & all that middle class stuff. i just feel like if i get off the merry go round , that wrong , & no im not suicidal , i just feel like ok whats next ??? so am i the only one??

reply to post by blackz28


I think if you volunteer at the local animal shelter one day a week it will humble you when you see the fear in the dogs eyes. Give of yourself and you will find yourself. You will walk feeling so blessed in every way.

Although I'm quite a few years younger than you, for some strange reason I feel like I can relate to what you are saying. You feel like you have used up your potential and done the things "expected" of you and now you worry about what the next 25 years of your life will be like. My advice to you is this: just live and do what makes you feel happy and fulfilled. There is still potential in you waiting to be ignited.

There is no purpose in life , sure the hell isn't about graduating high school and collage and slaving away to barely make middle class .

Now you have some free time may I suggest try to enjoy it while you still can buy an rv and go tour the country or even better on a motorbike

reply to post by blackz28


hi! i am just 24 years and i wonder the points of life also,, i like to run simulations in my mind, you know, that how things will go... gongratulations that you went with the motions and have a child and all, i would like to have children one day, but how could i raise a child in this world? plus i have messed up everything in my life already and have absolutely no motivation in partaking in this antfarm we call society. so my ideal scenario would be tarzan and jane so thats not gonna happen...

maybe just try to enjoy the fruits of your hard work? cheers dude!

reply to post by blackz28


As cliched as it sounds, bad things do happen to good people. We are always where we are supposed to be; our job is to figure out why and what we're supposed to be doing. It's not easy. I'm about 4 years older than you, so I can relate. But feeling out of place isn't going to *repair* the feeling of being out of place. We must now find a place and repair our own situations.

You've accomplished many things and you've done what our generation was taught that we were expected to do. You've raised a son. You've reached the age now where you should have some wisdom. And now, like so many of us, you find yourself living in a world that has changed dramatically from what our age group was taught to expect.

The member who suggested volunteering at an animal shelter made a good suggestion. I would also suggest you might consider volunteering at a local elementary school or after-school program helping young ones to learn to read or develop good study habits. So many children are fatherless and you're a father! You could impact a life for the better and share some of the wisdom which we acquire through our own mistakes so that, perhaps, others don't make them.

Have you had any life long interests that you were never able to pursue? I know that being out of work makes it very difficult to pursue many things, but seeds are inexpensive (and sometimes free through seed exchanges), so you might try your hand at gardening, even if in pots on a patio or balcony - it's a rewarding hobby and puts a little fresh food on the table.

Networking through community volunteer programs can often lead one to find a vocation they never knew they were interested in as well as having the benefit of making contacts that can lead to employment.

What you're feeling is very, very normal for our general age group. Try not to be too distressed about it. We are in a position to change our lives for the better because we've learned what we do not want to do and what we do not want to repeat ~ and knowing what we do not want can open many doors to what we DO want.

Take heart; have confidence in yourself; have faith in a Higher Power. Matters might seem disjointed and out of focus right now, but great things can be around the corner if you earnestly begin to seek them.

To me it sounds like your looking less for the purpose of life and more for a purpose in life. A purpose in life is a much more transient and literal thing. Something to live for. These things change throughout our lives To me it sounds like you've been a dedicated person working towards very definitive goals and so having crossed of all the biggies on the checklist of societal norms you're left with a "what now ?" problem. I'd say you've got to find something which fulfills you. Unless you believe you have achieved perfection the obvious way to go would be identifying shortcomings in yourself or in your life and figuring out some way to improve them. If your satisfied with yourself then you can always find your purpose in others. Often, helping others is as beneficial to the helper as it is to the one being helped.

If you do not readily find any intrinsic problems and you are satisfied with your current level of, or are opposed to, philanthropic works then perhaps you are indeed facing the philosophical elephant in the room that is "the purpose of life". A nearly unfathomable conundrum if there ever was one. I think the answer comes in two parts. The first part (imho) is the realization and steadfast belief that there is actually a purpose to life. The second part is figuring out what that purpose is. So take heart for you are, at the least, halfway there.

I would feel remiss if I were not to include my personal philosophy on the matter:

Originally posted by freedomSlave
There is no purpose in life , sure the hell isn't about graduating high school and collage and slaving away to barely make middle class .

^ Most logical response in this thread.

There is no actual purpose to life. Life is just procreation without gain or purpose.

reply to post by blackz28


Get past the illusions bro, everything could be more worse. The illusion that happiness is what was stated in your OP.

If you purpose in life was to only have a wife and boy and do the daily grind, then I ask what have you really accomplished as the rest of us. We are all situated in the same kind of daily grind pattern. Most would prolly agree that if a mouse farted on the other side of the globe, this could result in them loosing everything as well. Loosing everything is the illusion.

I don't expect you to agree but i'm currently in a situation where I feel all hope is lost. But again

well the best thing that i am truly proud of is being a dad , i was there thru thick & i was with him day to day & now i need to come up with something diffrent to fill that void

Keep on keeping on. Enjoy the small things.

Originally posted by blackz28
well the best thing that i am truly proud of is being a dad , i was there thru thick & i was with him day to day & now i need to come up with something diffrent to fill that void

sounds like you just miss your kids but hey there are always grand kids to look forward to

hope you feel better in time

reply to post by blackz28


The purpose of this life is the production of faithful souls.

If you are just stuck in a mundane life, because you no longer find your old ways fun, then just find something new and fun to do. Fun and happiness exists only in the mind. It is the confirmation of affirmation, of what you think is good. So find something easy to do that you think is good, and do that, until that gets boring. Then move to another good thing and so on and so forth.

This site is mostly for people who find doom enjoyable, so if you enjoy doom - then we're here for you. Also it's for data mining, but that's another subject and one that isn't really welcomed.

Again, just do what is easy fun, but not what you find immoral.

It's to LOVE.

Think of it as a testing ground for the after-life.

Seriously.

the purpose of this life is to be as rich as possible.