Why Living Without A Purpose Can Be Meaningful

The purpose is good, but not a necessary condition to flourish

“Making things up is an act of improvisation while achieving a life purpose is an act of following a script. I prefer making things up. ”(Rabbi Rami Shapiro)

Self-help authors talk a lot about ‘purpose in life.’ They say, having a purpose makes life meaningful.

Sometimes, they use the words, ‘purpose’ and ‘meaning’ interchangeably. Other times, they point out that purpose lends meaning to life or seeking meaning is the purpose of life, leaving the masses perplexed.

I never had a purpose in life. I’m sure it’s the case with the majority of the people.

This is not an argument against purpose in life. There’re people who use a purpose and flourish, like for example, caregivers, teachers or artists. Many social activists pursue various worthy causes for the betterment of society.

When Rabbi Rami Shapiro celebrated his 70th birthday, somebody asked him. “What’s your purpose in life?”. He replied he had no purpose except living.

Improvisation versus purpose

The Rabbi believed in improvising, snatching moments of joy and contentment in the day to day life.

Improvising is looking for opportunities to engage life with awareness and presence, to seize the pockets of aliveness as they occurred.

We can inject meaning into the mundane aspects of life, like listening patiently to a friend or neighbour, playing with a child, watching the sun rise, listening to music, or engaging in crafts or gardening.

The present moment awareness presents infinite opportunities to extract meaning out of our daily lives.

For example, life presents innumerable opportunities to experience awe, which is a feeling of being in the presence of something vaster and greater than ourselves, like watching the sun rise or set or enjoying the beauty of a rainbow.

When we experience awe, we feel the interconnectedness of life. It dissolves the ego, though for a brief moment. A frequent exposure to awe will add meaning to our lives.

Core values versus purpose

Core values can replace purpose to lead a meaningful life. I don’t have an overarching purpose, but adhere to certain values like honesty, kindness, compassion, etc.

Animal welfare is close to my heart, which arises from the value of compassion, and adds meaning to my life. I do my best to relieve the suffering of stray animals. It’s a huge challenge because I live in a place where animal welfare is not a priority for most people.

A value-driven life is intrinsically meaningful, though not driven by a specific purpose. The only condition is the commitment to live the values, even in challenging circumstances.

People who give their best in whatever they do derive intrinsic meaning in life. They work hard to develop their talents to benefit society. Self-actualisation is a meaningful pursuit.

A big salute to people who seek to achieve a purpose or purposes in life. Their lives acquire meaning through the chosen purpose or purposes. For the majority of people, however, life acquires meaning by adhering to core values, unflinchingly and unwaveringly.

There are people like Rabbi Rami Shapiro, who improvise moment to moment, soaking in the emerging opportunities for joy and satisfaction, that life's throws at him unfailingly.

An overarching purpose, though desirable and laudable, is not a necessary condition to lead a good life or a good enough life. There’s no need to feel guilty or morally inferior just because we lack a life purpose.

A purposeless, value-driven life, is no less significant and meaningful than a purposeful life.

Thanks for taking the time to read this story.