Quote:
Originally Posted by Chado2423  I feel like I need to do more than just the superficial everyday things like reading books, eating, drinking water excercising, etc. All good things, no doubt. But they don't cut at the root of the problem. They don't give me any meaning to my life. My biggest problem is that I feel like I have no purpose, so maybe I need more soul searching, which goes beyond just eating and excersicing and reading... |
Here goes nothing…
I understand where you are coming from on this particular point. I tried many things to discover my purpose, including Steve’s “write down your potential purposes until you write one that makes you cry” exercise. I took test after test, read book after book, did exercise after exercise and yes, I’ve been to several therapists, all to no avail.
I was a like a dog chasing his tail, endlessly, for years until I finally accepted that there is no objective purpose to life. Or another way I like to put it is life is its own purpose. Which is great, but saying to myself that life is its own purpose certainly didn’t help me with my depression. The good thing about my depression was that it did not allow me to settle for the so called answers offered by most religions (excluding mysticism, nondual teachings, etc), philosophies, psychological theories, etc. It was too easy to see through most of that. I finally figured that if I wanted purpose then I have to create it for myself. There was no god, guru or self help expert who was going to show me the way to meaning. I had to define the meaning of my life for myself and that had to be enough. This has truly been an empowering and liberating choice for me personally. Realizing and embracing my own power to choose has also helped me remain free of depression.
Maybe you’re right. Maybe you do need more soul searching. Or maybe you’ve done enough soul searching. Maybe it is time to exercise your power to choose. It won’t be easy by any means. I know what it is to struggle with one’s own self defeating mental habits. I am also, however, living proof that it can be done.