The Purpose of Life (Blog)

[Steve Pavlina]

Use this thread to discuss the following entry from Steve Pavlina's blog:

The Purpose of Life

[songwriter]

well, I'll never forget Carlos Santana answering what is needed to play the guitar well. "Cabeza, corazón y cojones" Brains, heart and balls. I thought that was for anything in life too.

I don't understand what is the connection between creativity and power... of course I agree truth leads wisdom (even the "sad truths"), and love leads to joy (and hate to the oppossite), but I don't see why creativity leads to power/strength. Courage should lead to strenght and power.

[jamestl2]

Heh... that post didn't even have 2,000 characters, let alone 2,000 words.

But anyway relating to the post, must there really be a point to life? While each of those three things are great goals to have, I'm not quite sure how they relate to the purpose of life, maybe I'm just feeling like there's something missing from the blog entry, like there wasn't enough information or something .

[Akemi]

Well, that is the generic purpose of life -- to learn love, truth, and empowerment. In other words, to experience life. (We can learn love by what love is not . . . for instance.)

Further, I think each of us have a unique life purpose. This is the very reason why each of us are unique.

[songwriter]

Originally Posted by songwriter

I don't understand what is the connection between creativity and power... of course I agree truth leads wisdom (even the "sad truths"), and love leads to joy (and hate to the oppossite), but I don't see why creativity leads to power/strength. Courage should lead to strenght and power.

Okey, I'm gonna answer myself.

courage is needed for everything, for loving, for looking for the truth and for creating, but it's expressing your creativity what will give your true power.

Also you need wisdom to love... and creativity too. And for expressing your creativity you need wisdom and love.

Well, I think I understand better with Brave, Wise and Kind, or the Santana saying (hey I'm an outsider!), but we are meaning the same thing.

[tekomino]

Purpose of life is for you to live it.

I think that describes it. Truth, Love, Power are just man made concepts to guides us through our life journey. To be kind to each other, to realize how impermanent everything is, to explore this world and all it has to offer.

Life just is. You can't choose not to be born. You can't choose whether you are born with all mental and physical facilities functioning correctly. You just get thrown in and get to figure things on your own and perhaps help the others that come with you and after you.

[Bruce Achterberg]

Originally Posted by songwriter

I don't understand what is the connection between creativity and power... of course I agree truth leads wisdom (even the "sad truths"), and love leads to joy (and hate to the oppossite), but I don't see why creativity leads to power/strength. Courage should lead to strenght and power.

I think Steve uses "strength" in the same sense that Marcus Buckingham might use it. Only those who are strong and well aligned with their creativity (which you could say comes from their talents, among other things) will be able to realistically sustain power in this world and have a significant, Warren Buffet, Bill Gates, Steve Pavlina ()-style impact.

Edit: Ok, apparently you beat me to it. But oh well. Self wisdom is great, isn't it?

[impaul99]

For me, this post seemed very disconnected from the "real Steve". Almost like he's putting on a different pair of glasses again to try something else.

"If there is an after afterlife"? Uhhhh... doesn't your wife talk to people in the "Afterlife" everyday Steve?

This post seemed like you're trying to write something mainstream. Much different "Steve" than the one who says you should never have a job or a religion.

Just my 2 cents.

[Ari Koinuma]

Well, I don't disagree with Steve at all, but I have a different take on this.

The purpose of life:

It is to be at peace with how you lived your life, at the moment of your death.

Yes, I am aware that we may not have a moment to reflect on life right before you die -- it may come so suddenly that you probably don't know what hit you. (I'm guessing here, since I haven't experienced it yet myself. )

When many people talk about "living a life you don't regret" they talk from an accomplishment-based view. You know how we often talk about things we want to do before we die.

Well, that sets a trap, as we don't know when we're going to die. To have a list of do-before-death list risks things remaining unfinished, which gets in the way of you feeling good/proud/at peace with your life.

It's not about what you did in your life, it's how you live. If you haven't done so, you better identify your core values and start living according to it, because making decisions based on or in pursuit of anything else get you in the danger zone with life-with-regret.

I'm not saying don't compile a do-before-die list. Actually, do assemble it and aspire to check them off. But just don't make any accomplishments/achievements a part of your life's mission. Your mission is to live on the way to get there and do them.



ari

[carenkh]

This article made me even more excited about your book!

I have never consciously made the connection between creativity and power before, but as soon as I read it, I thought: Of course!!

For me, it has to do with the energy I feel coursing through me as I'm in my creative "zone"... it is very, very powerful, and I can tell I'm having an impact on the world through it.

[CannibalSmith]

Write more like this! Less is more!

[Neutral]

Originally Posted by Steve Pavlina

If there is an afterlife, it’s likely that the only element of your existence you can possibly retain is your consciousness.

How would you retain your consciousness?

I'm not asking you to prove that you can, but what lead you to this belief, and how do you think this could work?

I believe that all quantities, have qualities associated with them. Qualities are, in principle, inaccessible through quantitative means. For example, brains have minds, but you can't tell that by looking at them.

This must be true of all matter.

How would consciousness come from inanimate matter? It makes no sense that consciousness wasn't inherent. All matter must be "conscious" in some kind of way. The tricky thing is defining the word.

[wulph]

I personally find this writing style resonates very negatively for me. I bought 2 Seth Godin books based on glorious reviews but I didn't make it very far into the first of the two. It just seems like so much tripe, and the short paragraphs read like so much propaganda. I get the same icky feeling from this article.

That said, I do appreciate your experimentation with different styles, and though others may really like this format, I thought it was important to share another opinion.

[jack reacher]

what a bunch of crap. if you all really believe the purpose of life is centered on "self".....you will not ever discover the real purpose; which is to help others. wake up america. jr

[Angela]

what a bunch of crap...wake up america

Interestingly, if you're not aligned with joy, wisdom, and strength, your attempts to help others end up being ineffective and even repulsive.

[tekomino]

Originally Posted by Angela

Interestingly, if you're not aligned with joy, wisdom, and strength, your attempts to help others end up being ineffective and even repulsive.

I disagree, that does not hold water. People in need that need help could care less what you are aligned with...

[tekomino]

Originally Posted by jack reacher

what a bunch of crap. if you all really believe the purpose of life is centered on "self".....you will not ever discover the real purpose; which is to help others. wake up america. jr

jack, when did you get internet man? Did you, gasp, settle down? Toothbrush and army surplus clothing not enough?

[Angela]

Originally Posted by tekomino

I disagree, that does not hold water. People in need that need help could care less what you are aligned with...

I agree with you that maybe people who need help couldn't care less what you are aligned with, which is I think what you meant. If they could care less, then...well, never mind the language police.

What I'm talking about is the way of being for the person who wants to make a difference in the world, not the person who receives help. If you are misaligned with power, truth, or love, you're just not going to be as effective in pursuing your aim; you'll find yourself stopped. For instance, if you want to contribute but you are misaligned with power, you may never get your butt off the couch. If you're misaligned with truth, people will eventually stop trusting you and they'll be unwilling to accept what you have to offer. If you're misaligned with love, people will instinctively recoil or at least your gift will lack real connection -- you won't be able to really feel what there is to feel in giving.

One way that may show up is sincerely and generously wanting people not to fall for a load of crap, and ending up being or creating a load of crap yourself. People tend to recognize their inner truth, when they reach it.

[tekomino]

Originally Posted by Angela

What I'm talking about is the way of being for the person who wants to make a difference in the world, not the person who receives help. If you are misaligned with power, truth, or love, you're just not going to be as effective in pursuing your aim; you'll find yourself stopped.

I am not sure that holds water either. I met people that we were not aligned with truth and/or love and were successful and very effective, materially/financially. Material success comes from providing value to others (unless you are stealing) so in a way they are helping.

Its the power one that is crucial.

[songwriter]

Originally Posted by Bruce Achterberg

I think Steve uses "strength" in the same sense that Marcus Buckingham might use it. Only those who are strong and well aligned with their creativity (which you could say comes from their talents, among other things) will be able to realistically sustain power in this world and have a significant, Warren Buffet, Bill Gates, Steve Pavlina ()-style impact.

Edit: Ok, apparently you beat me to it. But oh well. Self wisdom is great, isn't it?

Well, thank you. What happens sometimes is that when you write something, you can think about it better... I remember Steve said something similar in some blog...
Instead of "strength" I would say "money". But that doesn't sounds much "PD"...

[Neutral]

People are missing that Steve is not saying he knows the answer for the meaning of life. He knows that nobody can prove their answer as objectively true.

But his answer is good regardless the outcome of life. It's a great "local maximum" if you will.

Is this post really that off?

It's easy to disagree and nitpick anyone's words, but it really comes down to one question; What are you going to do about it? How will this change your actions?

[Angela]

Originally Posted by tekomino

I am not sure that holds water either. I met people that we were not aligned with truth and/or love and were successful and very effective, materially/financially. Material success comes from providing value to others (unless you are stealing) so in a way they are helping.

Its the power one that is crucial.

Sure. You can experience all kinds of success in your life while misaligned with any of these principles. Look at Leona Helmsely! She didn't seem to be interested at all in alignment with either truth or love, and she was filthy stinkin' rich when she died. She left it all to her dog. Do you think she was in love with her life? I'm thinking probably not.

Even the people you may be talking about who are less insane than Leona -- the guy you know who runs a successful energy investment company, or the gal who runs a racetrack, or the couple who makes a fortune in dealing drugs -- you're right, they may very well make a difference to someone other than a dog. And if they're aligned with power, making tons of money, but misaligned with truth and/or love, you can be sure they have or will run into some serious personal stoppage that comes with that. They certainly may be still donating money or boosting the economy or whatever you are saying is providing value. If you're in that position and you're not aligned with truth, what's to stop you from going over your line the line you drew, that of stealing? If you're misaligned with love, don't you think it would be rather hard to feel really good about the life you are creating -- to love it?

I'm not saying you *should* be in love with your life, or align yourself with love, truth or power; I'm just saying that if you don't, one way or another you will find yourself stopped and ineffective. What you want and what you are committed to will be two entirely different and conflicting forces, and you'll end up wondering what the hell happened -- why are you so unfulfilled and unsatisfied?

Not that there's anything wrong with that.

[tekomino]

Originally Posted by Angela

Sure. You can experience all kinds of success in your life while misaligned with any of these principles. Look at Leona Helmsely! She didn't seem to be interested at all in alignment with either truth or love, and she was filthy stinkin' rich when she died. She left it all to her dog. Do you think she was in love with her life? I'm thinking probably not.

I don't know. That is just your view and your conditioning. We all see that differently. Most of people think of themselves as good decent people. Even hard-core criminals. I bet even Leona in your example loved her life...

[Angela]

Originally Posted by tekomino

I don't know. That is just your view and your conditioning. We all see that differently. Most of people think of themselves as good decent people. Even hard-core criminals. I bet even Leona in your example loved her life...

Right, it is my perspective, but it's not my conditioning by any means! My conditioning, my habitual thought patterns, would have me being resigned to a life in which I think of myself as a good, decent person. Maybe I would look around and think, maybe like Leona, "I love my life! It's not important that the person I love to the exclusion of everybody else is a dog, and I am not concerned about all the lawsuits against me for cheating my employees, and really, it's nobody's business but my own if I inspire hatred and vitriol in pretty much everyone I encounter. I'm a good, decent person, and I love my life!" I would certainly be entitled to that view and that life, just like a hard-core criminal is, and there's no reason in the world that I *should* align myself with truth or love or power.

But if I want to live consciously, I will be stopped by such habitual thought. Sooner or later it will occur to me that lying is exhausting, that screaming is costing me terribly, that having lots of money or power is not worth paying the price of being separate, alone, and honest with myself.

It takes dynamic willingness to live consciously, and to free yourself of habitual thought, and resigned tolerance of misalignment. It's not for everyone, and I'm not saying anyone *should*! Maybe it's not for you, even though I know for sure that you are a good, decent person.

It's what I'm up to, though, and it works in living a life I love, so I feel pretty good about sharing that. As Rose says, though, if someone offers you an old stinky sneaker, there's no rule that says you have to pick it up!

[JustBe]

Do we not need a deeper (and practical) understanding of the big words as:

Love, Truth, Power

to fully understand your posts?


We haven't written the book, we even have not read it.

[JustBe]

This interpretation of 'life purpose' rings true for me. Is hitting 'truth' for me.

In the article: 'Find your life purpose in 20 min. ' I remember the line 'you will know when you found it cause you will start to cry'.

But this article is more kind of way to find what is relevant this certain timeperiod. A temporary thing, certainly not for entire life. Perhaps our guides are helping with this and that is why we are getting emotional.

Or is there a deeper understanding?

[Life Coach UK]

I like what Neale Donald Walsch says in the secret about purpose - there is no purpose in life except for the one you give it.

I'm new to Steve's work so I can't really comment on whether this sounds like authentic Steve or not...

The main challenge people face is they spend so much time wondering and worrying about what the purpose of life is, they forget to define a purpose for themselves.

Life is pointless! That's your blank canvas that you start with - you get to define a point if you want to! However there are no requirements - you do not have to be "good", happy or healthy. You don't even have to learn anything, although I believe that if you don't experience these things, you are choosing not to express who you really are.

It's a thought provoking post and it's generated some interesting comments here!

[mncz]

This post really convinced me that I am going in the right direction with my life, as hard as it feels at this moment.

Due to my upbringing it is very hard for me to accept that my boyfriend would love me even if I was unsuccessful (in a conventional sense of success) and poor (think about this from the pow of "things that you think about others you actually think about yourself and see, how "nice" person I am :/), but I am slowly getting there, and he does. It is also hard for me to accept that I am a "lovable" person if I don't want things that I have been conditioned to want, but want something completely different instead. I still have hard time to love myself for what I am, not for what other people expect me to be.

Keep up the good work, Steve, it is awesome how this site has inspired me to change my life for the best, and I am amazed by every moment of it. Even when I am deeply hurt or lost for a moment (due to too many things I have done so wrong before), I cry and then I say to myself: with all this growing pain, I would still choose this life over the "tolerance/push myself/calculating" one that I have been living for too many years already. And then I proceed, trying to project love, forgiveness, truth and strenght. Sometimes I fail. Sometimes I get scared. Sometimes I just want to pull a blanket over my head and see things pass me as if I was sleeping in a river (and I do that). Sometimes I still get annoyed or angry. But slowly, day by day, it gets better, and I have this hope that soon, soon already I will have the life I dream about, a life that is soooo distant from what I have been conditioned to desire.

It is awesome.

[supertom]

steves ideas(all) are really similar to Huna, never noticed it before.

[Jarrod]

I often wonder wether there is a single (even if it is a conglomerate of elements) purpose that everyone ultimately shares. Such as to 'awaken' maybe or if people really do have lots of different purposes (To be a writer, To feed africa etc.).

I still wonder.