Life is an impossibly complex, confusing thing whose purpose has confounded scientists and philosophers alike since the beginning of time.
While it may not be possible to define the purpose of living life on a broad spectrum as it applies to all humanity, though, it is possible to define the purpose of your own life – and that purpose is right in front of you.
A New Earth
By Eckhart Tolle
⏱ 16 minute reading time
🎧 Audio version available
Creating a Better Reality
We don’t know what reality really is, but we do know that reality as we experience it is an expression of consciousness. Ever color you see, every sound you hear, every thought you have, and every emotion you feel exists only inside your own consciousness. However, what consciousness itself actually is and what it means to be a conscious being is likewise something that evades us even today.
We can’t say what reality is, and we can’t say what the conscious medium by which reality is experienced is either. What we can say for certain, though, is that reality as we know it on an individual level is defined by a series of consciousness experiences. When you view reality in this manner, the purpose of life becomes clear – to make your own, unique reality the best possible reality that it can be.
Creating the best possible reality that you can create is the only purpose of life that everyone can agree on regardless of their other beliefs about the nature of the world. As an individual whose reality is defined by your own conscious experiences, your idea of what an ideal reality looks like will undoubtedly differ from the ideal reality of others. Perhaps creating your ideal reality means working on yourself and growing as a person.
Perhaps it means living a life full of adventure and new experiences, or perhaps it means living a life that is dedicated to creating a better reality for others. In many cases, creating an ideal reality may entail all of these things and much more. After all, your life is your one opportunity to create a reality for yourself and influence the reality of others; what you decide to do with that opportunity can be as complex and intricate as you want it to be.
Related: Why Searching for Purpose Isn’t the Best Use of Time for Everyone
Define the Purpose of Your Life Rather than Trying to Find the Purpose of Life Itself
When you view life as the opportunity to create your ideal reality, you get to decide for yourself what the purpose of your life really is. Since you are the only person on earth to experience the unique reality that defines your life, there is no one else beside you who is able to make that decision.
Though opinions abound, we seem nowhere near finding an answer to what the true nature and purpose of life and reality itself really is. The purpose of your life, though, is right in front of you. If you are able to commit your life to creating the best possible reality for yourself and others, you can rest assured that you will have made the most of the miraculous gift you’ve been given – even if the origins and meaning of that gift continue to remain unknown.
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