“Our prime purpose
in this life is to
help others. And if
you can’t help them,
at least don’t hurt them.” 
Dalai Lama

Why are we here?

Is it possible that there are individuals in the world today who have not given serious consideration to this fundamental question?

I don’t recall when I first pondered the question myself. Could I have been in elementary school? High school? Certainly, by my college years, the question of why I’m here was on my radar. By the time I turned 20, I had already experienced a number of incredible, unexpected, and undeserved opportunities which caused me to wonder why these things had happened to me. It seemed natural, at the time, to consider my purpose in life.

As the years progressed, I revisited the question multiple times. A number of people I respected advised me to follow my passion. I often wondered if I had chosen my profession (teaching) or if my profession had chosen me. As a product of Catholic education, I had been encouraged to contemplate the distinction between one’s occupation and one’s vocation. And on more than one occasion, I was asked to explain my mission in life, something I was often unable to clearly articulate.

These were all excellent questions, but there were four more basic questions I had to answer for myself before I could begin to adequately respond to the questions which had been posed to me. In my younger days, my Dad had urged me to do what I love to do. Of course, the first thing I had to do was to ask myself What do I love to do?

I also had to assess what things I was actually capable of doing — and doing well. I was able to identify a number of jobs I thought I would love to do, but it was humbling to honestly answer the question What am I good at?

It’s important to identify what we love to do and what we’re good at, but practically speaking, I had no choice but to consider these things in light of the question What can I be paid to do? There would, of course, be bills to pay in life.

One final question I had to contemplate is What does the world need? More specifically, What does the world need of me?

All things considered, I am confident that my 40+ years of teaching truly was my purpose in life. But are we limited to just one purpose in life? And if so, what do I do now that I’ve been retired from teaching for almost ten years?

The graphic above clearly illustrates how best to identify one’s purpose in life. Even now, with my teaching career behind me, I have a clearly defined purpose, one which is in line with the Dalai Lama’s words quoted above. My purpose, at this point in my life, is to help others. Do I love to do this? Yes! Am I good at it? I think so, yes! Does the world need this? Absolutely! Can I be paid for it? Well, if payment refers only to cash, then no, but I don’t limit my understanding of payment in that way. I am paid in countless other ways for helping people — most notably, with gratitude.

For me, helping others is not about money. The most valuable payment I can receive for helping someone is their gratitude. When someone expresses their gratefulness for something I’ve done for them, the feeling is much more satisfying than just a paycheck. 

Why are you here?