r/Purpose

Is anyone trying hard to find their life's purpose right now? I know that's a very broad statement. However, having struggled to keep employment since COVID after leaving the education field, it's something I have been journeying towards unsuccessfully. I have tried pivoting into a few new careers or jobs, but end up leaving or getting fired, mostly from bullying.

Is anyone else in the same situation? I realize a job and purpose may not be the same thing, but as a Christian, I keep hearing that God has a specific plan for each of us.

I remember when I was starting out, it was Important to know that. In school, teachers would ask "what do you want to be? " "Where do you see your life direction heading towards?" I felt like I was one of the few that didn't know. I just couldn't put my finger on any particular profession or goal for life.

Once I decided I would like to get into Artifical Intelligence. That seemed to be interesting to me. But when I tried to develop an academic strategy, no one was interested in encouraging me in it, or really gave me any helpful assistance. So I gave it up.

I've made my way in life and got me a good job...but, when I look back at those thoughts I had that said, "I'm not going to put my heart and soul into something If I can't be totally commited to it." I think possibly It was hard because the world simply didn't offer anything that was meaningful enough. I had given my life to Jesus earlier, and what led me to do THAT, was my quest for the meaning of life. God revealed to me, that the meaning of life is love. To love and be loved, and to have a relationship with the Loving Creator.

Once you have THAT down, it changes everything about how you look at life. My life was no longer my own. Jesus purchased it with His shed blood. Nothing the world holds up as meaningful and desirable, meant much to me anymore. God takes care of my needs and has a plan for my future. When you REALLY know and believe that, you are able to have great peace. Lasting peace. I still function in the world same as you. I still have to hold down a job and make my way, but now I look toward a sure and glorious eternity.

And I Know....what my purpose is.

Lately I’ve been thinking that in older societies people had a clearer “hero’s journey”: war, exploration, survival, building nations, overcoming external struggles. The challenge was visible, collective, and urgent.

But in modern society (especially in stable countries), many of those external battles are gone or less intense. Instead, the main struggle feels internal: identity, meaning, self-discipline, creativity, resisting comfort, overcoming laziness and boredom.

It feels like our generation’s journey is closer to what Steven Pressfield calls “the artist’s journey”: showing up every day, fighting resistance, building something meaningful, even if no one sees it and there’s no guarantee of impact on others, community, as you value communityy and youre eager to build a better future, and have your values so aligned with your precious identiy that i think its matter for everyone in this artistic journey after the hero journey.

Do you think this is true?
And if so, how do you stay consistent long-term without turning it into burnout or self-destruction
How do you “relax” in a healthy way while still moving forward?

And then how you think about loss of identity when everyone can be everyone, when AI can give some ideas, improve thoughts, speeches, creativity, helping building a better self, i think would be some struggles with identity, and lose of meaning, because AI covers knowledge, but there's a lot to do and everyone can have impact, but when everything is allright, no problems, suffering is reshaped, everyone is allright, good sense of community, everyone mastering some empathy skills,i think would be a problem.

I’d love to hear perspectives from philosophy, psychology, personal experience, or history.