The Purpose Of Life Is Not Happiness: Its Usefulness

For the longest time, I believed that life had one purpose: and that is to be happy.

Okay fine? And why go through all the pain and suffering? This is the way to become happy.

And I'm not the only one who believes that. In fact, most people are looking for happiness in their lives if you look around you.

That's why we collectively buy the shit we don't need, we go to bed with people we don't like, and we work hard to get approval from people who We don't like

Why do we do these things? Truth be told, I don't care what the real reason is. I am not a scientist. All I know is that it has something to do with history, culture, media, economy, psychology, politics, information age and you name it. The list is endless.

We are who are.

Let's just accept that. Most people like to analyze why people are not happy or why they do not live their whole lives. I don't necessarily care about the reason.

I really care about how we change.

• Just a few years ago, I did everything I could to pursue happiness.
• You buy something, and you feel happy.
• You connect with people and think you are happy.
• You get a well-paying job that you don't like and think you are happy.
• You go on vacation, and you think it makes you happy.

But at the end of the day, you lie in bed (alone or with your spouse), and you think: "What's next in this endless pursuit of happiness?"

Well, I can tell you what's next: you, chasing something random that you're sure you're happy with.

It's all a facade. A deception A story that has been made.

Did Aristotle lie to us when he said:

“Happiness is the meaning and the purpose of life, the whole aim and end of human existence.”

I think we should look at this quote from a different angle. Because when you read it, you think that happiness is the real goal. And that's the kind of quote he says.

But here’s the thing: How do you achieve happiness?

Happiness cannot be a goal in itself. Therefore, it is not something that can be achieved.

I believe that happiness is just a by-product of usefulness.

When I talk to friends, family and colleagues about this concept, I always find it difficult to put it into words. But I will try it here.

Most of the things we do in life are just activities and experiences.

• You go on vacation
• You go to work
• You go shopping
• You have drinks.
• You eat dinner
• You buy a car.

These things should make you happy, right? But they are not useful. You are not creating anything. You are only eating or doing something. And that's great.

Don't get me wrong I like going on vacation or shopping sometimes. But truth be told, this is not what life is all about.

The thing that really makes me happy is when I'm useful. When I make something that others can use. Or even when I make something I can use.

For the longest time, I found it difficult to explain the concept of usefulness and happiness. But when I recently saw a quote from Ralph Waldo Emerson, the dots got stuck.

Emerson says:

“The purpose of life is not to be happy. It is to be useful, to be honorable, to be compassionate, to have it make some difference that you have lived and lived well.”

And I didn't get that before I became more aware of what I was doing with my life. And it always seems heavy and all. But it's really easy.

It comes down to this: What are you DOING that’s making a difference?

Have you done useful things in your life? You don't have to change the world or anything. Just make it a little better than your birth.

If you don't know how, here are some ideas.

• Help your boss do something that is not your responsibility.
• Take your mom to the spa.
• Create a collage with pictures (not digital) for your spouse.
• Write an article about what you learned in your life.
• Help a pregnant woman with a 2 year old baby.
• Call your friend and ask if you can help.
• Make a standing desk.
• Start a business and hire and treat them well.

These are just some of the goal setting shareware that you can use. You can create your own useful activities.

If you see? This is not a big deal. But when you do small useful things every day, it adds to a life that goes well. A life that matters.

The last thing I want is to be on my death bed and understand that there is no evidence that I ever existed.

I recently read Not Fade Away by Lawrence Sheams and Peter Barton. It's about Peter Barton, the founder of Liberty Media, who shares his thoughts on dying from cancer.

This is a very powerful book and it will definitely bring tears to your eyes. In the book, he writes about how he lived his life and how he got his call. He also went to business school, and this is what he thought of his fellow MBA candidates:

“Bottom line: they were extremely bright people who would never really do anything, would never add much to society, would leave no legacy behind. I found this terribly sad, in the way that wasted potential is always sad.”

We can say this about all of us. And when he realized that in the thirties, he founded a company that made him a millionaire.

Another person who always makes himself useful is Casey Nestet. For three years he posted new videos about his life and work on YouTube. And in every video, he's doing something.

He also talks about how he always wants to do something and create something. He even had a tattoo on his arm that read, "Do More."

Most people will say, "Why are you working so hard?" And then they turn on Netflix and watch back-to-back episodes of the latest TV shows.

A different mindset.

Being useful is a mindset. And like any mindset, it starts with a decision. One day I woke up and thought to myself: What am I doing for this world? The answer was nothing.

And that day I started writing. For you, it could be painting, making a product, helping the elderly, or whatever you like to do.

Don't take it too seriously. Don't overdo it. Just do something that works. anything.

Thanks for reading. I always try to create content that feels you improve. why shouldn’t check me on other platforms? → linktr.ee/zohvib

Cheers \o/