Give it a thumb
Challenges
What is life without purpose and goals?
Are you happier than your grandparents or parents were at your age? Probably not; in fact you are likely to be more miserable. Research shows 10 times more people suffer from major depression now, than 60 years ago, with the most growth in rates of depression seen in the young – from teens to people in their 30's. People are less satisfied and less happy than at any time in recent history.
Many people write to me, because I lead a seminar, which is sometimes called The Science of Becoming Wealthy and demand that I show them how to get large amounts of money, quickly. They confuse wealth, with money. I explain that they need to define what wealth is and is not, to them. Money may help, also, money may not help. For example: A year after their win, more than half of the big lottery winners are no happier than before their big cash injection. They expected money to be the answer to all their problems and the solution to happiness and fulfilment. After the short-term buzz, they were left still looking for the key to real happiness: something money can not buy. As a consequence, they usually act upon some subconcious beliefs and get rid of the money, in some strange manner.
What’s going on here?
People acquire lots of materialist ‘things’, but when it doesn’t make them happy, they conclude they need more ‘things’! The truth is that no amount of ‘things’ will ever be enough. For a happy and fulfilled life money can bring some improvement but the really influential factors are stable family relationships and good health… and, the big secret is having a purpose in life.
So is making lots of money pointless?
Not at all! Used in the right way money can have a positive impact on your level of happiness. Money can buy time to pursue a personal project or maybe invest in people or projects, where money can be used to create or make something better. This is the way to use money to create personal happiness…not through purchases of yet more gadgets and junk, which clutter up your life and render no long-term benefit.
What your purpose is in life is a very individual thing. It is about changing the world for the good, even if it is only in a small way! You need to be creating or doing something for the better, something you feel very positive and passionate about. It could be a business, a job, helping and caring for other people, campaigning for a just cause, helping charity, making other people happy, bringing up your family or whatever.
The key is to have a plan and then to take action. It is wonderful seeing something you care passionately about develop from idea, to plan, to action, to positive outcome. It is about having an impact on something and having a purpose in life.