Regardless of theological viewpoint (except maybe nihilism) we can all agree that it is pretty awesome that we are here. Intelligent design or complete accident, here I am. I couldn't care less whether or not my conception and birth was part of an elaborate plan. I don't need a "purpose." Purpose is such an intimidating word. When you think about your purpose you realize you have some big shoes to fill. I think this is a major contributing factor to depression among young people. They feel like their life is pointless and they are worthless because they aren't moving mountains, conquering lands, and rescuing small children from abandoned mine shafts on a daily basis. That thought couldn't be further from the truth.
I would prefer to think of life as a gift. Much like a bouquet of flowers for a friend. Why give her flowers? What's the occasion? You give her flowers because she's beautiful, caring, compassionate; no occasion. Well, what's the purpose of the flowers? What do they do? They don't do anything. In fact, since the moment they were cut to form such a beautiful arrangement, they have been dying. So what good are they? They don't do anything and they're dying. Although the flowers don't do anything, your friend enjoys their beauty each day and is reminded that someone cares about her. Their sweet smell makes her day instantly better. So that is the meaning and intent for the gift of the flowers- to make her feel good.
Are we not the same? Could it be that life is less about what we do, what we have, and what we have achieved and more about our experiences and how we make others feel? Let's think about a few scenarios.
Stephen is 62 and he is the head of a non-profit organization that aims to provide cosmetic surgeries to children left disfigured from war in their countries. Wow. What an amazing guy. Kind of makes you feel like a chump, right? Then you find out that he is very controlling at home and is known to lose his temper and has even had some domestic scuffles resulting in ER visits for his wife and three sons. That guy just went from hero to zero with a single sentence. He spends all his time pretending to be something he isn't- compassionate. He may appear to be successful, and is quite possibly the envy of many people, but at the most basic level, he is failing.
Kevin and Melissa are in their early 30's. They don't have jobs due to being laid off 4 years ago and the couple and their their two children are homeless. They roam around and take shelter wherever they can find it. The children do not attend school and their access to medical care is restricted to emergencies only and dental care is entirely non-existent. When people see the family on the street they offer them small bits of food and on occasion the children will work for food. Sounds highly irresponsible, right? Someone should intervene! Except you're missing a piece of the story. When Kevin and Melissa were laid off from the same company 4 years ago, they decided to take a big leap and move their family to Africa. They both felt unfulfilled in their jobs and were sick of the routine of their lives (drop kids off at daycare, go to work, come home, sleep, repeat) and found being laid off was a blessing and a chance for them to make a new life. They spend their time helping to build homes, plant trees and gardens, learning about new cultures, and raising their children to have compassionate hearts. They are very well known and loved in the places they travel to. They have made lifelong connections with so many people and don't anticipate going back to their old lifestyle.
I'm sure we can all agree who has their priorities in order. Had we not known all the details, it would be a different story. Keeping that in mind, I have a few points:
Just because someone appears to have their life "together" and they exude excellence and success, doesn't mean that it's true. {Even if they were the total package, "successful" and compassionate, it doesn't make you any less accomplished, worthy, or loved. Another man's successes are not your failures and another man's failures are not your successes.}
The reverse is true as well. Those people who just can't seem to get their life together, seem to never know what day it is, and forget commitments constantly aren't necessarily failures. They might just have their priorities sorted out better than anyone! They're not going to beat themselves up over forgetting about that bake sale, because in the grand scheme of things it's unimportant and they are wise enough to know it.
My last point is this: stop spending your life fretting about "where you are" and "where everyone else is" in life and start LIVING! Do what you love. Who cares if your friend from high school is now the CEO of an engineering firm and you're waiting tables? Do you like your job? If yes, then who cares? If no, do something about it! Why do you care that so and so just came back from a two week stay at Maldives? If that upsets you or makes you feel like they are undeserving and you are more entitled because you work harder and they have it easier, you should probably consider digging deeper into those feelings of resentment. Maybe you don't even want to go to Maldives, you just want that feeling of being "privileged" or looking for more status. If that's even a part of the jealousy, work through it. People are always going to have more than you and guess what... people will always have less than you and they are still thriving!
Things are things. It's just STUFF. We use "things" to fill a void or to make up for something in our lives that we are unhappy with. Spend more time building connections with people and nature and "things" will become obsolete in your life. I promise.