Denisa Cerna
Bang!
That was the sound your soul made when it landed on this planet where nothing ever makes sense.
Together with eight billion other humans, you were left scratching your head, wondering what the hell you were supposed to do now.
Why are you here? And why does it matter when you’re about to leave at some point, anyway? What’s the meaning of life? Is all this just some fun TV show aliens watch after work?
The questions never end, and the only person who can give you an answer is yourself. How annoying.
Enter…optimistic nihilism! If nothing in this world is meaningful, your best bet is to go and create that meaning yourself.
In other words, it’s up to you to find your purpose.
And if you nod yes to the following 8 signs, it means you already have.
1) You feel like you’re exactly where you’re meant to be
A few months ago, I went through a big change in my life. I now live somewhere new, grow my career in new directions, and get to wake up every day feeling like I’m exactly where I’m meant to be.
In many ways, I feel like I’ve found myself again. Like everything that happened fit together so perfectly that it’s almost like a greater force orchestrated it.
But not everything is governed solely by some cosmic laws – you have to put in the work yourself, too.
When you’ve finally found your purpose, you come to the realization that a combination of your own actions and external circumstances coalesced in such a perfect way that your whole life just…clicked into place.
The past is long gone. The future is uncertain. No matter. Your present feels so very right that you couldn’t imagine being anywhere else.
2) You experience random moments of euphoria
Sometimes, euphoria can be the side-effect of feeling like you’re at the right place at the right time.
It’s the rush you experience when you realize that your life has shifted; that you’re on the right path; that you haven’t been this excited in years.
And it’s so overwhelming and empowering at the same time that you can’t help but dance, sing, laugh, and feel so very alive.
The psychologist Abraham Maslow described this as a “peak experience” – a moment when you feel such joy and a sense of fulfillment that you undergo epiphanies or enter a state of bliss.
And there is nothing more blissful than figuring out your ultimate purpose in life.
3) You have more energy even though you work more
People often think that if they work more, they’ll feel more exhausted.
It sounds like basic physics, right?
Wrong.
Oftentimes, it’s not the quantity of work you do rather than the enjoyment you derive from it that matters.
When I spent six hours cleaning hotel rooms or waiting tables during my studies, I was shattered. When I spend six hours writing and focusing on my passion projects now, I still have a lot of energy to go on about my day.
(Obviously, this is partly because writing is nowhere near as physically demanding as working in the hospitality industry. But the point is, I don’t feel mentally drained – on the contrary, I feel motivated to get even more work done.)
If you’ve found your purpose in life, you know what I’m talking about. Work simply doesn’t feel like work – it’s something you do because you genuinely want to.
It’s the best feeling in the world.
4) Time speeds up
One of the reasons it’s so easy to work a lot when the activity fulfills you on an existential level is that time seems to fly by.
Snap, and three hours have gone.
Snap, and the sun has set.
Meanwhile, you’ve been so engulfed in the task at hand that you’ve completely forgotten to eat and go to the toilet.
(Of course, that’s not very healthy – if you get easily engrossed by your work, set a timer that reminds you to eat something and use the bathroom.)
What’s more, devoting the majority of your time to something incredibly meaningful will likely make you feel like you need *more* time in the day.
If only you could spend another four hours awake instead of going to sleep!
(Do get enough sleep. Sleep deprivation comes with many health issues, and you’ll do a better job fulfilling your life’s purpose after you’ve had your eight hours.)
5) Money is a bonus to your happiness
I’ll be the first person to say that money absolutely does matter.
Five years ago, I could barely afford a cup of coffee. It was… quite miserable. Now that I can go write in a café whenever I want, it still feels like a gift.
But here’s the thing.
If you had a lot of money and no purpose in life, you’d probably end up feeling empty inside.
If you had little money and a purpose in life, you’d either skyrocket your career by doing what you love or you’d be happy with a minimalist lifestyle because material possessions wouldn’t be of much importance to you.
To illustrate the point, imagine someone whose purpose is to create music. They’d probably find a way to turn their talent into a viable career option because they’d devote all their free time to it, right?
Now imagine a person whose purpose is to meditate in a monastery and discover the spiritual secrets of the universe. They don’t need much to be happy, so money doesn’t matter.
If you do have the financial means to have an expensive lifestyle while also living your dream life, amazing!
But it’s a bonus. Not the primary target.
6) You attract abundance
Money is but one thing that finding your real purpose can attract into your life.
Once you start fulfilling your true potential, you realize that there is beauty and wealth in everything. It’s in the way you made someone smile; it’s in the flowers that grow on your windowsill; it’s in the new friends you’ve made this year.
You now have the most important thing in life: meaning.
Everything else follows suit. Material possessions, relationships, fitness, knowledge, happiness…it suddenly doesn’t seem so difficult to acquire them all.
It won’t happen overnight. You might never have all aspects of your life perfectly sorted out 24/7.
But it doesn’t matter. Once you’ve found your purpose, you know you can achieve anything you set your mind on.
And that’s because…
7) You have a new level of confidence
You finally know what it is you’re doing with your life. You know your path, and all you need to do is walk forward, step by step.
The certainty that comes with this realization is so grounding that you feel more confident in your abilities than ever before.
You know your stuff. You know what to do, where to look, who to ask for help, and how to make it through difficult situations.
What’s more, you’re not scared of the future. Whatever happens, it’ll be okay. If you get lost, you’ll just find your way back to the path again. If you stumble and fall, you’ll pick yourself back up.
You’re so confident that you’re glowing. And it’s beautiful to see.
8) Your music playlist is full of upbeat songs
Lastly, many of us listen to music that makes for the perfect soundtrack to our lives.
If you’re going through a breakup, you’ll listen to sad and angry songs; if you feel excited, you’ll naturally switch to upbeat and hopeful music.
So, have you finally found your purpose in life? If you’re not sure, check your playlist. It might have more answers than you think.
