The purpose of life!

A Midlife Whisper or a Million-Dollar Quest?

A question that either costs a million dollars or is a mundane effect of a midlife crisis — I’m still not sure! It started echoing in my head a few years ago, around the time I noticed my first grey hairs. I dismissed it at first, called it coincidence, only to realize later that it’s a cursed parallel of midlife. But with time, I came to see it for what it truly was: not a passing thought, but a persistent haunting.

What is the purpose of life?

After an unsystematic, yet relentless, journey to find an answer — through books, people, life experiences, and mostly, through facing myself — I find myself here, not with certainty.

I strive to put these thoughts into writing. It may lack solidity, or it may carry some meaning.

Looking back, I wish this question had come to me earlier, in the days of pitch-black hair and unquenchable curiosity. But for that to happen, certain seeds must be sown early. Influences matter — books that provoke thought, mentors who guide without bias, and environments that encourage seeking — the kind that plants a tiny speckle of wisdom within. The wisdom traditions call this “Gnana Yogam”, the path of knowledge.

Think of Swami Adi Shankara or Swami Vivekananda — people who began the search young, with great clarity of mind.But when those opportunities don’t present themselves early on, and the question arises later in life , triggered by societal pressures or inner echoes — when you’re tangled in the worldly responsibilities of family, children, status, money, and profession, the real struggle begins. You start to peel away the layers, only to realize how many attachments define you, and how few truths you actually stand on. Yet even then, the journey is not too late. In fact, it might be right on time.

So, what have I gathered so far?

“Life is celebration”

Take life as it comes. Experience it consciously. Find joy in the now. There’s a quiet magic in simply being — in showing up to each moment without resistance.

Purpose is finding your talent and making it your passion!

Find that one thing that makes your heart beat a little faster, while giving you peace — the phenomenon called “good stress” — and stick to it. Even if it leads you through failure, even if you never “succeed” in the worldly sense, it’s worth it. But if failure shakes your belief in it, then it’s worth asking: Am I truly passionate? Besides, balancing good and bad stress is a challenge.

Purpose is seeking!

Let your thoughts flow freely. Travel with the question, not for the sake of finding a final answer, but to enjoy the seeking itself. There’s joy in the journey ,sometimes more than in any destination.

And perhaps most importantly, there may never be a final answer. And that’s okay. Maybe the purpose of the question is not to stop the asking, but to keep us alive in wonder. Any answer we settle on may soon feel hollow and yes, that’s life’s way of telling us not to hold on too tightly.

So I leave you not with a conclusion, but with a continuation.

Happy living, fellow seekers! If you’ve been on a similar journey, let’s connect

Vasanth Sukumar