1.           What is the purpose of life? 

The purpose of life resonates around the truth that we yearn for happiness, and true, authentic happiness is achieved only through God. So simply put, the purpose of life is to seek and go back to God, be in communion with Him. 

 

2.           BEFORE you take this course, what do you think is your purpose in life?  How do you perceive your purpose now? Why do you think some people find it difficult to answer such question?

Honestly, before taking this course, I was extremely lost. I do not know my purpose in life and I spent so much time asking myself and even asking God the reason why I was born. It even came to the point that I had suicidal thoughts because I felt as if I don’t have a reason to live. I mentioned in my padlet before that when I was in Junior High School, I tried to find my purpose through excelling in academics and finding my self-worth in my grades. I got high grades, but I wasn’t happy. The emptiness that I felt then was one of the reasons I had depressing thoughts. 

However, after attending my Theology classes, I was enlightened about the meaning of life and the purpose of life. It has been mentioned repeatedly over and over and over in class that I feel it is already embedded in my mind and soul. Because of this, I came to the realization that the reason I wasn’t happy with my life despite having good grades, friends, and family was because I was looking for fulfillment in all the wrong places, when all along I was just supposed to be seeking God. 

I guess I can also say that most or some people find it difficult to find the answer to the question “What is your purpose in life?” is because they, too, are looking for fulfillment in all the wrong places, when all along they’re just supposed to be seeking God. 

 

3.          Why do we have different understanding about the purpose of life? 

People have different understandings about the purpose of life because they have different life stories, cultures, religions, and most of all, different priorities. Some people have experienced so much pain and loss in their lives that their judgment is clouded and they focus on the negatives. Some have different religions or no religion at all. Some cultures are more religious than others and some cultures are more accepting on liberated acts, while some are not. And because of these reasons, peoples’ hearts and minds are clouded, making them have different priorities. When people have different priorities, they live their lives differently, with a purpose that’s different from others.  

4.         How would you relate your desire for happiness with your purpose? 

As I have mentioned earlier, the purpose of life resonates around the truth that we yearn for happiness, and true, authentic happiness is achieved only through God. As a human being, I want to be happy, just like everyone else. I tried to claim happiness by satisfying my desires and pleasures, but these just gave me temporary joy. As I grew older, I got to the conclusion that happiness can be achieved by fulfilling my purpose. And that is completely right. (Unless, you assume of having a different purpose.) It’s important to understand that humans only have one true purpose and that is to be in communion with God and go back to Him. I know that through this, I can fulfill my desire for happiness because the ultimate perfect happiness can only be achieved by finally being in communion with God. 

 

Other people may not consider the true meaning of life; everyone has their own perspectives and beliefs based on their experiences and their environment. But simply, the true purpose of life is to be happy; and true happiness is when we return to God which is explained by the Divine Beatitude.

 

2. BEFORE you take this course, what do you think is your purpose in life?  How do you perceive your purpose now? Why do you think some people find it difficult to answer such question?

            Before taking up this course, my mindset was to finish college then continue taking up medicine then; once I’ve finished medicine, I would like to help people who are not able to consult the doctor specially those people that are far away from cities (e.g. tribes). Now, it’s a lot more different by learning and reflecting the true purpose of life which is to be happy. Some may not know the true meaning or purpose of life that has been given to us by God because, as we feel lost in living this life then it will surely be hard to define the true purpose of life.

 

3. Why do we have different understanding about the purpose of life?

            Everyone was born different. Everyone has their own belief and understanding in life. We cannot force someone to accept on what we believe in because, what they believe in is the fruit of their surroundings and their experiences that greatly influence their understanding about the purpose of life. 

 

4. How would you relate your desire for happiness with your purpose?

            For me desire for happiness is happiness that is focused on the things that is here on earth. The things that we want to do, buy, experience and etc. These are the things that we think that would make us happy. But as life goes on, this only gives temporary happiness and all of this will be left once we try to enter the kingdom of God. That’s why we need to consider our purpose in life and by fulfilling this; we need to do things that will make us proficient to be commune with God which is consider as the highest form of happiness.

2. In all honesty, I didn’t think that I had a purpose in life at all, or if life was supposed to have a meaning. I existed without really living. I just float along to whatever comes and I think that’s the reason why some people find it difficult to answer such questions. Maybe it’s because they think that life isn’t meant to have a purpose at all. It is a very nihilistic point of view that a lot of people perceive. 

Although, after taking this course, I began to open my mind. Maybe my purpose in life is to go back to God. Maybe I don’t have to continue existing without living. Maybe I can actively pursue that purpose. 

3. Maybe the reason why other people have varied understanding about the purpose of life is because they are exposed to different cultures. Other religion may not hold the same perspective as well. Perhaps they are not particularly religious at all. There are many factors that influence ones perceived purpose in life after all. 

4. Divine Beatitude is our inherent desire for happiness. That desire can be way for me to fulfill my purpose. My purpose in life is to be with God. Therefore, I would do something that gives me happiness and take it as a mean to help someone. As of now, I like doing art. I could make art to inspire someone and even make programs to teach children on how to draw and paint. 

       

       We want to be happy. Since authentic happiness can only be found in God, then the purpose of life is to go back to God and be in perfect happiness forever. 

 

2)     Before you take this course, what do you think is the purpose of life?  How do you perceive your purpose now? Why do you think some people find its difficult to answer such question?

 

In past, I believed that the purpose of life is fluid and does not need to have a solid answer. Because of this, I believed that we are free to chose on what we want to be. Thus, I did not even tried to answer the question of “What is my purpose”.

 

However, because of this course, I found out that the true purpose of our lives is to go back to God since the happiness that we thirst for can only be found in him. 

 

I think many people find it difficult to know their true purpose in life because of the false ideologies that this world offers such as materialism and consumerism. 

 

 

3)     Why do we have a different understanding of the purpose of life?

 

We have different understandings of the purpose of life because we cannot accept the fact that we are not made to be ultimately free. That we do not accept that we cannot quench our thirst for happiness in the present world that we are in. 

 

4)     How would you relate your desire for happiness with your purpose?

The desire for happiness makes me strive to go back to God. It strives me to see God in all things especially my  experiences with others and finding the good in them.