5 Reasons Why Students Need a Purpose

By: Shahad Al Harsh

A purpose gives our lives a meaning, motivates us, and paints a clear image of our future. Without a purpose, students will often experience feeling lost and unsure about their life. Having a purpose  provides them with a sense of clear direction in life, leads to success, creates happiness, adds a meaning to life and helps in living a life with integrity.

 “The purpose of life is not to be happy. It is to be useful, to be honorable, to be compassionate, to have it make some difference that you have lived and lived well.” 

So, here are the 5 reasons why students need a purpose

1. Clear Direction in Life

Your purpose becomes the force that drives you. It activates your conscious living, when you have a purpose you know exactly what you want to do in your life, and what actions to take to fulfill your purpose. Thus, no longer feel lost and unsure about your future.

You begin to revolve your life choices around it, by actively setting plans, defining your life goals and taking the steps needed to make your life more meaningful.

However, a purpose is not the same as a goal. Goals are your tools to bring your purpose to life, they're not your purpose, do not get them confused!

2. Passion leads to Success & Money

When your purpose is clear you’ll know what you want to do with your life. As a result, a natural success magnet is activated within you. You will attract people who share the same purpose as you. Life will help you by gravitating opportunities towards you. 

With the guidance of your purpose, you’ll trust yourself to take the right opportunities, success and money will follow, like the famous saying 

“Do what you love and money will follow”

So, ask yourself, what are the things that you love to do? And Where can you find those who share your passion? 

3. Happiness 

You are constantly being told in order to secure your future you need a degree, a job, and money. So, you embark on that path as many of us do, we end up working for high paying employers. Yet, we still feel joyless. Without a purpose aligned with your everyday work duties, you will start to feel unhappy.

Myself, for instance, I had landed what I thought was my dream job, it was secure and paid well. However, once I started working and making money, I did not feel happy at all and have lost my motivation to work. 

Why?

Because the job was not related in any way to my purpose in life. Since then, I made a promise to myself to only take opportunities that align with my purpose and make me feel fulfilled. I can't emphasize enough how life changing this decision was! 

4. Meaning in life

We all want our lives to have a meaning. It’s what makes us feel that we have a higher purpose than just to exist. Your purpose statement is what gives your life its meaning.

For example, if your purpose is to become a powerful political figure to help improve the living conditions in your country, you’ll find yourself constantly planning on exactly how to reach that goal.






You’ll start reading more about how to become a member of the parliament, you put more effort into helping your local community; by constantly reaching out to them, you establish your own humanitarian organization and before you know it,  20 years later you are now one of the most influential members of the parliament. 

Your life’s purpose will be the force motivating your behavior and will continue to drive you for the rest of your life.

"Purpose is a goal toward which we are always working. It is the forward-pointing arrow that motivates our behavior and serves as the organizing principle of our lives."

5. You live with integrity

In order to know your purpose you must obtain a clear understanding to the two W’s:

·      Who you are

·      Why you are

Knowing your two W’s means you'll be more honest with yourself & others, by understanding who yourself and why you are on this earth.

Naturally, you’ll be matching your outer life with your inner life through committing

to live by your core beliefs.

 The benefits of living a purpose driven life are endless.

Uncover your W's, and you will unlock your purpose.