11/21/2025
You ever wonder about the purpose of life? Is there a purpose? Is everything just random occurrences, or is there a deeper truth beneath it all?
Honestly, I move from one extreme to the other every day. Sometimes it feels like I’m really part of something greater, and other times, I feel like I’m nothing at all.
Let’s unpack that a little bit.
When I feel like my life is insignificant, I find it comforting. It helps me let go, release the pressure to be important, or make my life something impressive. And I realize that life is not really about me, and no matter what I say or do, I can’t truly affect the direction the world is moving in.
That realization helps me let go, stop worrying about everything, and just live in the moment.
Because the only truth is this moment. Right here and now. And I can control my own actions in this moment. Do I want to be selfish? Do I want to be selfless? Do I want to create, or consume?
And that unlocks something within me. Some inner truth. It gives me the permission I need to follow my own curiosity. To learn more about the world, and my place in it. To explore my subconscious. To create. Those are the things that truly bring me joy, in each and every moment.
And of course, I sometimes take things too far. I eat too much junk food, I play too many video games, or I get lost in an obsessive project. These actions are inherently harmful towards me, and I need to pull myself back to my centre, and begin again.
For some people, there is a danger in focusing too much on insignificance, and I acknowledge that. Some people fall into apathy, despair, and morbid thinking.
But for me, I somehow never take it that far. Even when I fall into sadness or depression, if I allow myself to feel my feelings, and I let go of everything, I find that I only ever go so deep into the pit of despair. And at the bottom of it all, there is solid ground. A footing in what is real, and true.
Everything I do will be forgotten. That doesn’t need to be a sad or depressing thought. It’s the truth. And the truth is something I can build upon.
I can’t explain why I find this comforting, but I do. I’m often prone to flights of fancy, worry, anxiety, and making things feel bigger, better, or worse than they truly are. And recognizing the truth of any given situation is comforting, because it's real. It allows me to let go of my imagination, creativity and anxiety, and focus on the facts. The tangible.
I recognize that this is not everyone’s experience, and I am not advocating this approach for any folks who struggle with severe depression. But for me…realizing that I’m not the centre of everything is liberating. It frees me up to follow my heart, and engage with this moment in the most honest and authentic way. And that just feels right…most of the time.
Resting in the moment and accepting my own insignificance inevitably opens me up to the ideas of others. It’s like emptying my cup, and wondering if somebody else wants to fill it.
Some ideas pass right through me, but the best ones of all fill my cup, and inspire me into action. I like to think of these ideas as the Shared Vision.
The shared vision is a special thing, and it requires several elements to really work:
First off, it needs to be an idea that is practical. Doable. Like a community building project, or a short film. Something I can see myself working on in a tangible way.
But the idea also needs to be flexible. Something that can absorb the fullness of all I have to give. It needs to be an idea that is willing to stretch and grow, to incorporate more voices in its articulation. An environmental group looking for ways to reach out to new people, a community centre ready to try some new initiatives.
Lastly, the idea needs to be aspirational. It needs to point in a direction that we all want to move in. Building bridges between cultures, lifting up the downtrodden or oppressed, working towards a brighter future. It needs to be specific in the aspiration, but have an element of “shoot for the stars, land on the moon”.
Ideas and projects like this allow many different kinds of people to see themselves in it. They allow people to take the projects personally, and offer their gifts, whether they are technicians, artists, or visionaries. Shared visions like this are beautiful things to be a part of.
But building something with others can only happen when I let go of myself, and live for others. And I often feel the tension between these two realities: if I don’t have any space in my life to acknowledge myself, I cannot fully live for others. Yet I can’t fully live for others unless I let go of my own ego and commit to the shared vision. It’s a balancing act.
So I acknowledge myself every morning, but I don’t go too deep. I go for a jog, spend a few minutes playing video games, then I mindfully breathe, and write. I engage my body, my desires, my spirit, and my curiosity. And because I do this every morning, I enter into the rest of the day feeling seen, heard and appreciated…and this allows me to fully participate in a shared vision.
And participating in a shared vision is truly life-giving. It makes me feel as though I have a role to play. I am not the most important part of the process, but if I play my part to the best of my ability, I am helping make this world a better place. I am contributing to the hope, joy and love in the world.
But there are times when I offer too much of myself, fall into the trap of stress, overwork, or obsession. And there are other times when the people I am collaborating with begin to dominate with their own egos, and the shared vision becomes constricted.
So I try not to hold on too tightly to outcomes, because it’s the process that matters to me, not the product. Maybe we’ll make something amazing, maybe not. What I find fulfilling is doing good work with good people. That’s what gives me life.
I am a Christian and a Mennonite. And my faith completes the picture. It is the perfect articulation of every true aspiration in my life.
For me, acknowledging my own insignificance allows me to step out of the way. Because nothing I do is really about me. Even my creative work isn’t about me. It’s actually about my curiosity. So by stepping out of the way, I create space for something deeper. Something eternal.
For me, God is the ground I stand on when I let go of myself, my ego, and my own ambition. God is the shining light that directs a shared vision with others. God is the relief I feel when I truly acknowledge myself, and the joy I feel when I collaborate selflessly with others.
And to me, Jesus is the truest example of selflessness, and serving others. Jesus acknowledged who he was, and he lived for others. He got out of the way, and allowed the message to flow through him.
And that message is what resonates so deeply with me. Giving a voice to the voiceless, lifting up the downtrodden and oppressed, and seeing value in every human life.
My Mennonite ancestors tried to live by this example in their lives, and I find so much inspiration in my faith and heritage. They remind me that life isn’t just about me…it’s about something far bigger.
My faith teaches me that love, humility, and service are central to life. It completes the picture, grounds my life and gives it direction.
So what’s the purpose of life?
Well, I think when it comes down to it, the purpose of life is the middle path. Moving forward, without getting caught up in one thing or another.
Acknowledge yourself, but don’t get lost in your own ego. Love freely, but don’t get caught up in expectations. Share your gifts, but don’t stretch yourself too thin. And if you have a faith, let it point the way forward.
The middle path is always shifting, and it calls us to stay present in this moment in order to fulfill our roles. Is this a moment to acknowledge yourself? To make space? To live for others? Or something else? From the middle path, we can keep moving forward, without getting caught in ego, obsession, or disappointment.
There’s a phrase that I learned growing up: Be in the world, but not of the world. That’s what the middle path is all about. Be here, and present in this world. And know that you are both a part of it, and also apart from it.
This moment is all that we have. Face it, head on. And let it take you where you need to go.
