Finding Purpose
by happy
Finding your purpose in life with serious health problems
HAVE A PASSION & LIFE PURPOSE
I was 30 years old when I got a very serious diagnosis of cancer and a neurological disease (a form of dementia) 13 years ago. I went from being an active and social person who was a manager with a postgraduate degree to a woman who is pretty housebound suffering over 20 serious medical problems including untreatable chronic pain, horrendous fatigue, constant hunger and thirst and serious memory problems. The a few years later I got a benign brain tumour diagnosis and a painful complication to my chronic pain.
About 7 years ago I began to question the purpose of my life as someone who is housebound (and who can't even sit up for very long), single and childfree.
A while later I stumbled across something in the newspaper that said that the happiest people are those that have a life-purpose. After doing some online research and reading on the subject I also found out that the happiest people are those that are passionate about something. “Passion” can be anything, including a cause for which you feel very strongly. Using these definitions I then just concluded that the happiest people can include those that make their passion their life purpose. It just seemed so right and the idea just gelled.
I then looked at my own situation and realised that I was passionate about a few things in my life. All-in-all however I felt strongly enough about one topic, the legalisation of voluntary euthanasia – indeed, I was very “passionate” about it – that I could make its promotion my passion and a purpose in my life. It just seemed so right.
Since making that connection and that decision I have felt a lot better and, most importantly, more focused and driven. Much happier within myself which translates to a happier person overall.