I bet many, if not all of us, have asked ourselves, “What is my purpose in life?”
And I bet many of us would answer, “To help others,” “To change the world,” or “To be the best in my chosen profession.” Those purposes are very noble. I once pursued these goals, too. However, at this stage of my life, I’ve realized one thing—the world will still be okay without me.
People will survive without you. People will find ways to solve their problems without you. Nature will thrive without humans. You are not special. You are not needed—and that is perfectly okay.
The need to be needed comes from our ego, not from our higher mind. But if we are not needed, then what is our purpose?
On a soul level, we all came here to learn. Our lessons may come from unfinished business in past lives or from sins we once committed. One soul may want to learn patience. Another may want to learn love and forgiveness. Others may want to learn hard work and service. It’s all about lessons.
Before we were born, our soul planned the path of our life—who we would meet and who would help us learn those lessons. That’s why some encounters feel deeply aligned. Some people hurt us, some help us, and some become our greatest companions. We meet all of them for our highest good.
Our soul also plans our circumstances—at certain ages, we experience certain hardships: heartbreak, betrayal, abandonment, and so on.
No one on this planet has not experienced difficulties—and that’s how it’s meant to be. That is why they are called lessons because we are still in the process of learning them. So, if I may suggest, after going through a difficult experience, take time to integrate the lesson it brought. Reflect deeply, understand it fully, and digest the wisdom behind it—so you won’t have to repeat it again.
I also want to say that whenever we experience a difficult situation in life, our soul is on fire—because it means graduation from that particular lesson is near. If we are not in touch with our higher self, we may feel confused and question why certain things happen. But the truth is, our soul knows exactly what it’s doing. We just need to trust the process and keep an open mind that “every negative circumstance that comes will soon pass away.”
2025 — The Year of Endings
I wrote this article because I know many people are suffering this year. 2025 is the year of endings. I personally experienced endings in my own life this year.
In astrology, every planet has moved into a new sign this year, and the effects are deeply felt. Even Pluto—the slowest-moving planet—has now moved into Aquarius. Pluto is known as the planet of transformation. Looking back, the house where my stellium was placed, where Pluto transited for the last 16 years, is no longer the same. I deserve to be congratulated, by the way. And I also want to congratulate the babies of 1988–1991, who most likely have a Capricorn stellium in their charts. Congratulations on still being here. We have been through hell for the last 16 years, and many of us fought that battle alone. Yet here we are—still breathing.
The frequency of the planet today is not the same as it was a decade ago. Lessons now have to be learned at a much faster pace. The pandemic years purged many of our low-vibrational aspects. Though externally, the world seemed to be ending, on a soul level, we were all undergoing a major evolution.
Now that we’re in the post-shadow of the Age of Aquarius, change and lessons are still being felt in our lives—until we learn to live from the heart, not from the ego.
Suicide Is Not the Answer
Just this week, I heard of two suicides. That’s heartbreaking. Though I may not fully understand the depth of their struggles even though I’ve experienced depression myself, I want to voice this: suicide is not the answer—no matter how terrible life seems.
In Buddhism, we believe that “the last mind is the first mind.” This means the state of your mind at the moment of death becomes the state of your mind in the next life. So if we take our own life, our mind at that moment is likely in turmoil—and that energy carries into our next incarnation.
Death is simply a transition. There is a phase called Bardo. We will be reborn no matter what—but the realm of rebirth depends on our state of consciousness, unless we are actively pursuing enlightenment.
Final Thoughts
If you are still searching for your purpose, I suggest you pursue enlightenment—or simply becoming the greatest version of yourself. It may sound idealistic or even hypocritical at times, but remember: material wealth can only be enjoyed up to a certain limit. Beyond that, it often brings misery. Monks and spiritual practitioners understand that material wealth is just a tool to experience life—while the real work is spiritual.
Our souls came to Earth to learn, to grow, and to become pure—until we reach enlightenment and break free from samsara. So let’s help our souls learn what they came here to learn. Let’s allow them to experience what they want to experience, to transmute the pain they wish to heal, and to love the people they were meant to love.
Because the truth is, we are all spiritual beings just having a temporary human experience.
–G.A.