One great question underlies our experience, whether we think about it consciously or not: What is the purpose of life? I have considered this question and would like to share my thoughts in the hopes that they may be of direct, practical benefit to those who read them.

I believe that the purpose of life is to be happy. From the moment of birth, every human being wants happiness and does not want suffering. Neither social conditioning nor education nor ideology affects this. From the very core of our being, we simply desire contentment. I don’t know whether the universe, with its countless galaxies, stars, and planets, has a deeper meaning or not, but - at the very least - it is clear that we humans who live on this earth face the task of making a happy life for ourselves. Therefore, it is important to discover what will bring about the greatest degree of happiness.

You must know the type of the person who has the Midas touch.  That person who, no matter what they do, come out smelling of roses.  They don’t work particularly harder than anyone else, they just seem to have that knack of ‘striking gold’. Opportunities seem to come their way and, to be fair, they know how to make the best of them.

Other people seem to struggle financially no matter what they do.  They may be able to make ends meet, but enjoying greater comforts in life, seems beyond their reach.  No matter how hard they work, they cannot seem to break this cycle. They wonder why is it so hard for them to prosper financially, while it seems so easy and for others.  What does the first type of person have that the second type doesn’t?

Everyone has difficult times in their life, when obstacles seem to constantly get in the way and nothing goes to plan.  It’s during these tough times that many of us fall victim to blaming everything and everyone around us for the challenges we’re facing and our lack of success in creating the life we desire.

Maybe you’re in debt, stuck in a dead end job or your boss is constantly shouting at you and making you feel angry?  Or perhaps your partner leaves you feeling frustrated and doesn’t give you the respect you deserve?  It’s easy to blame what’s going on around us for our lack of happiness, bad mood and general discontent about the way life is going.  But who is truly responsible for creating the life you desire?  Whose life is it anyway?  Have you taken responsibility for your life and what happens to you?

1. Take responsibility for your internal experience
With the ego seemingly always enveloping our deeper essence it can be so challenging to actually “be the change you wish to see in the world”. We all know that we need to “be the change” but how with all the programming and challenges we face do we actually do this?

The answer: have a personal goal to take responsibility for your internal experience and love yourself for who you are. This one step, if taken by all, will build more trust, love and compassion than any other. This one step is powerful enough to shift everything toward paradise quickly yet with grace.