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Goal of life

 Does life really have a purpose? Even if there is one, is it about finding a specific thing, which could be a passion, a true calling or a meaningful work which one finds worth doing? Or is it about something else?

Purpose is to get to a state of mind where the mind is quiet and tranquil in all circumstances. This is also a state where the mind does not crave for anything and thus it is generally happy. This state is also known as sthitprajna. Rather than trying to change external circumstances one is looking for the fountainhead of peace and happiness that is inside and not outside. The purpose is to get to this state. 

In the above state, one is happy everywhere, no matter what the circumstances are. As a corollary to that, if one is not happy in a given circumstance, he or she will not be happy in other location or circumstance. There could be some happiness for some time but it will not be a long-lasting happiness. 

This is the goal of life. 

So, what does this mean in the context of work? This is important, especially because the number of people who are unhappy with their work is too high. And they are looking for better pastures as they live under the impression that there is a dream job or at least a better job, and once one lands up there, everything will be fine. 

Does our dissatisfaction or unhappiness with work indicate anything only about the nature of work or is it also telling me something about my state of mind?

While there is a logic behind saying that one's work should align with one's own constitution and aptitude and not every job is for everyone, rather there is a right kind of job for every individual fitting his or her natural aptitude.

So, does the solution lie in discovering the inner happiness or in hopping from one place to another? However, there could be specific elements of a job that are not right and effort should be made to fix these. Even having done so, the focus must still remain on finding the permanent fix. Until that happens, unhappiness and dissatisfaction with the job at hand will keep creeping in.


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