What's your purpose?

For those questions and discussions on the McDougall program that don’t seem to fit in any other forum.

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What's your purpose?

Postby Skip » Sun May 26, 2019 5:45 am

https://www.npr.org/sections/health-sho ... -to-health

People without a strong life purpose were more than twice as likely to die between the study years of 2006 and 2010, compared with those who had one.

This association between a low level of purpose in life and death remained true despite how rich or poor participants were, and regardless of gender, race, or education level. The researchers also found the association to be so powerful that having a life purpose appeared to be more important for decreasing risk of death than drinking, smoking or exercising regularly.
"The fundamental principle of ethics is reverence for life" Albert Schweitzer
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Re: What's your purpose?

Postby mountain » Sun May 26, 2019 7:14 am

I never had a doubt about that. On the other hand, after watching Dr. Eben Alexander (Proof of Heaven) and others....I believe there is something better than our current life.....but I also believe we have to live it to the best of our ability!
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Re: What's your purpose?

Postby viv » Sun May 26, 2019 9:39 am

I have no doubt that this study is spot on because without a future and a purpose what is the point? I've already faced mortality and made a decision at that time that I would be kind and offer encouragement. I'm enthusiastic and offer my students much encouragement and support. I help them create a future by exploring options and writing about their ideal future, to explore their talents and give advice on how to succeed. I give them what I never had. Yes that is my main life purpose to encourage and support and recommend. I also continue to paint and run a meditation group. My latest venture is to get a meditation channel up and running on YouTube. So much to do......and thank God for Dr. McDougall.....I've got the time.

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Re: What's your purpose?

Postby GlennR » Sun May 26, 2019 9:56 am

I'm not sure I'd put too much faith in the science behind this. There's no real definition of what a purpose in life actually is. Apparently, anything from wanting to raise your kids to volunteer work are all fine.

From the article:

The survey didn't ask participants to define how they find meaning in life. What matters, according to the researchers, is not exactly what a person's life purpose is, but that they have one.

"For some, it might be raising children. For others, it might be doing volunteer work," Pearce says. "Where your life fulfillment comes from can be very individual."


That leaves a lot of room for interpretation.
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Re: What's your purpose?

Postby patty » Sun May 26, 2019 11:11 am

I feel my primary purpose is to daily live a healthy body and mind. Life is designed to disappoint us, so it is important to have a program of application to deal with life on life terms. I like Byron Katie's "The Work", it is three steps and a turn around. In essence she shares it isn't the event that upsets us it is what we think about it. Addiction is a thinking disease, that tells the body it doesn't have a disease. Starch allows the satiety of think through those thoughts to act on thoughts for a healthy body and mind. The gift of Starch is eating when hungry and stopping when full.

Zen Story: The Tiger and the Strawberry


The story I’m about to tell you, originally told by the Buddha in a sutra, concerns a Zen Master who, while out walking one day, is confronted by a ferocious, man-eating tiger. He slowly backs away from the animal, only to find that he is trapped at the edge of a high cliff; the tiger snarls with hunger, and pursues the Master. His only hope of escape is to suspend himself over the abyss by holding onto a vine that grows at its edge. As the Master dangles from the cliff, two mice – one white and one black – begin to gnaw on the vine he is clutching on. If he climbs back up, the tiger will surely devour him, if he stays then there is the certain death of a long fall onto the jagged rocks. The slender vine begins to give way, and death is imminent. Just then the precariously suspended Zen Master notices a lovely ripe wild strawberry growing along the cliff’s edge. He plucks the succulent berry and pops it into his mouth. He is heard to say: “This lovely strawberry, how sweet it tastes.”


As Dr. McDougall says, "It's the food." The ordinary becomes extraordinary.

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