Qual è lo scopo della vita? Suggerimenti per trovare il proprio scopo

Qual è il senso della vita?

Or a slightly more unsettling version: What’s the point of life if we’re going to die?

Avete mai avuto quel momento della vita in cui vi siete svegliati e vi siete posti questa domanda?

Di solito accade quando la vita si fa dura. Alcune persone sono naturalmente portate a pensare al significato della vita, mentre altre ci pensano solo quando si trovano di fronte a momenti che cambiano la vita.

Either way, I’m almost certain that everyone has thought about it at some point.

It’s a difficult question with no easy answer but that’s why it’s even more important to search for it – so that’s what I did. After some thorough thinking this is the best I could come up with:

Lo scopo della vita è riempirla di uno scopo. Quando abbiamo uno scopo, abbiamo una ragione per vivere, il che fa sì che vivere semplicemente sia il punto di partenza.

I hope this is making sense to you but if it doesn’t, let me explain.

Human beings come to this world as small helpless creatures emerging from the safest place imaginable – a mother’s womb.

Immaginate che ci venga portato via quello spazio morbido, caldo e autosufficiente che abbiamo abitato per nove mesi.

All of a sudden we’re pulled out of it into the cold and sterile hospital building with weird noises and blinding lights.

When you think about it that way it definitely explains why babies cry when they’re being born, doesn’t it?

But did you ever think about how weird and almost fallible it is that you don’t remember that moment at all?

The fact that you don’t remember the part of il tuo vita che avete già sperimentato?

Personalmente, trovo strano che si cominci a ricordare la propria vita da un momento all'altro e che il resto sia solo una nebbia.

It’s even weirder that almost all of our memories are an altered reality, but that’s another story.

Questa introduzione è stata fatta per dire questo: I bambini sono creature coscienti senza conoscenza di sé.

Sono immersi nella realtà, senza regole. Tabula rasa. Solo più tardi nella vita vengono imposte loro delle regole.

Correlato: 60 domande e indovinelli su chi sono io che aumenteranno la vostra potenza cerebrale

Questo mi fa pensare a ciò che siamo senza le regole del mondo esterno, mentre iniziamo come mondo interno.

Cosa succede alla coscienza umana quando l'esterno e l'interno si scontrano? È questo che chiamiamo vita?

Se così fosse, qual è il senso della vita?

I’m no philosopher nor theologist but I am a curious human being and I feel like that gives me the right to speak on this matter.

I’ve dabbled a little in religion, different philosophies like existentialism, even nihilism, and anything else that grabbed my attention but none of them gave me an answer I was looking for.

Tutto ciò mi ha portato alla conclusione successiva: There’s no universal answer because experiences are individual.

The purpose of life is individual. Finding meaning is closely attached to what we think meaningful life is. For one person it’s their loved ones, for another it’s attaining wealth.

It’s not surprising we so often don’t understand each other when life’s meaning depends on the circumstances of our lives that we’re living in the physical world but that we’re processing internally as no one can really see what’s inside another person’s mind.

Correlato: Passione vs. Scopo: ecco perché sono necessari entrambi

In words of Anaïs Nin: “There is not one big cosmic meaning for all; there is only the meaning we each give to our life, an individual meaning, an individual plot, like an individual novel, a book for each person.”

Ci sono 7,8 miliardi di persone sulla terra in questo momento, il che significa 7,8 miliardi di esperienze diverse.

The fact that we’re now more than ever exposed to seeing the lives of others doesn’t help with the confusion.

We’re constantly bombarded with other people’s thoughts, habits, point of view, and what not and it’s not unusual to be confused about your own purpose or even mistake it for someone else’s.

In fact, seeing someone else doing supposedly well in life often makes us feel like we’re falling behind and that’s just what makes things worse.

Do I even need to mention how that’s usually done through painfully staged content on social media?

Life in the 21st century is hectic. It’s much more hectic than it was in centuries gone by and I’m afraid to think what will happen to future generations.

There’s an obsession for meaning and alarming meaninglessness at the same time, and that’s what leads me to the next question:

Pensare allo scopo ci allontana dallo scopo?

“You will never be happy if you continue to search for what happiness consists of. You will never live if you are looking for the meaning of life.” – Albert Camus

A mio modesto parere, di solito è così.

If anything, we know we’re, generally speaking – limited.

We’re not physically equipped to survive on our own like most animals and we’re not smart enough or either spiritually or technologically advanced enough to grasp that something we’re always striving for, that something beyond the reason and senses.

Le uniche cose che abbiamo sono la ragione e la fede. Anche le persone non religiose hanno bisogno della fede per alzarsi la mattina e affrontare la giornata.

It doesn’t have to be faith in the supernatural because it’s enough just to make plans for the future. That in itself is a sign of faith.

Sapendo questo, la ricerca attiva dello scopo da parte del solo pensiero about it seems futile. It usually doesn’t lead to a better life but instead causes frustration.

It heightens pressure and makes you go into panic mode thinking you HAVE to do this and that in order to live a life worth living by someone else’s standards.

A rischio di sembrare eccessivamente metafisico, devo dire che listening to your inner being without obsessively thinking about life’s meaning è molto più produttivo.

It’s just about living life, experiencing trial and error, and pushing yourselves outside of your comfort zone.

There’s no magical thought that will change your life because life is lived by taking action and living in the present moment.

Relax, nobody knows what the heck they’re doing either

“Accepting the absurdity of everything around us is one step, a necessary experience: It should not become a dead end. It arouses a revolt that can become fruitful.” – Albert Camus

When you feel like you’re lost in life just think of this:

We’re four-limbed creatures that live on a giant ball filled with water that’s spinning in the middle of something we call spazio, where there’s not enough air to breathe or to scatter light, and sound can’t be transmitted yet it’s not empty.

It’s pretty bizarre.

What’s even more bizarre is the fact that we care about so many things while virtually knowing nothing about our own existence.

Yes, we have come a long way, science gives us explanations of how things work but we still don’t know why we exist in the first place.

There’s no manual for life. Everybody is – at the core – on their own.

Nobody knows what they’re doing.

I remember when it dawned on me that adults aren’t as knowledgeable about life as I thought they were.

In fact, it seems to me they’re faking adultness and just sort of winging it through life while pretending they have everything under control.

All of this can be terrifying or comforting, that’s up to you.

Penso che la vita umana sia eccezionale a prescindere dal significato.

The world made us believe that there’s no point in life if we’re not doing something BIG, something that will change the world and people’s lives.

Questo qualcosa è, ad esempio, diventare ricchi o famosi o raggiungere l'illuminazione spirituale.

La realtà è che raramente le persone fanno qualcosa di grande secondo gli standard della società.

Don’t get carried away with the ideas that you have to achieve something like that to fulfill your life purpose, because you don’t.

If stuff like that really was the meaning of life, 90% of people would be severely depressed. It’s okay to strive to achieve your goals but you shouldn’t mistake them for the meaning of life.

Brace yourself: Life’s full of ups and downs

“If there is meaning in life at all, then there must be meaning in suffering.” – Viktor Frankl

Life is a journey without a map. We’re blind to what’s in front of us.

Per poterlo affrontare con successo, dobbiamo accettare le cose brutte che si presentano lungo il cammino.

Le polarità fanno parte della vita. Fin dall'inizio dei tempi, gli uomini hanno parlato del bene e del male, cercando di rappresentare tutte le sfumature della vita e di estrarre il significato dalle cose che li circondano.

When something bad happens we’re naturally inclined to start reexamining our life’s meaning.

Per esempio, la morte dei nostri cari, le malattie, le rotture e altre cose che rappresentano la perdita di qualcosa di prezioso che dava un senso alla nostra vita.

These things trigger our sense of self and our purpose in life. We’re faced with the loss of meaning and it’s hard to find it while we’re spiraling down the whirl of despair and loss.

La lotta ci spinge a cercare delle risposte e spesso cerchiamo le soluzioni in uno scopo più elevato. Tuttavia, a volte questo scopo superiore non è altro che continuare a vivere giorno per giorno.

Things will change, they will improve, you’ll look back at them and know it all had to happen.

Don’t compare your life journey to others

“Uniqueness lies in not comparing oneself to others.” – Raheel Farooq

As I said earlier, it’s easy to fall into the trap of comparing your life to the lives of other people when we’re constantly looking at their lives.

Sembra che alcune persone abbiano vita facile, mentre altre hanno vita dura.

La chiave è capire che se qualcosa ha un certo aspetto, it doesn’t mean it really is. Everyone is fighting their own battle.

Le persone più divertenti del mondo sono depresse, quelle più povere del mondo sono più felici.

Don’t compare yourself to others because your inner world isn’t the same as everyone else’s. Your personal journey is different to everyone else.

Paragonare è come dire I’m never enough to ourselves. That’s simply not true. You’re enough as you are. You just need to accept that you’re not perfect and know that no one else is perfect either.

It’s great to take inspiration from other people and look for guidance in things they do and say, but the same things that work for them don’t have to work for you.

Don’t listen to others when it comes to decisions in your own life. They don’t know what you know about yourself.

People underestimate and overestimate each other all the time. They don’t have your experience, they don’t know what you’re capable of or what your purpose is.

Lo scopo è profondamente intimo e personale.

If someone disagrees with the way you live your life – know that it has nothing to do with you as long you’re not endangering the lives of others.

Whatever they say is their opinion and nothing else. An opinion is not a fact. It’s just perspective and not the truth.

Letting go of the need for approval is hard for many people because that’s how we learn to guadagnare amore, anche se si dice che l'amore dovrebbe essere incondizionato.

There’s no objective rating scale that allows another person to judge you. Nobody knows what you’ve been through.

Tuttavia, misuriamo ancora la nostra autostima in base all'approvazione degli altri e questo ci rende profondamente infelici.

We can’t be happy if there’s always something unattainable we long for. We can’t be happy if we’re living for other people. Living life free of the need for approval is la chiave del benessere.

We don’t have to fulfill anyone’s expectations but our own. The moment we stop thinking about what others will think and start listening to what we want – things start to change.

Don’t let the careless word of others influence your whole mood. Don’t let it stress you.

Remember that you don’t have to explain yourself to others either. If they get you, that’s great, if they don’t, and you don’t feel comfortable explaining – just don’t do it.

Ascoltare l'intuizione

“Practice listening to your intuition, your inner voice; ask questions; be curious; see what you see; hear what you hear, and then act upon what you know to be true. These intuitive powers were given to your soul at birth.” – Clarissa Pinkola Estés

Another reason why you shouldn’t listen to others is because you already have your inner guide. You have intuition.

Attingete ad esso.

To answer the question “qual è il senso della vita?” one must be connected to one’s inner being, which is revealed through intuition.

L'intuizione è ciò che alla fine ci condurrà allo scopo della nostra vita e alla risveglio spirituale. 

That’s why it’s so important. It’s what makes us authentic.

Autenticità significa essere esattamente ciò che siamo. Significa coltivare l'accettazione, l'integrità, il coraggio e praticare l'introspezione; fare le cose con intenzione.

Per un lungo periodo di tempo l'intuizione è stata considerata esclusivamente una pseudoscienza.

Fortunatamente, studi recenti dimostrano che l'intuizione è un vero e proprio processo psicologico; il cervello utilizza le esperienze passate e i segnali provenienti da sé e da ciò che ci circonda per prendere una decisione.

The decision happens so fast that it doesn’t register on a conscious level. Our brains know the answer way before analytically processing information.

Ma come possiamo connetterci alla nostra intuizione?

1. Fermarsi e ascoltare

It’s as simple as it sounds.

You can’t hear your intuition if you’re not listening. When you find yourself in a situation where you feel doubtful and need guidance – ask yourself: What do I really want? Track down that first hunch that occurred when something happened.

2. Fidatevi del vostro istinto

You know that feeling. You know when something is bad or good and you can feel it in your gut. It manifests on or in your body and it’s usually gut.

This too isn’t completely scientifically false considering the gut is lined with a network of nerve cells and is called il secondo cervello.

That’s the same reason ci viene il mal di stomaco quando siamo nervosi.

3. Riconoscere i propri sentimenti

Più vi allenate ad ascoltare la vostra intuizione, più la sentirete anche in altri modi. Ognuno ha il proprio modo di conoscendo in mancanza di una parola migliore.

Sometimes it’s a physical manifestation such as goosebumps, a racing heart, a feeling in your belly and just that conoscendo that we can’t explain; you just feel if something is right or not.

Trusting your intuition might be hard at first but it’s a skill you can train and perfect and it’s definitely worth trying.

4. Imparare a lasciar andare le emozioni negative

Negative emotions are necessary. However, we shouldn’t let them take over because they cloud our intuition. It’s more likely we’re going to do something intuitively right when we’re in a good mood.

Negative emotions can help us understand ourselves on a deeper level but that doesn’t mean we should dwell on them.

When we’re at peace with ourselves is when we’re more connected to our purpose so it’s easier to hear out intuition.

5. Scegliere con cura i propri amici

We already discussed how others affect our lives. It’s true that we have to mind our own business and listen to ourselves but other people are still a big part of our life.

Surround yourself with the people who won’t drain you or put you down.

You probably already met people who did nothing but that. It’s usually in a passive-aggressive way that gives you no visible reason you should confront them but they still manage to ruin your mood.

That’s not the kind of person you need in your life. Find people who uplift you and enrich your life with their presence, people who support your vision and believe in you.

6. Trovare tempo per se stessi

La solitudine ha un impatto positivo sullo sviluppo dell'intuizione. Ci permette di liberare la mente dai pensieri quotidiani e di osservare noi stessi.

So many times we simply don’t hear our intuition because we’re too busy to notice. Part of strengthening your intuition is just letting your mind wander and being open to whatever comes your way. It can be feelings, thoughts, or something else.

Cogliere i piccoli segnali. Siate consapevoli. Liberate la mente dal disordine e fate spazio a qualcosa di nuovo.

7. Prestare attenzione ai sogni

This might sound weird but it’s the truth that dreams are a way of processing gathered data and are a door to our unconscious self.

We already said that intuition works on a subconscious level so paying attention to our dreams is a way of figuring out our personal inner symbolism and it’s meaning.

Dreams are deeply symbolical and that’s not a coincidence. It’s not a coincidence we often dream about the stuff we experienced the day before.

That’s why it’s good to set an intention for resolving issues we don’t have a solution for before going to sleep. Maybe your dreams can give you the answers your conscious mind can’t.

Uno dei più famosi psicoanalisti mai esistiti, Carl Jung, disse quanto segue a proposito dei sogni:

“Dreams are impartial, spontaneous products of the unconscious psyche, outside the control of the will. They are pure nature; they show us the unvarnished, natural truth, and are therefore fitted, as nothing else is, to give us back an attitude that accords with our basic human nature when our consciousness has strayed too far from its foundations and run into an impasse.“

Connettersi con il proprio scopo

“He who has a why to live for can bear almost any how.” – Friedrich Nietzsche

Il modo più semplice per trovare il nostro scopo è seguire la nostra passione. La passione è il modo migliore per renderci felici.

The problem with passion is that it’s usually not conventional, it’s not safe. It demands bravery and perseverance.

It’s often connected to something that makes us feel uncomfortable meaning we need to step out of our comfort zone to follow our passion, which will ultimately lead us to our life’s purpose.

It’s not the purpose itself, but it’s a way of finding it.

Passion can be literally anything. Sometimes we don’t even notice our passion as a passion because it comes to us so easily.

Questo tipo di cose che si presentano facilmente è il tipo di cose che bisogna coltivare nella vita.

Pensate a ciò che vi viene più facile e a ciò che vi piace fare di più. Qual è la cosa di cui non vi stancate mai?

Cosa vi viene in mente?

State facendo qualcosa per includere queste cose nella vostra vita o le state ignorando?

Don’t throw away your talents but learn to use them in everyday life.

Other than that – think about what you like and appreciate in life. What kind of qualities do you prefer in people?

Perché li preferisce?

Pensate profondamente ai vostri valori e al motivo per cui avete scelto di averli in modo specifico. Riflettere su questi aspetti ci permette di vedere oggettivamente ciò che vogliamo davvero nella vita e ciò che desideriamo.

Tutto questo è collegato alla nostra guida interiore.

It’s usually the heart that tells us what it wants and the mind that comes up with reasons why we shouldn’t do it.

Per una volta nella vita provate a pensare a cosa succederebbe se metteste a tacere la vostra mente e ascoltato il tuo cuore?

I know that’s probably risky and hard to do – but it’s almost certain that it will bring your great inner satisfaction despite the challenges.

Many people who decided to follow their heart, passion, and fulfill their life’s purpose lost everything along the way but still stayed happy.

Questo ci riporta all'inizio, quando ho detto che avere e vivere uno scopo è il senso della vita.

Vivere felicemente è ciò che rende la vita degna di essere vissuta.

I don’t know why it’s sometimes hard to see what brings us happiness when it’s right in front of our eyes but I know we’re always longing to have it.

At the end of the day asking “what is life?” and “what is the point of life?” tells us there’s purpose. Why should we long for one if there’s none? How could we know about it?

Quel sentimento profondo che ci dice che c'è uno scopo superiore nella nostra vita è indistinguibile.

The higher purpose shouldn’t be equated with something mysterious or unattainable and far… because it’s right here with us. It’s a life worth living and you’re the one who sets the rules.

Don’t pollute your mind with things that don’t matter. Things that are transient. They don’t hold the purpose, they just make our lives more fun.

Don’t participate in emptying this world of the true essence.

Instead, work on maintaining it. Do it by always reminding yourself and others what’s really important to you and them. Be an ally to significato.

Fate le cose che vi fanno stare bene e guardate il significato che si dispiega davanti a voi.

“Be a lover of the world, it is the only way to survive in it.” – Janosch