Purpose of Life – Serving Others – American philosopher and poet, Ralph Waldo Emerson, once said, “The purpose of life is not to be happy. It is to be useful, to be honorable, to be compassionate, to have it make some difference that you have lived and lived well.”
Let’s break this down a bit, “The purpose of life is not to be happy.” At first, this statement may appear questionable – particularly given that seeking happiness is such an integral part of life. Emerson, however, isn’t saying not to be happy. Rather, he’s saying purpose and happiness are not the same.
You see, whereas happiness can be acquired by satisfying your own wants and needs, purpose can be acquired by having meaning. What is “meaning”? One can define meaning as the belief that you’re alive to do something, striving for a goal. It’s about living life to do something bigger and greater than just your individual goals. It’s about bringing sincere value and serving others.
The notion of having purpose (meaning), in addition to happiness, is crucial. Research and studies have found that those who go through life without a sense of purpose are more vulnerable to depression, lack clarity, have anxiety, are bored, and even hold addictive personalities.
Conversely, those with purpose, live a less complicated and stressful life. They’re more focused, enthusiastic, and excited about being alive – thus are happier as well.
Accordingly, this idea of having meaning in life by serving others, which creates your purpose in life – is crucial to your happiness, health, and sense of well-being. It’s also crucial for mankind.
Although is may be hard to believe that a simple and small act of service can make an impact locally or even globally, we’re here to remind you that even the smallest and most simplest acts of service can make a lasting impact in the world.
When we help others, those around us are more helpful too. The more we give our time and resources to help others and the issues we care about, the more others will do the same.
Additionally, let’s not forget that service is an activity done for others. That number which is representative of “others” doesn’t have to be astronomical. Even helping free ONE person from suffering and problems is important. Yes, you gain a sense of accomplishment and achievement knowing you made a difference in someone else’s life, but even more powerful is that fact that YOU made a difference in someone else’s life.
This is humanity – caring for and helping others – and it’s the core of being human.
Accordingly, as humans – as a part of humanity – we must try to put aside our own personal interests at times, and instead help others whenever and wherever we can.
Humanity is at the center of American Forklift Training Centers, Inc. One of our main missions is to serve others – not only via our forklift training and job assistance programs, but also by helping and giving back to those in need.
For that, we proudly support and sponsor the non-profit, Humanity First USA – and we encourage you to get involved as well. Donate, volunteer, and or sponsor, as your efforts will truly spread.
We’ve talked about Humanity First USA in the past, but as a reminder, this non-profit is different from your typical non-profit. Humanity First USA is almost entirely volunteer run, with approximately 90% of donations going directly towards funding disaster relief and development programs around the world. Their organization has been working continuously helping America and nations around the world alleviate hunger and extreme suffering through their various sustainable programs.
From caring for hurricane victims, to building schools, hospitals, food pantries, and clean water sources – there’s no other non-profit like it that we’ve come across.
A few of their mentionable programs include:
- Global Education, where Humanity First USA builds and runs schools and vocational training programs in underserved communities around the world.
- Disaster Relief, where crucial aid such as food, medicine, and shelter is provided in the US and globally during disasters, providing relief.
- Water for Life, where clean drinking water sources are restored by rebuilding hand pumps and funding new wells – thus, giving access to drinking water to those in need.
- Global Health, where from running mobile health centers to building hospitals, they work towards ensuring all people receive the medical care they need.
- Food Security, where they have built and are operating pantries and soup kitchens all across the United States, in efforts of working towards a hunger-free America.
We invite you to learn more about this organization and how you can help. Donate towards human development and disaster relief. Volunteer domestically or abroad, with efforts towards providing education, food, water, healthcare, shelter, and more to vulnerable communities. Sponsor and help build a better future for all of humanity. Help serve others through Humanity First USA OR another organization of your choosing.
Just help build a better humanity, create greater meaning in your life, find a stronger purpose in life, and in turn be happier with greater clarity – by serving others more.
As always, to learn how we can serve you, with forklift training, certification, and job assistance, Contact Us Today!