People Ages 6 To 105 Share Their Purpose In Life

What is your purpose in life? It’s a big — even overwhelming — question, one that every person will answer in his or her own way. In a new video, Soul Pancake asks people to share their purposes in life. The participants range in age from 6 to 105 years old, and their answers prove that, although your priories may change as you get older, inspiration and wisdom can come at any age.

Defining your life’s purpose is not an easy thing, and a number of the video’s participants say that they are still figuring it out. One boy explains, “I’m only 14, so I don’t really know what my purpose is at the moment,” while a 25-year-old woman says, “At this point in my life, I’m feeling like, 'Who knows?'” And that’s totally fair. We don’t have to be completely certain about what we want or what we are for; in fact, that not knowing — that searching — could make for a wonderful life’s journey.

Others, however, offer more definitive answers. Two little girls have refreshingly simple views; one says her purpose in life is to “make people happy and smile,” while another remarks, “I’m meant to be nice, with everyone.”

Some older participants, ranging in age from 17 to 34, see themselves as spouses and parents. A 24-year-old woman says, “I believe my purpose is to have children. And I’m very excited for that.”

Perhaps unsurprisingly, many of the older adults see themselves as guides and mentors for others. One woman says she hopes to “inspire, motivate, and encourage people.” A 69-year-old man says he wants “whenever I can, to be a mentor.”

“The purpose of life is to experience it,” one man remarks. “Enjoy opportunities, and also recognize that there are going to be hills and valleys.”

Another hopes for something simple, yet very powerful: “to open a world to empathy.”

The video ends with an 84-year-old woman imparting her wisdom. (Not gonna lie, this is where I got a little choked up. What? It’s heartwarming!). She says, simply, that the purpose of life is “To live the best life you can, with as much enthusiasm as you can, so that other people will benefit by your having lived.” Isn’t that something we can all strive for?

Images: YouTube (4)