{"id":100415,"date":"2018-07-01T15:22:47","date_gmt":"2018-07-01T22:22:47","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/?p=100415"},"modified":"2018-07-01T15:24:35","modified_gmt":"2018-07-01T22:24:35","slug":"how-to-live-a-purposeful-life","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/2018\/07\/01\/how-to-live-a-purposeful-life\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Live a Purposeful Life"},"content":{"rendered":"

Dear friend,<\/p>\n

A life suggestion: only make photos which give you personal meaning in life, and live a life which feel purposeful to you.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

DOWNLOAD PDF: Purposeful life<\/a><\/p>\n

\n

What is “purpose”?<\/h2>\n

\"Eric<\/p>\n

The word purpose<\/em> comes from the Latin word, propono or \u00e2\u20ac\u0153proponent\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

And \u00e2\u20ac\u0153propono<\/a>\u00e2\u20ac\u009d means to set forth, make known, declare, and to propose\/designate.<\/p>\n

So to me, a purpose in life is to set forth in your own life, and to make others know, and to declare, your own proposition and designation in life. For you to dictate your own direction in life, for you to let others know what gives you a sense of meaning in life.<\/p>\n

Essentially giving yourself a life task which you deem worthy of yourself, worthy of your energy, human metabolism<\/a> and energy, and the time while you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re still on earth!<\/p>\n

\n

Do you need to have a purpose in life?<\/h2>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Not necessarily.<\/p>\n

For example, a tree doesn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t need a \u00e2\u20ac\u0153purpose\u00e2\u20ac\u009d in order to grow, it simply grows.<\/p>\n

A dog doesn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t need a \u00e2\u20ac\u0153purpose\u00e2\u20ac\u009d in life; it simply stays loyal to its master, and lives accordingly.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

The same with us \u00e2\u20ac\u201d we don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t need to have a purpose to live our lives. However, I would say that having a purpose in life is like sailing our boat with a compass on board: we have a general direction we\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re heading, and although we cannot avoid the rough tides and grueling weather, we can decide which direction to steer!<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

And in your life, you have the power to steer your ship whatever direction you choose. However, the way the weather is going to behave isn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t in your control. But it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s in your control how you react, and you can control your own actions.<\/p>\n

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Make purposeful photos<\/h2>\n

\"Cindy<\/p>\n

I also feel we should make purposeful photos; photos which give us some sort of deeper meaning in life.<\/p>\n

For example, photos that will still be beneficial to society, even after you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re dead!<\/p>\n

\"Funeral<\/p>\n

I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve been studying a lot of dead photographers recently, like Philip Jones Griffith<\/a>, Eve Arnold, and Garry Winogrand<\/a>. Even though they\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re dead, the fruit of their labor (their photos) still inspire and uplift my soul! The beauty they capture amazes me, and inspires me to make my own art.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Philip Jones Griffith<\/a> also made photos that served a higher social and political purpose \u00e2\u20ac\u201dto change the opinion that Americans and the world had about the war!<\/p>\n

Lewis Hines<\/a> was also another influential photographer-sociologist, who used his camera to uncover the brutality of child labor.<\/p>\n

\n

How to life a purposeful life<\/h2>\n

\"Cindy<\/p>\n

First of all, recognize that your own truth in life doesn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t (and shouldn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t) apply to others. We all should have the power to dictate our own purpose and path in life, and we have the power to dictate what gives us meaning in life.<\/p>\n

Therefore, we must announce to ourselves what gives us a strong sense of meaning in our life.<\/p>\n

\"Grandma<\/p>\n

For example for myself, I get the strongest sense of purpose and significance in life when I help empower others. Now this shouldn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t be a universal rule or purpose in life. Instead, I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve just discovered through years of trial and error, this is what gets me out of bed in the morning, and this is what helps put me to sleep at night \u00e2\u20ac\u201d knowing that I might have written a few words that might have helped a few folks, that I have made a few photos that inspired others to find beauty in their own lives, or provided or shared information that empowered someone else.<\/p>\n

\"Diptych<\/p>\n

Ultimately I say this:<\/p>\n

\n If your photos, poems, writing, or life has the potential to empower at least one other human being on planet earth, it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s worth doing.\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

And let\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s focus on action \u00e2\u20ac\u201d doing stuff! And recognize even your words are action. Text, poetry, and the spoken voice can stir the heart-strings of your reader or viewer.<\/p>\n

\"Zen<\/p>\n

And yes, as a photographer \u00e2\u20ac\u201d you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re also a visual poet!<\/p>\n

You\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re going to die tonight in your sleep<\/h2>\n

\"Cindy<\/p>\n

And lastly, memento mori<\/a>. You literally don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t know if you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re going to die in a car accident today, or perhaps die in your sleep. So let\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s stay prepared \u00e2\u20ac\u201d spend your 24 hours today wisely and purposefully. Focus on things which you deem significant and important.<\/p>\n

\"Red<\/p>\n

If today were your last day on earth, what would you make, and what wouldn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t you make or do?<\/p>\n

BE STRONG,
\nERIC<\/p>\n

Fulfill your personal potential at ERIC KIM EXPERIENCE ><\/a><\/p>\n

\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Dictate your meaning and purpose in your life:<\/p>\n