Define yourself by who you are not - the process of elimination

I am one of those people that are searching for their purpose in life. I feel like that is a natural thing, especially in times where change is so rapid as it is today. Back in the days, one had far less possibilities presented to them in every aspect of life. May it be possible spouses, jobs, professions, places to live, entertainment, food, the list goes on and on. And so naturally it is harder to decide for the few things you want to do in the time that is given to you.

The process of elimination - how do you decide what to do in life, who you want to be?

Well, you might want to start with figuring out what you don’t want to do, who you don’t want to be. The process of elimination can be a great way to find out what it is, you want from life. In my experience, it very useful, because you get a definite feedback. As a result, you have more certainty in your decisions. For example, after you tried a certain ice cream flavor, you can be quite certain if you like it or not. After you have worked in a certain job or industry, you are probably very certain, if it is right for you. Hence, the more you do and experience, the better you know what you want.

How do you get started with the process of elimination?

There is basically just one way to get started with the process of elimination and that is doing things. You will never figure out what things mean to you, if you haven’t experienced them.

I often refer to the example of swimming. The point is, you can read or talk about swimming all you want. Unless you jump in the water and try it, there is no way of getting even close to the experience. I think, the same applies to most aspects in life. Certainly, gathering knowledge about things is vital to avoid unnecessary “mistakes”, but you will always have to take action and experience something, before you can decide on its value to you.

Take action to gain certainty of what is important to you

Therefore, go out in the world and spread your wings, really. Do the things, big and small and experience them with an open mind and heart. Then, you can know if you want them in your life or not. Then you will be able to look back on your life and know that you lived it fully and that you gave yourself a wonderful chance of having had a fantastic human experience.

In the end, you might find out that it really doesn’t matter what your life’s purpose ultimately is. But you will realize, that life was and is always about living each moment passionately and fully. It is about enjoying the journey, every day. The rest will follow as it may.

Please feel free to comment below and open a dialog on this topic. It would be my joy to find out how you think about the process of elimination.