thoughts on purpose

Sometimes I wonder what the purpose of this life is. I'm sure most people have these thoughts at some stage of their life. I mean, really, what is the purpose to anything at all? To earn money? To what end? To what purpose? To buy things, to be happy, to travel? Why do these things make people happy? What is happiness?

Too deep? Maybe it's just me. But recently these thoughts have been preoccupying me.

As a result, I'm trying to figure out what the purpose of my life should be. Not conclusively, of course. But I like to have goals to work towards. And while I may always continue to have these thoughts about the purposeless of it all, I really do want to try and figure out what is out there that everybody is so intent on living for.

I think the first stage is to figure out those things that I enjoy. I know that I enjoy photography. I know that I enjoy travel. And I know that I enjoy relationships and the feelings of love and affection. I love to learn but I don't particularly enjoy education. I enjoy being productive but I don't love working in an office. I want my life to have some impact on this world but I don't want to research or enter politics.

So where does this leave me?

I'm still not entirely sure. But maybe, slowly, I can put some of this together. The relationship will come on it's own time. I've realized that these things happen organically and that there isn't much that I can really do in this regard. At least not in this moment. But photography and travel? These loves seem to go hand and hand. What is better to do than photograph the world as you see it?

I guess all that really remains, is how to combine those loves (and hopefully the first too) into a productive endeavour. People have done it but I'm hesitant to follow in somebody else's footsteps. While that path may be easier, it is also far more saturated. I have yet to figure out what exactly I can do to make these dreams come true, but I am confident I will figure it out.