The Purpose of Life According To Buddhism

Your true work is on yourself

One day at work, my head was full of unwelcome thoughts, buzzing around and making me angsty and anxious. Why aren’t I further along in life? Why don’t I have a successful side hustle to free me from sitting here in angst? Why does the work phone ring right when I’m about to have a revelation that would fix things?

Then I realized: what if I was home right now? I would still have the same unease. Something’s not right, but it’s not necessarily my job’s fault.

It’s mine.

If my mind were a garden, I was somewhere in the corner, sulking at all the weeds popping up and overgrowing things, instead of doing the work of pulling those weeds and replacing them with the flowers of better thoughts.

What if you don’t need to escape anything in your life? What if your job is objectively fine, practical? Yes, you should have habits of improving yourself. But what if you did that while also fully enjoying the present moment?

Your Career Is Only A Part Of Your True Work, Which Is On Your Mind And Character First

Being more productive or earning more are great things to pursue. But not when its at the expense of your well being.