Do You Really Need a Purpose?

My ongoing quest to find the purpose of my life or do I need one as J. Krishnamurti says

After a decent Holi party, our group decided to keep the night going with a drinking session. I agreed, not for the drinks, but for the classic bakar session with the boys. As the first bottle emptied and a couple of chicken tikka plates disappeared, the conversation split into different directions.

Somewhere between laughter and debates, a colleague turned to me and asked:

“What would be your advice to the younger generation like me?”

I smiled. No one has figured out life, I told him. So just be in the moment and live life to the fullest—because life is short.

It’s easy to say, but much harder to follow.

My young friend wasn’t impressed. He was expecting something more profound.

“My friend,” I told him, “whether you are 46 or 26, life is the same. The problems are the same. My story is different from yours, so how can I tell you how to live? Just make sure you are living the life you truly want—not following the herd. That’s the real trap. The more you stay true to yourself, the more you will feel like you’re truly living.”

And then I said something that even surprised me a little—

Maybe that is my purpose of life. Or do we even need one?

The Question That Wouldn’t Leave Me

The first time I really sat with the question of purpose was in 2017.

Like many, I thought work, money, status, and power were the answers. But with every passing day, I realized that none of these were true.

Then, when I moved to Tiruvannamalai, I carried this question with me—along with an even bigger one:

Who am I? What is my purpose in this life?

That’s when my friend Jubin introduced me to Ramana Maharshi.

King Cobra (that’s what I lovingly call him) answered it in the simplest way possible: Kill your ego and find yourself.

That’s easier said than done. But it gave me a hint—maybe my purpose is just to live and fulfill my responsibilities.

Over the last few years, my mind has become quieter. I focus more on my day-to-day activities. I simply live my life, doing my routine.

My mother often calls me boring, says I lack ambition. But I’m okay with that.

I go to bed feeling less anxious—and that’s all I want.

Finding My Answer in Krishnamurti

Sometime back, a friend reopened the conversation about the purpose of life. The question lingered in my mind until recently when I finally picked up a book that had been sitting on my shelf for a while:

“What Are You Doing With Your Life?” by J. Krishnamurti.

I knew I’d get to it eventually, but a recent conversation with my boss at IDC nudged me to finally dive in. And I’m glad I did.

Krishnamurti didn’t give me a direct answer. Instead, he gave me something far more valuable—he made me question whether I even needed one.

He reframes purpose not as something to be found or achieved but as something that unfolds naturally when we are fully present in our own lives.

And that just sharpened my existing belief system:

Living itself is the purpose. Why look for anything else?

For now the question has gone silent while I try to live my life in fullness but I am sure it will come back or maybe not 😂

Do you battle with this question or have you found one?