Purpose

I've been reading a few articles and watching some TED Talks that deal with people, their relationships with others, and their sense of purpose. Pretty much all of the data indicates that people that have strong community ties and a feeling of purpose in life live longer and happier lives.

Damn!
I guess the good news for me would be that I won't have to bear this miserable existence for very much longer!

I read or watch articles like these and think I need to become more involved with people. Then I get around people and think, "I don't need this crap!"
I want to live a long, happy life, but I wonder how often there are exceptions to the studies that show happy, old folks that don't have large communities and only purpose is to enjoy their time alone.

I enjoy reading and gathering information. I even enjoy sharing what I've learned. But do I really have to interact with people to do that? No. Not really.

I think I'll spend the remainder of the Lenten season trying to find purpose for my life. Lately, I'm coming around to the understanding that it is probably more important for me to live a life according to the teachings of Jesus than to try to convince others to do the same. While I'm all for sharing what I believe, I'm less likely to try to convince someone that I have all the answers and coerce them to my way of thinking than I once was. There is the issue that living by Jesus' teachings will make living apart from people difficult -- he had a way of always interacting with people and lifting up the lowly while managing to irritate the high and mighty. I seem to have a pretty good handle on the irritating people part. Now if I could only master the loving others part.

It's been said that Jesus makes it easier for us by telling us that we are to love our neighbors and our enemies -- since they're often the same people. Figuring out whom to love isn't the hard part (the answer is everyone), the actual loving people is where things get difficult.

If anyone ever told you that following Jesus would be easy -- they lied. 
Maybe that's not fair. Maybe it is easier for some to give control of their will over to the spiritual part of their being. I tend to struggle with hanging on to the human will. The voice of Ugly John is often more persuasive and more persistent than I care to admit.

So...
Where do you find purpose for your life?
In your family?
In your work?
In your faith?

I'm in need of some information to help me find my own sense of purpose.
...Or maybe becoming that crazy old man that is happy and doesn't know why isn't such a bad thing.

John <><