“Learn to deal with the valleys and the hills will take care of themselves.”

-William James “Count” Basie, American jazz musician

When we are at our lowest point, we often have a difficult time pushing through and continuing our recovery journey. The mountains always seem to be sky-high when we are deep down in the valley. With seemingly insurmountable obstacles in front of us, how can we continue to build and go higher when everything feels so hopeless? If you can find purpose and a way to push through at your lowest point, then the challenges on the journey ahead will be less intimidating. Learning to deal with life where we are now helps us as we travel to where we want to go.

What Is Our Life’s Purpose?

Philosophers, religious leaders, and ordinary people alike often ask themselves, “What is the meaning of life?” According to some great thinkers, discovering the meaning of life is our only real purpose during our time on this earth. We are always searching for meaning in our daily activities, our suffering, our success, and our failures. During times of adversity, it’s easy to lose sight of our purpose. Recovery is an ideal time to begin re-discovering your life’s purpose and meaning. Your life’s purpose will likely be different from others; no singular, universal meaning to life exists. We all discover purpose on our own and bring our own meaning to our lives.

Seeing the Forest through the Trees

What does “purpose” mean? Our purpose can be stated simply as the reason we get out of bed each day. We do have a reason to get up each morning; however, we often lose sight of the bigger picture during our lowest points. As the idiom goes, during times of adversity, we may not be “seeing the forest for the trees.” We are looking at the details and not connecting the dots. We are looking at each tree individually rather than the forest as a whole. Instead of focusing on our recovery, we begin to dwell on specific problems or issues and forget the overall goal of what we are trying to do. Often, however, the answer is not hard to find if we remember our purpose.

Why Did You Get Out of Bed This Morning?

Let’s start with a simple question. Why did you get out of bed this morning? For most of us, the reason is “to go to work.” For some, the answer might be something like “to take my dog out to use the bathroom.” We often get so hung up on the details of life — the daily chores, our jobs, taking care of our kids, etc. — that we forget why we are actually doing these things. We turn on auto-pilot and forget what we’re trying to accomplish, especially during rough patches in our recovery. One way to uncover your life’s purpose is to think critically of the “why.”

Begin to Uncover Your Life’s Purpose

For most of us, the reason we get out of bed each day is to attend to a task, such as work or caring for others. Let’s look at work as an example; why do we go to work? The most common reason is, “I need the money.” Start to ask yourself, “Why do I need the money?” Are others depending on you? Then your life’s purpose and the bigger picture of what you are doing isn’t just going to work, it’s caring for others. Instead of, “I need the money,” your true purpose is, “being the best parent I can be, and this is why I go to work.”

What do you do outside of work? Do you have a hobby or interest that you enjoy? Perhaps you play the guitar and sing. Your purpose might be, “I bring joy to others with my talents.” Some of us go to work because that’s where our purpose is. However, we may have forgotten our passion for what we do. For example, you might be a first responder going through a tough time. What made you want to become a first responder? Likely, you wanted to serve and to help others. Therefore, your life’s purpose might be, “I help others and save lives.” 

Keep It Simple

The more simple our life’s purpose is, the more choices we have in living out our purpose. If your life’s purpose is, “to help others,” you have many more options than if your life’s purpose is, “to be the nation’s leading expert in forensic science.” The more complex and detailed our purpose is, the more limiting our focus will be. Keeping our purpose simple is important during times of adversity or change, and especially during recovery. We might have lost things and people in our lives as a consequence of our actions while dealing with mental illness or addiction. Keeping our life purpose simple helps us carry on when all seems lost. If we lost our job as a first responder, we can still find new ways to help others and save lives. Perhaps we can become a support person for others in recovery, start a support group in our community, or volunteer to help others.

Finding purpose and meaning in life helps us overcome adversity and build resilience in our recovery journey. Start thinking today about your life’s purpose today and every day, and remember to keep it simple!

Are you currently struggling with the damaging effects of trauma or having a difficult time rebuilding your life after battling addiction? Do you feel lost and confused about what to do next? The Kimberly Center can help you discover new methods of coping with your issues while reconnecting with your life’s purpose. Located in Ft. Myers, Florida, Kimberly Center offers a holistic approach to addiction and mental health management. We welcome men and women who are struggling with addiction and co-occurring mental health issues. The Kimberly Center offers a variety of treatment services to appeal to your individual needs and will work with you to determine the best methods to treat your condition and ensure your well-being. Our experienced staff will help you on your journey to a healthier, happier and more productive life, free from substance dependence and abuse and destructive behaviors. To get started, call us today at (855) 452-3683.