{"id":17902,"date":"2020-11-09T00:58:00","date_gmt":"2020-11-09T04:58:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/?p=17902"},"modified":"2026-01-22T15:06:52","modified_gmt":"2026-01-22T19:06:52","slug":"personal-philosophy-of-life","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/personal-philosophy-of-life\/","title":{"rendered":"Your Personal Philosophy of Life: Finding Your Compass"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

What is a personal philosophy of life? Why is it important and how can you get one?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The personal philosophy of life is your purpose<\/a>. It can serve as your compass and guide you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Read more about the need for a personal philosophy of life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Human Purpose and the Personal Philosophy of Life<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The goal of this petal is to figure out the mission or purpose of your life.<\/strong> You\u2019ll consider your spiritual values and moral compass.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The entries on this petal will be a description of what facets of the world you want to improve and some details about those facets. Be specific. An example petal might read: improve the lives of children living in unsafe homes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are two worksheets involved with filling out this petal:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Worksheet #1: Nine Facets of Human Purpose<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

There are nine facets of human purpose. All of them are worthwhile and important, but you\u2019ll likely be drawn to one in particular.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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  1. Beauty. <\/strong>When you\u2019re gone, do you want the world to be more beautiful than it was when you were born? Would you do this through music, flower arranging, or another art form?<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. Physical health.<\/strong> Do you want to leave behind a legacy of feeding the hungry or contributing to the population\u2019s fitness?<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. Resources.<\/strong> Are you worried about the world\u2019s consumerism and would prefer to see people being happy for what they have rather than always wanting more<\/a>? How, specifically?<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  4. Morality.<\/strong> Do you want the world to be more honest and fair than it is now? What areas of the world, or which populations, do you want to focus on?\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  5. Love.<\/strong> Do you want the world to be more compassionate? Towards who or what?<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  6. Entertainment.<\/strong> Do you want to cheer people up and distract them from their problems? Do you want to make people laugh? What kind of entertainment are you specifically interested in?<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  7. Environment.<\/strong> Do you want the earth to be in a better state when you leave than when you arrived? Which particular environmental movements speak to you?<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  8. Spirituality.<\/strong> Do you want the world to have more faith and love in God? Which people, and what parts of life?<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  9. Knowledge. <\/strong>Do you want the world to know more as a result of your time in it? In what subjects?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    Choose the facet that speaks the most to you and write between a paragraph and a one-page essay about it. If you\u2019re struggling with this exercise, move on to worksheet #2. If you know exactly what to write, transfer your essay, or a summary or your essay, to Petal #4.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Worksheet #2: Personal Philosophy of Life<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    If you have trouble choosing a purpose, ruminate for a while. Eventually, an answer should come to you, even if it takes a year. That answer is can also be more of a personal philosophy of life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    If you\u2019re totally uninterested in choosing a purpose, then approach this petal differently. Write a \u201cPersonal Philosophy of Life.\u201d It should be no more than two pages and should address what you think about the meaning of life<\/a>. Why do humans exist and why do you personally exist? Consider things such as beliefs, free will, happiness, stewardship, values, and so on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Write a summary of your personal philosophy of life on Petal #4.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    God and Your Mission<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

    Your beliefs contribute to who you are<\/a> and what makes you unique<\/a>, so it\u2019s important to consider them as you self-assess.<\/strong> The author believes human purpose is inherently related to God\u2060\u2014a \u201cmission\u201d is something you feel called to do, and this call comes from God. If you\u2019re not Christian, you can translate the following ideas into whatever\u2019s meaningful for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The author has divided finding your mission into three stages:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    1. Get to know God.<\/strong> Everyone on the planet shares this mission, but the way in which you pursue it is unique to you. During this stage, keep in mind:<\/p>\n\n\n\n