Why Should I Live? (Reasons)
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The Optimistminds editorial team is made up of psychologists, psychiatrists and mental health professionals. Each article is written by a team member with exposure to and experience in the subject matter. The article then gets reviewed by a more senior editorial member. This is someone with extensive knowledge of the subject matter and highly cited published material.
There are people who keep searching for the meaning of life during their whole life. They are often struck by a question of ‘why should I live’?
Some people master this question by searching the answer in the early stages of life while others are often the ones who keep facing this question until the later stages of their mortal life.
Some of these people are highly motivated to find meaning in their lives and to find the answer to the question of ‘why should I live?’
We shall also try to answer this question in the following article and we shall try to find the reason behind the question of ‘why should I live?
However, before you answer this question, you should be aware of Why do i exist?
The answer to this question might sound simpler to many but it is often complicated and not everyone is competent enough to find the answer to that question.
Searching for the meaning of life makes a person’s life purposeful and he understands the nature of his personal existence.
Life becomes more meaningful once a person finds answers to questions like who am I, what is truly significant to me, what should I do with my life and why should I live.
Searching for meaning in one’s life has become a major motivation that people need to find some kind of meaning in their lives in order to perceive sufficient motivation.
It has also become necessary for optimal psychological functioning.
Moreover, it has also become significant in past a few years that people need to have meaning in life because some people get so frustrated that they don’t even hesitate to take their own life and the only reason is that they can’t find the answer to the question of ‘why should I live?’
Let’s discuss further the reason which could answer to the question of why should I live.
- Importance of the Question why should I live?
If we try to find out the suicide rate in our surrounding we’d be baffled to know that how many people take their own lives just because they don’t know the answer to the question of why should I live.
Teenage suicide has also become really significant in the past few years.
The majority of youth have confronted the idea of death at one point or another in their teenage years or they have fantasized about dying.
However, most of them realized that life is a gift to them and they should not take life for granted.
Some of them actually go through with the suicide and suicide statistics are overwhelming.
According to the Center for Disease Control and Protection (CDC) suicide is known to be the third-leading cause of death among 15 to 24 years old youth.
Moreover, at least 25 suicide attempts are made for every completed teen suicide.
The risk of suicide is dramatically increased when children have access to firearms at home and 60% of all the suicides in the United States of America (USA) are committed with a gun.
These are only statistics from the USA and not around the globe which can worsen the situation.
It is baffling and at the same time sad to know that a person got so overwhelmed by his life that he decides to take his own life.
There could be a various reason when you feel like your life don’t have any meaning or you might be wondering why should I live but it should be always remembered that there would be also a thousand reason to live.
One of the many causes of feeling suicidal can be a feeling of not being able to compete with a society with insists on productivity or not being able to meet your own expectations or expectations of parents or society.
However, one should always remember that success is relative and there is no typical standard to measure success.
Once you encounter such feelings you should be able to tackle them in order to get the best of life.
Moreover, it is not only the case with youth or teenagers as adults are not immune to it either because they can feel suicidal at times as well.
There are also a few reasons given below which will give you the idea to answer the question of why should I live.
- Life Goes On
Life is not stagnant and one should always know that it keeps on moving much like the waves of an ocean.
Each wave brings new experiences and each wave is different.
Sometimes some waves might not treat you kindly but then there comes a wave that will refresh you.
Life keeps changing faces and you would know that sooner or later just remember that nothing lasts forever.
Enjoy every twist and turn of life that comes in your way and embrace it with a huge heart and a big smile on your face because “this too shall pass”. Remember life always goes on.
- Gratitude is the Key
Feel grateful and pay gratitude to those who are around you and who have always been there through our thick and thin.
Our life not only belongs to us but also to those who are around you and who have always got our back.
Keep reminding yourself that you mean something to someone and that you are loved and you are also important to your significant others.
We tend to forget this so it is necessary to keep reminding yourself from time to time that your life is not only your own but rather belongs to many. Remember gratitude is the key reason for living.
- Efforts
You need to make efforts to deal with your problem and don’t show a lethargic attitude towards life.
Brace every challenge with enthusiasm and zest. Once you have started looking at your life positively you are surely going to have a whole new outlook towards life.
Challenge yourself to find beauty in every situation you encounter, especially when you are faced with a situation that has no beauty in it.
Keep challenging yourself and you will find that it has made your life a lot easier and beautiful than before.
We need to put effort for ourselves and humanity since we all are getting a lot from nature.
- Enthusiasm
Do not get up in the morning with a tired face and tired body; try to find at least one thing positive in each day.
Every day is a new experience in your life, one thing that you would never be able to experience again that’s why you should make it worth it as you are going to miss it in the coming days of your life.
- A Helping Hand
Every one of us has at least been in one experience which has made our hearts bleed and every one of us has his own struggles and problems but don’t make these problems get in the way of letting your feel good.
Try to find someone who will give you a hand in a difficult situation and try to accept the help.
Perhaps their helping hand is just near you are just not able to accept it because you have been too long on your own.
Seek that helping hand and accept the help before it is too late. Always try your best to learn from the experiences you have had.
Take life as an experience, a lesson and you will go a long way in your life.
- Positivity
Remember there is always something positive in your life and you need to focus on that.
If you are feeling down or find yourself asking why should I live then you can also focus on some gratifying distractions and they don’t have to be expensive or really time-consuming.
You can just you’re your favorite spot in the house and sit there for a while in quiet.
Talk to your loved one over a cup of coffee.
Go for a walk in the woods and see the calm and peace in nature because all these things will remind you that life is worth living.
- Life is a Gift
It might sound a little clichéd but ‘life is a gift’ and no one can deny that.
You need to ask that from people who have gone too far and wanted to live a little more in their lives.
In order to know a little better for life as a gift you can visit people who are really sick and keep praying for their better health.
You should know that you have been given a gift of life and health and that’s why you should not only be thankful but also try to appreciate your life.
- Discovery
Living is a reason to discover more. Life gives you an invitation to learn and to explore and to discover.
Every single moment in your life gives you something to learn about, the experience could be good or bad and the moment could be good or bad but you are definitely going to learn something from it.
We might discover something for which we have been looking for along the way.
You should keep on discovering and searching until you find the secret which is only meant for you.
Life will give you something worth awhile, have faith.
- Death will be Here
The idea of death can be comforting to man once you realize that you are going to die then nothing else really matters but you need to understand that death is already in search of life.
Death is already guarding our life every single moment then what is the rush we should wait for its appropriate time and make the most of what we already have.
FAQ Why should I live
Does suicide has anything to do with religion?
No, people of every religion go through troubles and many of them attempt outside, it has nothing to do with religious practices.
Can spirituality save me from suicide if I can’t find an answer to my question of why should I live?
If a person wants to be saved, any type of intervention can have positive impacts but first, you need to make it clear in your head that you want to live your life fully.
Then you can visit a spiritual healer as well if you think they can make any difference.
Who can help me to answer why should I live?
You can find the answer to why should I live all by yourself but if you really need help then you can talk to a mental health professional, a therapist or a psychologist as they can guide you better.
- References
- Nogales, A. (May, 2017). 13 Reasons why to live.
- Ruizsep, R (Oct, 2018). 21 Reasons to keep living when you feel suicidal. psychology.iresearch.net: Search for Meaning in Life
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