One of the most contemplated questions in the history of human existence is that of our purpose, our reason for being. Ideas that attempt to rationalize this question are vast, ranging from beliefs in a higher plan guided by supreme spiritual beings; to scientific evolution that can suggest our purpose is simply to live and die, that our existence is simply the result of evolution and biological advancement; to celestial lifeforms whose existence suggests human existence is but the result of a highly sophisticated alien experiment.

To explain the purpose of life requires examination of these multilayered interpretations and requires a depth of analysis much too complicated to cover in one article. Human existence can more simply be explained in one's individual existence.

The purpose of life comes from how we utilize our own existence and the ways in which we interact with others. Each person's life experience is unique in the challenges, opportunities and relationships granted to them. The value in the lessons and knowledge, gained from our experiences, lies primarily in how we choose to react and interpret life's events.

Nobody's life is easy, we all face challenges that force us to adapt in order to overcome. Adaptation is often painful, even unbearable. These moments in life are critical to discovering our purpose.

It is what we choose to do with this pain, whether we allow it to keep us in stagnant or take control, learn from it, and turn it into empowerment.

This was something I learned from my own life experiences. At twenty-one years old, the mountains I have climbed, the cavernous valleys I've crossed and the turmoil of psychological and physical pain I've endured, make me feel as if I've lived twenty-one lifetimes. Though I sometimes doubted my strength and ability to endure through my darkest times, I persisted.

I have not a single regret nor minute desire to change the path I've walked, even if I could.

It is in suffering that I learned how to empathize with others and developed a unique intuitive ability that many people lack. It is this ability that has led me to my purpose in this life:

Leave the world better than it was when I came into it.

I find my own value in helping others. Sharing the lessons I've learned, through overcoming adversity and in the strength of my persistence, has allowed me to empower people with similar experiences. It was not without purpose that I've faced the challenges that I have and thought it was impossible to see at the time, it was my struggle that made me strong.

It is so easy to let life break us down, to want to give up and to lose faith in ourselves that we may achieve satisfaction, happiness, and success as we choose to define it.

It is not until we find a way to derive value from our painful experiences and utilize this new knowledge to adapt and improve, that we can find our peace. This growth and endurance give us the exact introspective abilities that lead us to our purpose and, believe me, discovering the reason for your existence is the key to your power and the path to your happiness.