One might think that when we discover that we are our own person that we would therefore follow up with that fruitful discovery with the will to examine what should be our purpose in this life. In fact, some people do that very thing, but a significant percentage of people never really get around to consciously thinking about what their purpose should or could be in life. No doubt, people have plenty of excuses for not doing so, of which, just being busy, or preoccupied, or perhaps not being concerned about it, are reasonable excuses, but in the scheme of things, the person that ends up suffering the most for not wanting to find their purpose in life, is going to be the person, that hasn't properly explored such.
It isn't so much, that any one of us actually needs to find their purpose in life, in order to live or to have a meaningful life; it is just that knowing what one's purpose is, is going to, more often than not, make for a life that is more focused, more mission oriented, and more worthwhile, then one that does not. Further to the point, when it comes to a good purpose, it is important to be detailed oriented about it, as opposed to just having basic generic thoughts and goals, such as desiring to be happy or to be of service to others; because ultimately we are about accomplishing specific things and specific tasks in life, so it bodes well to have a specific vision in mind, though with the flexibility to adapt to the conditions that we are a part of.
So too, it isn't good enough to just know one's purpose, if we are unable to keep our eye upon the prize. This signifies that it is important to take account of where we are not only periodically, but sometimes, on even a daily basis, so that we can more readily adjust what we are currently doing and thinking so as to come back, as needed, to the directness of staying on task and on point in regards to our purpose; for some of the greatest frustrations in life, aren't necessarily from those that never defined their purpose, but rather from those that know for a certainty their purpose, but subsequently lost their way, and thereafter never found the wherewithal to get back on the path that was meant for them.
The emptiness and hollowness that so many people feel, often comes down to being rudderless and thereby without direction in their sea of life. After all, if we don't know where we are going, then our direction is going to be haphazard. Those that know their purpose and thereby resolve to live up to that purpose are those that are going to be more diligent about getting things done and will more often have the resolve to overcome obstacles that lay in their path; for no path is ever going to be nothing but smooth sailing, so that those that have a map to a given destination, and have a purpose and a deep desire to get there, are going to make far more meaningful progress, then all those that do not.