Purpose often feels elusive in modern life. It’s easy to drift through existence, haunted by a sense of emptiness that no amount of success, pleasure, or material gain seems to fill. This spiritual gap has become a defining characteristic of our age. But what is the nature of this gap, and how can we address it?

Zima Blue: The Search for Meaning in Simplicity
The animated short “Zima Blue” from Love, Death & Robots presents a narrative that challenges our understanding of purpose and meaning. Zima, an artist who achieves cosmic fame, ultimately abandons his grand creations for the simple act of cleaning a pool. This shift speaks to a profound truth: sometimes, the fulfillment we seek lies not in the grand or the complex, but in the return to simplicity in performing simple tasks.

Zima’s journey is a stripping away of the unnecessary, a return to the essence of being. In a world obsessed with optimization and algorithms, his choice to find meaning in the simplest of acts serves as a powerful reminder that perhaps, in our pursuit of purpose, we’ve overcomplicated things. His story suggests that by reconnecting with the basic, often overlooked aspects of life, we might rediscover a sense of purpose that is authentic and fulfilling.

Surplus Enjoyment: The Journey of Modernity
Slavoj Žižek’s concept of “surplus enjoyment” offers a complementary perspective on the paradox of modern life. This concept refers to the excess pleasure derived not from satisfying desires but from the endless pursuit of them. Surplus enjoyment isn’t just about the pleasure we seek—it’s the insatiable drive that keeps us perpetually wanting more, never fully content. In some ways, this relentless pursuit can become a purpose in itself, though Žižek critiques this approach for its lack of substance.

But still, this idea resonates with the experiences of many who, despite achieving what society deems as success, still feel a lingering emptiness. The more we achieve, the more we realize that no external accomplishment can fill the internal void. This insight urges us to look beneath the surface of our desires and consider whether the journey itself is the ultimate goal.

This also echoes the advice of many self-help influencers on social media today, who advocate for “trusting the process” and embracing the “grind.” Their perspective, while not new, has found renewed relevance in a modern age that seeks purpose in constant self-improvement.

Filling the Spiritual Gap: A Personal Journey Toward Meaning
Reflecting on these ideas, I’ve come to see that the spiritual gap I perceive in myself mirrors the one I see in the world around me. Like many others, I’ve lived with a nagging sense of purposelessness. But instead of succumbing to it, I’ve chosen to confront it directly.

Purpose, I’ve learned, can be found in moving toward any positive direction while embracing the journey itself. I engage in this journey by focusing on small, consistent improvements in my sleep, attitude, prayer, diet, and exercise. Each week, I achieve a marginal gain, and then I repeat the process.

Like Zima, the pool I clean once will need to be cleaned again. I’ve found that the act of cleaning—the simple, repetitive tasks—can be a source of fulfillment in itself. So I, like Zima, clean the pool with enjoyment.