What is the purpose of my Life?
Why am I doing whatever it is that I am doing despite of knowing that I am not happy doing it?
Why do I feel like no one cares about me?
Why do I feel frustrated with myself and my Life for no reason?
Why do I feel like an under-achiever?
The list goes on.
In the last couple of months I have come across people, some of them use to ask at least one of the questions to themselves and some of them continue pondering over them even today. Surprisingly, they all are exceptionally
talented people, intellectual enough to handle any major responsibility as well as to put forward the best of their performances and create lasting success. But despite of these extraordinary skills, there exists an empty space, that raises such questions.
I would like to limit this post, in finding the answer to the first question itself and keep the rest of them for later posts.
So, again, what is the purpose of my Life?
Life's purpose, is when we connect our passions or inner drives with an idea that is waiting to be translated into reality. It is a moment of insight that makes us feel like "YES, this is exactly what I got to do, this is what I am made for". A set of activities or simply an idea that aligns not just with our talents and capabilities but also makes us feel like we have answered our inner calling.
Why am I doing whatever it is that I am doing despite of knowing that I am not happy doing it?
Why do I feel like no one cares about me?
Why do I feel frustrated with myself and my Life for no reason?
Why do I feel like an under-achiever?
The list goes on.
In the last couple of months I have come across people, some of them use to ask at least one of the questions to themselves and some of them continue pondering over them even today. Surprisingly, they all are exceptionally
talented people, intellectual enough to handle any major responsibility as well as to put forward the best of their performances and create lasting success. But despite of these extraordinary skills, there exists an empty space, that raises such questions.
I would like to limit this post, in finding the answer to the first question itself and keep the rest of them for later posts.
So, again, what is the purpose of my Life?
Life's purpose, is when we connect our passions or inner drives with an idea that is waiting to be translated into reality. It is a moment of insight that makes us feel like "YES, this is exactly what I got to do, this is what I am made for". A set of activities or simply an idea that aligns not just with our talents and capabilities but also makes us feel like we have answered our inner calling.
Doesn't sound that complicated, so why is that most people keep on searching for it, with no remarkable results?
Although there are myriad of reasons available but the major reason among them lies in our orientation towards people. Andrew Carnegie rightly said "Do not look for approval except for the consciousness of doing your best." Most of us live in a state where we directly or indirectly seek people's approval in small and big steps we take. This process is evolutionary. Initially as children we seek approval from parents and elders in those small and big choices we use to make during our school days and then as teens we give that honor to our peers. As adults we continue seeking approval of people in our workplace, social parties and our families too. In our quest of seeking approval, we even deny ourselves a better quality of life.
One of the ways I use in order to snap myself out of this rut is by creating and maintaining a sense of urgency in life. This is done when you realize that your time is limited and your days, numbered. Looking at myself lying on my deathbed, carrying a pile of unfulfilled potential is a sight that immediately puts things into perspective. Death, no matter how undesirable, makes us realize that in not so very distant future, people are not going to matter, economy is not going to matter, your lack of resources will not matter, money too is not going to matter. What will matter, is whether we lived up our potential or we ignored it for people so that they may live theirs.
Most people would perceive all of this as an exaggeration, so the best way to end this post would be type in the direct message that people on their deathbeds came up with. This one is from the book 'The Top Five Regrets of the Dying' by Bronnie Ware. She writes of the phenomenal clarity of vision that people gain at the end of their lives, and how we might learn from their wisdom.
I wish I'd had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me.
"This was the most common regret of all. When people realize that their life is almost over and look back clearly on it, it is easy to see how many dreams have gone unfulfilled. Most people had not honored even a half of their dreams and had to die knowing that it was due to choices they had made, or not made.
Although there are myriad of reasons available but the major reason among them lies in our orientation towards people. Andrew Carnegie rightly said "Do not look for approval except for the consciousness of doing your best." Most of us live in a state where we directly or indirectly seek people's approval in small and big steps we take. This process is evolutionary. Initially as children we seek approval from parents and elders in those small and big choices we use to make during our school days and then as teens we give that honor to our peers. As adults we continue seeking approval of people in our workplace, social parties and our families too. In our quest of seeking approval, we even deny ourselves a better quality of life.
One of the ways I use in order to snap myself out of this rut is by creating and maintaining a sense of urgency in life. This is done when you realize that your time is limited and your days, numbered. Looking at myself lying on my deathbed, carrying a pile of unfulfilled potential is a sight that immediately puts things into perspective. Death, no matter how undesirable, makes us realize that in not so very distant future, people are not going to matter, economy is not going to matter, your lack of resources will not matter, money too is not going to matter. What will matter, is whether we lived up our potential or we ignored it for people so that they may live theirs.
Most people would perceive all of this as an exaggeration, so the best way to end this post would be type in the direct message that people on their deathbeds came up with. This one is from the book 'The Top Five Regrets of the Dying' by Bronnie Ware. She writes of the phenomenal clarity of vision that people gain at the end of their lives, and how we might learn from their wisdom.
I wish I'd had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me.
"This was the most common regret of all. When people realize that their life is almost over and look back clearly on it, it is easy to see how many dreams have gone unfulfilled. Most people had not honored even a half of their dreams and had to die knowing that it was due to choices they had made, or not made.
I wish I'd had the courage to express my feelings.
"Many people suppressed their feelings in order to keep peace with others. As a result, they settled for a mediocre existence and never became who they were truly capable of becoming. Many developed illnesses relating to the bitterness and resentment they carried as a result."
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