PURPOSE IN LIFE
It was a few days ago that I saw a video on YouTube titled "ScoopWhoop Townhall ft. Biswa Kalyan Rath, Tanmay Bhat & Abhish Mathew" wherein Tanmay Bhat, the well known comedian and co-founder of AIB said something that piqued my interest so deeply that I haven't been able to stop contemplating on it. He said "Life is meaningless, so you just create games for yourself and you keep playing it."
I was perplexed because all my life I had been led to believe that we all have a pre-determined purpose in life and that each one of us is here to accomplish a particular task. This without doubt is the most commonly used motivational tactic. I have heard this sentiment echoed in countless videos "Everything in your life is leading you towards your destined goal" or "Find your purpose and passion in life and you will be happy" and so on.
A seed of doubt had made home in my mind and I began questioning the whole logic of the "Purpose in life" theory. How could it be true that we are here to fulfill just one particular job? In our lives we play multiple roles and pass through myriad stages and phases. Our interests change, our focus shifts and with every passing day we evolve, little by little. Isn't it then natural that our passion too does not remain a constant factor? For example, as a kid I was passionate about Astronomy but now I am more inclined towards creative fields and subjects. So if I had decided to follow my passion and had become an Astrophysicist (thankfully, I did not), today the same would not be the best fit for me. Also, for a person like me who has various contrasting interests, deciding on which one to designate as my passion is a dilemma of the most complex nature.
So how do we decide what we are meant to do? Do we just rely on trial-and-error method? Is there such a thing as "Purpose in life"? Is there only one such thing? Is our profession our purpose in life?
I hardly have answers to any of these but I have realized one thing. If something makes us happy, we will be passionate about it and that should be our purpose in life. There could be many of these and they could change with time too. One could want to be an accountant, a good daughter/son, a good friend, do something for animals or the country and write a blog. Maybe all these things make the person happy. Then these are his/her purposes and in fulfilling these tasks and duties, they improve and attain the ultimate goal- living as the best version of themselves. Thus to conclude all I would say is- strive to be happy and all else will fall in place!
I was perplexed because all my life I had been led to believe that we all have a pre-determined purpose in life and that each one of us is here to accomplish a particular task. This without doubt is the most commonly used motivational tactic. I have heard this sentiment echoed in countless videos "Everything in your life is leading you towards your destined goal" or "Find your purpose and passion in life and you will be happy" and so on.
A seed of doubt had made home in my mind and I began questioning the whole logic of the "Purpose in life" theory. How could it be true that we are here to fulfill just one particular job? In our lives we play multiple roles and pass through myriad stages and phases. Our interests change, our focus shifts and with every passing day we evolve, little by little. Isn't it then natural that our passion too does not remain a constant factor? For example, as a kid I was passionate about Astronomy but now I am more inclined towards creative fields and subjects. So if I had decided to follow my passion and had become an Astrophysicist (thankfully, I did not), today the same would not be the best fit for me. Also, for a person like me who has various contrasting interests, deciding on which one to designate as my passion is a dilemma of the most complex nature.
So how do we decide what we are meant to do? Do we just rely on trial-and-error method? Is there such a thing as "Purpose in life"? Is there only one such thing? Is our profession our purpose in life?
I hardly have answers to any of these but I have realized one thing. If something makes us happy, we will be passionate about it and that should be our purpose in life. There could be many of these and they could change with time too. One could want to be an accountant, a good daughter/son, a good friend, do something for animals or the country and write a blog. Maybe all these things make the person happy. Then these are his/her purposes and in fulfilling these tasks and duties, they improve and attain the ultimate goal- living as the best version of themselves. Thus to conclude all I would say is- strive to be happy and all else will fall in place!
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