FINDING PURPOSE

I recently stumbled on the term ‘Ikigai’ – a Japanese philosophy in fact that inspires living a meaningful life. I was mostly fascinated by this concept, because of how we are a world that easily gets lost in chasing perfection; looking for the perfect story even in the most mundane moments, that we forget to exist truly. This ‘chasing perfection’ is a result of the timelines and social expectations that we have set, in fact the art of authenticity is lost in these expectations, so much so that almost everyone you meet is just looking to get a job, get married and have children.

Vision

There is no yearning or vision for anything in between and it is because we do not allow ourselves to live meaningful lives. There is so much power in living a life that is meaningful and in finding your purpose in life. In order for one to be able to truly claim success, they must have lived in their purpose and understand the power of their existence.  Anyone that believes that they have no power has not understood their purpose. It is nearly impossible to find someone that knows what they are passionate about and actually chases that, because of fear of failure and the idea that we have forever to live; we often mislead ourselves into thinking there is the luxury of forever, to make up for it. The reality is unfortunate because there is no time, every day is a day further from the time we think that we have. There is very limited time to be outstanding, to live true to oneself.

Depression

When you look around, many young people do not have jobs and drown in depression because they are under pressure to meet societal standards and many become comfortable with wherever they end up, because they are unaware of their talents, what they are passionate about nor what they would love to try, which is a problem.It is important to sit down with self and evaluate what a good life means to you and look at what you are able to do, as well as what your talents and skills are, and then look at how they align with what you wish for.
Life, as we see it, is merely a reflection of the choices that everyone, including ourselves, make on a daily basis. It is a culmination of many moments that take us somewhere and although each moment independently feels far off and far-fetched.

The fortunate think about life as a luxury that you only experience once and in understanding this, the value to make the best of it is magnified and this is what every human should strive for – to find meaning. The best part is that as an individual you get to decide what a meaningful life is to you and then live according to that. Fulfilment and happiness are found in purpose and vision. In order to be fulfilled, you must have a vision for yourself, this will give you a sense of accomplishment, as you progress and allow yourself to approach the world from the parameters of your own spectrum, without the pressure or need to meet societal expectations.

Lack

The things that are broken about the world are the things that lack purpose and vision. You lose so much by simply existing without allowing yourself to shine, and many people spend their old age reflecting on the opportunities they missed, to create meaningful lives. To assume that you have all the time in the world is to set yourself up for hurt and to waste away your potential. The principle of ikigai is to establish a reason to being in order to have a fulfilling life. Many people live and remain miserable because they have no reason to live, despite all the activities and responsibilities they fill up their day with. Life requires purpose from the relationships we build to the careers we choose, we become an integral part of something and by default, it contributes to how fulfilled we become.  For the rest of the year, reflect on what you are passionate about; are the choices you make a reflection of your purpose? How do you plan to better live in your purpose, so that your life is a fulfilling one?

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