What is my purpose in life, and how do I find it? What if my passion doesn't equate my purpose?

tldr; As humans, we tend to spend large portions of our lives looking for our purpose on this Earth. Some turn to religion while others may look to their hobbies. What if you cannot find a blend between your passions and your purpose?

What is purpose?

The dictionary describes purpose as "the reason for which something is done or created or for which something exists." For us as humans, it is essentially discovering the reason why we live on this planet and we find our purpose as we go on about our lives. However,  many people don't really know what their purpose on this Earth is. Some wander aimlessly without a solid direction to move in while others keep looking to fill gaps and holes in their life with temporary fixes and measures. Some find religion and find purposes through that. Some volunteer in their communities and help out those in need. Some will fixate and focus on earning money so that they could live comfortably for the rest of their lives.

In what category do you fall in?

Do interests really equate purpose?

I think that a misconception about our purpose is that we tend to tie it with our interests. For example, if someone loves to help out people in need, they believe that their purpose is to become a doctor in some form so that they could continue to help others in need. This, in of itself, is not a bad thing. However, I think tends to narrow our field of vision where we believe that our sole purpose is in our interests, and we develop this tunnel vision. After a period of time, we begin to look at where we are at and wonder where all the years went. 

Of course, this is a generalization and does not reflect everyone. 

Attending school at Pacific has been a blessing in many different ways and I love attending this school. One thing that Pacific is well-known for is their accelerated programs in dentistry and pharmacy. After talking with some of my friends who are attending pharmacy school, many of them always say how they no longer have a passion for their career. They talk about how burnt out they are and how learning new things about science and pharmacology no longer interests them anymore. The only reason why they continue to push forward is that because they already spent so much time and money into schooling and their academics that it would be a waste for them to turn back now. 

That doesn't really sound like purpose, does it?

In conclusion, I think that we, as humans, change. Our viewpoints and perspectives are constantly shifting with the circumstances that we face in our daily lives. It makes sense that our belief and our purpose change as we also grow and mature. If you feel passionate about a certain career or life choice, then by all means, pursue with a passion and drive. But, do not be afraid to get out of your comfort zone and rethink your decisions and adjust accordingly with what's going on with your life. If you feel like you need to take a break, then take that break! If you feel like you want to alter your life path, do it! (after careful considerations, of course). The bottom line is: don't fixate on trying to find your purpose; This life is not guaranteed, so make the most of it. 

"It doesn't interest me what you do for a living. I want to know what you ache for, and if you dream of meeting your heart's longing."


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Inequality between Southern Asians and what it means Academically

Image
 When someone mentions the word 'Asian', the general first thought or image that comes into your mind is probably an individual from either China, Korea, or Japan. With the rise in culture of media from these countries in various forms of entertainment (music, dramas, variety shows) and exported products, Eastern Asians are the "frontrunners" of Asian culture. However, there are certain groups in Southern and that live in poverty and are often overlooked.  Who are the Southern Asians? Southern Asian countries are made up by Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, the Maldives and Sri Lanka. The population of South Asian is around 1.9 billion people, accounting for around a fourth of the entire world population. This region is around 2 million sq. miles in size, making it one of the most densely populated and most populous areas in the world.  There are some success stories that came out of Southern Asia such as Mindy Kaling, Aziz Ansari, and Deepak Ch
Read more

Advice I wish I was given in college

Image
 Like I mentioned in a previous post, my freshman year in college was filled with bad decisions on my end. I barely studied and performed very poorly in all my classes and my priorities were all over the place. On top of all that, I began to feel like I didn't have my life together which led to feelings of not belonging among my peers. All my friends seemed to have their life plans figured out while I was still struggling to understand what I was doing at Pacific. As a junior in college and about to graduate, here's my advice for upcoming freshman or current freshman in college.  Don't be afraid to change your goals/aspirations Similar to high school, most individuals are still trying to figure out what they want to do with their lives. According to the Department of Education , about 1 in 10 students change their major. To put it into perspective, the student body at Pacific is around 3,665 students. According to this ratio, around 367 students will change their major at
Read more

Model Minority: What it is and what it means for Asian Americans

Image
What is the " Model Minority"? The "Model Minority", according to an article from the Harvard Law School, is " a minority group perceived as particularly successful, especially in a manner that contrasts with other minority groups ". This term could elude to many different things: socioeconomic status, academic success, etc. More recently, however, the model minority is a term typically used to describe Asians.  There is an ongoing stereotype of Asians in academic settings where there is a high bar and expectation for Asian students to perform well. If they do not perform well, they are typically met with some form of ridicule or teasing from their peers. Comments like "you're not a true Asian", or "if you're Asian, why are you so bad at (subject)". What many people do not know, however, is that students typically receive a similar comments at home. Growing up and surrounded by friends who were raised in Korean households, not s
Read more