When we look at a clock on the wall, we expect to read the right time of the day. We however know that the clock will not function unless it has a good battery in it. If the battery is good, then we have the right time, if it is depleted, time is haphazard. We take it for granted that the clock must have a proper battery – we do not argue about it. When the clock is not working, sometimes we shake it to wake it up – because we expect it to be working! And when it is not working ok, we do not get upset with it… we do not blame the clock for not working, we do something to make it work.
How about us human beings? What makes us tick? What propels us? Are we propelled from inside or from outside? What is my reason for being the person I am, doing what I do? This is a question I keep asking myself over and over… and it reminds me to clarify my battery – I can only function fully if my battery is the right one, and it is charged.
This boils down to my raison d’etre. Each one of us needs to discover our why, and follow it. It is our guiding star – it is the star that takes us to the manger where the birth of our identity takes place. This is an important aspect in our quest for the fulfilment of our life.
Each one of us has a mission, and no one else can fulfil that mission for us. We however need to discover it, because sometimes it is not that obvious. We have seen every too often people who spend their entire life searching, and eventually they feel empty because they have not found their treasure. We not condemn them, we do not blame them, but if we can, we support them in their quest for meaning, we are there for them, they can count on us.
But as we always say, we cannot give what we do not have. We need to find our own treasure first (should there be a drop in cabin pressure, oxygen masks will be released – put on your own oxygen mask first, before you help others…). One blind person cannot lead another – that is the law of nature, and it applies to every aspect of our lives.
When we find our guiding star, we are happy, motivated, enthusiastic, and we are able to overcome life’s hurdles. We find meaning in everything. Nothing happens by coincidence, but everything is within the divine plan. We are focused, and therefore our life becomes enjoyable. We are optimistic about life, we put first things first, we do not get lost in unnecessary confusion.
How can we find our guiding star?
Psychologist David Feldman says that
The secret to meaningful life is to remind ourselves everyday to do the right thing, love fully, pursue fascinating experiences, and undertake important tasks, not because we are trying to increase our sense of meaning in life, but because these pursuits are good in themselves
This for me is the foundation of our life. When we do this, then we find meaning in our life, without expecting life itself to give us meaning.
We could also do the following:
- Acknowledge that you are unique, and you have a unique mission – do not compare yourself with others
- Create time for self-care, daily, not only when you are down
- Turn inwards, not outwards – find the battery within you
- Take time to shut out all the noise that is in your surroundings – meditate
- Live in the present – this is all you have, the past is gone, and the future is uncertain, but we build our future in the here and now
- Surround yourself with healthy relationships – everything else will pass, but our love will live on even after we are gone
- Prioritize, prioritize, prioritize. Do not focus too much on trivial things, pick your battles and move on
- After a fall, pick yourself up, dust yourself, learn from the fall, and get back on the saddle
- Enjoy your life – nothing in life is to be taken too seriously… everything shall come to pass, so enjoy the present moment, that is all you have
- Challenge yourself to step out of your comfort zone – this is a killer to many dreams
- Pursue your dreams. Ask yourself, when I was a child, what did I dream about? There lies your true calling.
Feel free to add more tips, and I would be honoured to read from you.
I choose to live my life to the fullest, even amidst challenges, for I know that all this shall pass, but the lives I may have touched will continue my legacy once I am gone.
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