Suppose you’re an astronaut observing Earth from space, and you are given state-of-the-art technology to see all and hear all.
You see our breathtakingly beautiful blue planet teeming with life, shimmering like a shiny blue pearl in the vast darkness of space. However, it doesn’t take long for you to notice within this perfect blue sphere both individuals who uplift others and those who find fault with others. You notice that many seek a better life at the expense of their peers (e.g., pharmaceutical executives who jack up the price of medication). This planet’s existence is a miracle, yet some greedy corporate executives squander it in an endless pursuit of personal gain.
What is the purpose of life? Few pause to contemplate.
Generation after generation, the young are burdened with ideas of the old, ensnaring them in archaic beliefs. People persist in fighting for their self-interests without realising that they can achieve much more collectively.
We fabricate problems and create jobs to keep our minds occupied and, more importantly, to instill a false sense of purpose. We trade our time and our lives to benefit those higher up in the corporate hierarchy.
People cling to beliefs they want to hold rather than those that are likely to be true. These beliefs then drive individuals to commit irrational actions, disrupt society, and infringe on others’ livelihoods (directly or indirectly).
This may be an overly pessimistic view of people, but I think the ideas presented above are, to various extents, ubiquitous in our society. We are subject to influences that we are simply not aware of, which in turn cause us unnecessary suffering.
We are often caught up in the busyness of life, either throwing ourselves into work or seeking entertainment to keep ourselves occupied. When we encounter transitory negative events, we become engulfed in the moment and make the issue at hand our whole world.
A good technique to get out of such a mental rut could be to project ourselves ten years into the future and then look back at the current moment (thus, the “third-person perspective”). Suddenly, our current problem seems smaller than it did before, and we are better able to navigate through this situation more calmly.
By adopting this broader perspective, we can begin to appreciate the fleeting nature of our daily struggles. Recognising that many of our worries are temporary allows us to focus on what truly matters to us.
As Victor Frankl once said,
Ultimately, man should not ask what the meaning of his life is, but rather he must recognise that it is he who is asked.
We are all main characters in our own lives, and we are ultimately in control of how our stories unfold. Think in terms of consequence — how would your future self look back on your current actions? How do you want to be remembered? Would future-you be proud of the decisions that you’re making?
We tend to forget that life as we know is impermanent. Yet, some of us live as if we have all the time in the world. In this regard, a certain sense of urgency is necessary. Prioritise spending time with loved ones, pursuing your passions, and making a positive impact on the world. As important as it is to plan for the future, it is equally important to live in the moment.
Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma – which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of other’s opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.
— Steve Jobs
You are responsible for your own life, and it’s on you to prevent yourself from being exploited by others for your limited time and energy. Pursue a cause that you believe in while bringing value to the world. Steer clear of those who wants to use you for their own gain. Don’t be mindless soldiers of a selfish general. Always think win-win.
As the captain of your own ship, you need to know the destination, lest you end up steering aimlessly. Constantly envision the life you want to live, and somehow you’ll most certainly take the steps required to get there.
As Epictetus preached in Discourses 2.5.4–5,
The chief task in life is simply this: to identify and separate matters so that I can say clearly to myself which are externals not under my control, and which have to do with the choices I actually control. Where then do I look for good and evil? Not to uncontrollable externals, but within myself to the choices that are my own.
It’s expected to have roadblocks in life — nothing is always smooth sailing. Expect this and you’ll never be caught off guard. Focus on what you can control and let go of what you can’t. Emotions are helpful until they’re not. Leverage both rationality and emotions to carve out the life you want to live.
I’ll end off this article with a final quote from Theodore Roosevelt:
It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.
We might not all achieve the success we desire, but it’s better to fail while daring greatly than to never have tried at all.
Disclaimer: The ideas presented in this post are solely my personal perspective and have not been substantiated by any verifiable evidence. I’m not a therapist and I do not pretend to be one. Please form your own opinions on such matters. I’m merely reflecting on my current thought processes.