Most people go about with their life and do not ask themselves important questions about their dreams. Guess what was the most common regret dying people express? I wish I’d had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me. This was the most common regret people had on their deathbed. It took them almost a lifetime before realising they did not fulfill their dreams due to the choices they had made. If you are reading this article, you have time to avoid the deep regret that comes knowing your dreams were unfulfilled.
The purpose of life is not to be happy. It is to be useful, to be honourable, to be compassionate, to have it make some difference that you have lived and lived well.
Ralph Waldo Emerson
Living in alignment
Living a purposeful life is something I value enormously. When I was younger, I worried about pleasing others. My worries of what others think caused me to do things to please others. Then, I learnt not to care as much about what others might think. I realized that pleasing others prevented me from living a life true to myself. Being a people pleaser was unhealthy because I consistently put others needs above my own. Pleasing others at your expense is not only a disservice to you but an invitation for others to keep taking advantage of you. You give others power to choose for you. The choices others make for you are often misaligned with your core values. Incongruency creeps in and before you know it, you have created inner conflicts that suppress your true self. Your thoughts, feelings and behaviours are in complete misalignment. You may not even recognise yourself. If you don’t stand by your values, nobody else will. Other people are too busy living their own lives to care about what you do.
Choosing courage
It took me a lot of courage to talk in front of the camera. I worried what people would think and was reluctant to start my YouTube channel. I procrastinated for months before I finally decided to publish my first video. I’m so glad I did it anyway. This project is in complete alignment to a mission I care, improving doctor’s wellbeing. I know I would have regrets had I not started this project.
Most people will never find their purpose because they are not even trying. It may be hard to figure out your purpose if you have different interests and passions. Perhaps, you feel lost and don’t know where to start. That’s natural, everyone feels lost on their journey. It takes time, efforts and determination to find your purpose.
Finding your purpose
First, you need to ask yourself who do you want to be? If you don’t know where to start you could start by pursuing one of your interests. Learn, serve and contribute in an area of interest. Once you have gained sufficient experience, you will know if this is something you want to keep doing, or you may decide to move to something else. What you started with may change over time and you may find yourself with something different. Most people try different things before they discover their true purpose. Knowing and embracing your purpose gives a sense of meaning to life. People with a strong sense of purpose lead a fulfilling life. They enjoy positive emotions and greater life satisfaction. When you have assigned yourself a life mission, you have something to look forward to every day. That mission causes you to jump out of bed every morning. You feel part of something bigger than yourself.
Envision yourself being presented with a lifetime achievement award at the age of 80-year-old in recognition of what you have accomplished. What will your biggest contribution to the world be?
