There comes a point of time in our lives when we ask ourselves what the heck are we doing in this world. Why are we here? Why are we doing what we do? Some like to believe we are here because we have a purpose, others believe we were put here by chance.
Me, well, I don't really care why I am here. Fact is, I'm here. Like it or not. I mean sure I could go jump off a cliff now..or a HDB flat, and I will cease to exist physically. But I'm not going to do that. I think I kinda enjoy existing. No matter how shart my pathetic life is compared to how long people have existed, or this world has existed, this little life of mine is MINE. Its about the only piece of something I own in this world which can't be stolen away....why should I chuck it?
I guess some would argue that knowing why you are here helps you to decide what to do with your life. To some extent this is true. But assume, just assume you don't know why you were here. What would you do then? Are you then unable to determine what to do with your life? Will you then just be stuck in a rut? I think not unless you are that unwilling to live.
I'd like to make this short existence of mine memorable. Life is short, whats left after you die? Memories. Why do we still know Mozart? Cos he did great music...or Mother Teresa? Some people leave an indelible mark in this world while others just fade away. Of course not all of us can be the next Ghandi, or even Hitler. Not everyone can make it to the history textbooks.
We'll all just be another name on another tombstone. Our loved ones will remember us (thats what children are for) and after that..slowly..the flowers on our grave will turn to weeds as generations forget of our existence. So what do you do with this short life of yours? As years pass I' have lived a quarter of my life..my parents are slightly over the halfway mark. I shudder...
Can you imagine not existing? Not being able to touch, see, feel..not knowing?
So what to do you ask. And I ask back. What do you want to do? I want to influence people's lives, I want to make an impact. Thats why I"m doing public policy and working in the civil service. I want to try things...thats why I travel...and I try to ski (though I think I'm such a failure). I want to be a pop star for a year..but I think thats hard...but heck..I'll give it a shot if I could...
I don't want to be another person in this world of more than a billion to fade away....
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Hey Lij,
Even successfully leaving a 'legacy' creates but a spurious sense of achievement. Your e.gs Gandhi, Hitler etc lived in fairly recent times - name a great man from 700 AD? Difficult. Name the last 10 winners of the Nobel Peace Prize? Worldly achievements are significant but eventually forgotten. I think finding a purpose for your life and being able to live the next 60 or so years coherently comes from deciding on a 'world-view', a conception that explains the world. E.g. Christianity, Atheism, Buddhism. Search, assess, evaluate and choose! :)
(My choice is Christianity.)
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