Defining your life's purpose: Reflecting on living versus existing.

As we go through life, we experience highs and lows. Professional or financial gains can catapult you so high and make you feel as if you’re on top of the world. The lows, having the opposite effect, will drag you through some very dark times that’ll make you question your self-worth. The years go by, adding silver wisdom. As your emotional intelligence develops, you learn from your trials and achievements. Eventually, you start to mold to your circumstances like a chameleon, effortlessly changing with every surrounding.

Some believe your mindset determines your progression. Others believe in structural pre-determination of social class and attainable opportunities. Although both these things combined greatly have an effect on the level of success one can attain, happiness works on different terms.

Wealth or social status are small aspects of life that may or may not determine one’s happiness. Some people believe money doesn’t mean much when you don’t have loving relationships around you. Others believe money will make all situations better as if it’ll make all their problems go away. Everyone has their truth.

I’d like to focus on the bigger picture here. We create our lives the way we want it. We commit to jobs, prioritize certain things, ignore others. We tend to care about ourselves and our families, while at the same time devoting our lives to helping others. We all choose different paths. We also overthink daily situations and parts of our lives which we, ourselves have created. All the complications are our own doing. Some can cope with it and others can not. But I wonder about the things that could be accomplished if instead, we devoted some of the time that we spend sorting our issues and working on things that make us happy.

The way I see it, many human lives have come and gone since the beginning of time. We only get one. Lives are taken, spent, and surrendered on a daily basis. Let’s face it; things happen, and people die. I don’t plan on getting spiritual here, but I can’t help but feel like I wouldn’t want my life to be a waste. And yes, people have great lives from childhood to adulthood: marriage, children, grandchildren, successful careers and so on. But none of us would want to be old and sickly regretting what we did not get to do while we still had the chance. Wasting time and still over thinking. When I’m old, I don’t want to have a care in the world. I want to be satisfied completely by the choices that I made toward having my life the way I want it. I don’t want to worry about having enough money for retirement. I just want to do what I want.

Forget society standards, and don't listen to people who try to tell you what you should and should not do. Do what makes you happy. Live this one life to the fullest. You may be surprised with your potential. You may find your own unique purpose and legacy. Something your future bloodline can be proud of, as different from the norm as it may be. Just own your existence.