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The Purpose of Life
We all have our entrances and exits, but that’s not important, what’s important is the purpose
Live with Purpose, Transform Your Life
William Shakespeare once said, “All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players who have their entrances and exits.”
A timeless quote that captures the natural rhythm of life — entrances and exits. But beyond these entrances and exits, I’ve come to realize something even more profound: the purpose we choose to fulfill during our time on stage.
Why Purpose Matters
An intriguing trait we humans possess is that we rarely value what comes easily. Life itself is the most precious gift, yet because we didn’t ask for it, we often live it without recognizing its worth. And when we fail to acknowledge the value of life, we drift through it aimlessly — just existing, not truly living.
This brings me to the questions that haunt most of us at some point in life:
👉 Why are we alive? 👉 What is the purpose of life?
Just like no marketing can sell a product that lacks substance, no life can truly shine without a purpose. Purpose is what transforms an ordinary existence into an extraordinary journey. It gives us direction, fuels our passion, and empowers us to take control of our destiny. But without it, we often become puppets in someone else’s play.
My Story: A Life Without Purpose
In my own life, I’ve been there. For years, I let others dictate my path. When I was 15, I joined a music class. Not because I was passionate about music, but because my uncle’s son was learning tabla. My father, heavily influenced by my uncle, was adamant that I follow the same path. I spent my teenage years learning something that never ignited my soul.
The worst came when I cracked admission to the best architecture college in the country — my dream. But I never joined. My uncle convinced my father, “Put your son into engineering. Engineering graduates get jobs easily.”
And so, I joined engineering. But when your heart isn’t in it, all you learn are two things: How to clear your Google Chrome history. How to survive in incognito mode.
While my friends in architecture explored history and romance, I wrestled with chemical bonding — a subject I had zero interest in. Ironically, while oxygen atoms formed bonds effortlessly, I struggled to even strike a conversation with a girl!
Awakening: When Purpose Found Me
I completed engineering and, as predicted, landed a job. But with every passing day, I felt drained. I was merely surviving, not living. Then came my moment of awakening.
On a lazy Sunday morning, while others were chasing dreams, I was scrolling through YouTube — lost in the routine of an uninspired life. And then, I stumbled upon a TEDx talk by a software engineer from my hometown. His startup had just secured $5 million in funding. But what shook me to the core was realizing that this guy was my batchmate from college.
He wasn’t extraordinary back then — mediocre grades, average intelligence, and a cauliflower-like personality. But he had something I didn’t — a purpose. While I was busy following a path others had laid for me, he was building his own. His purpose was to create jobs, not serve one.
That was my defining moment. I realized how ordinary my life had become. He had visited 52 countries, drove a Volvo XC90, and met Bill Gates — my idol. And the closest I had come to Bill Gates was a wallpaper on my phone.
I decided that day — I would no longer live without a purpose.
Purpose Transforms the Ordinary into Extraordinary
Purpose doesn’t have to be grand. It can be as simple as planting a tree every week to protect the planet or as ambitious as building a shelter home from your not-so-enough salary. But there must be a purpose.
When I finally chose a purpose, everything changed. I decided to live a healthier life. It took:
👉 94 days of perseverance 👉 8460 minutes of sweating it out in the gym 👉 450 instances of saying NO to tempting junk food
And I shed 20 kgs, transforming from 91 to 71 kgs.
Losing weight may seem like a small victory to some, but for me, it was a testament to the power of purpose. That one simple goal transformed me from someone whose stomach drooped over his belt to an inspiration for my cousins and colleagues. I went on to conquer all the obstacles of Devil Circuit — an achievement that seemed impossible before.
When You Have a Purpose, The Universe Aligns
It’s true: Success doesn’t come easy. But when you have a purpose, all the universe conspires to help you achieve it.
So, I urge you — find your purpose. It doesn’t matter how big or small it is. What matters is that you have one.
Because at the end of the day, the purpose of life is to live a life of purpose.
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