Have you ever
thought of what your purpose in life is?
As an ambitious
child, I used to have a list of my dream jobs. I wanted to be an architect, a doctor,
a musician, a teacher and many more.
However, as I grew up to be a teenager, I started to think of what I
really want to be in the future. Thus, I
embarked on a self-discovery journey to find out my strengths and weaknesses,
as well as uncover my main purpose in life. The journey was a long and painful but at least I have found the main purpose in my life.
When I enrolled
into secondary school, I told myself that I would work hard to be an architect
or a civil engineer. My goal in life at
that point was to design and build unique skyscrapers and many houses around
the world. However, I excelled neither in physcis nor arts; in fact, I
struggled a lot while trying to decipher physics theorem and do arts
assignments. Anyhow, I never gave up on my dream until I received my ‘O’ level
certificate; I did below average in both subjects.
As I entered
Junior College, I changed my career direction and decided to pursue a career in
medical field as a doctor. I studied hard for my A level and I even went for an
internship at a clinic. Unfortunately, the same story happened all over again
as I did not score well for one of my science subjects that was the
pre-requisite to get into medical school. I went through a really difficult
time thinking whether this was a curse or bad luck as the reality was going
against my will. Upon receiving my ‘A’ level result, I really was not sure what
I would do in the future and nearly went into depression.
Luckily, I was
able to bounce back from the lowest point in my life. Instead of living in
disappointment, I started thinking about what have motivated me to be an
architect, a civil engineer and a doctor. That was the moment when I realised that my
passion lies in helping people. I wanted to build many houses around the world
for the homeless or poor people. I wanted to a doctor to provide medical aid
for patients who need medical attention. To confirm my interest in doing social work, I
signed up for several local projects and went on my first overseas community
service in the Philippinnes last December.
The
initial purposes of the overseas trip were to build houses for the victims of
Typhoon Bopha and to teach English to the children. Unfortunately, due to
several issues, there was a change in the project and my team did not build houses for the Typhoon victims. Nevertheless, we were priviledged to
visit the area that was strucked by the typhoon and also the temporary living
place for the victims. It was a heartbreaking sight as the victims were living
in a very poor condition – no electricity and clean drinkable water. They were
staying in tents and the children were barefoot walking. However, despite the
poor living condition, the people were very cheerful and friendly. I really
enjoyed talking to the people and playing and teaching the children. To be able
to put a smile on their faces was my personal achievement. Moreover, this trip had reassured me that this is what I want to do from now on and in the
future; this is my purpose in life – to serve and help people in need.
In the
near future, I aim to participate in more local projects and overseas community service at
developing countries in Africa. Besides, I am hoping to get a chance to embark on a
medical trip to countries that were strucked by natural disasters.
Through
all the ups and downs in life, I have learnt that it is really important to not
give up and keep looking for your passion and motivation in life. Perhaps by
trying to step out from your comfort zones and exploring the world, you will find
your real interest. Most importantly, I have learnt that it is important to do
something that can make you happy in the long run.
So, have you found
what your purpose in life is? I have.
