Purpose in Life

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.