Defining onesself - Finding the Purpose in Life

During social gatherings, when the people I meet introduce themselves, most of them define themselves by their fancy job title, regardless of the fact whether they are truly passionate about their job or believe in it or not. Often, it has left me wondering who that person actually is. And I quickly get bored with them and  simply move on to the next. It is true that social community sites like Linkedin, Facebook, dating/matrimonial sites have made us define our profiles in the typical job, career, school, 'likes'- model, creating in us the belief that we are what our job is or the money we make, or what our relationship status is, or the community that we belong to.  And those who think they are that, they obviously will have nothing else going on in their life and believe that they are nothing more than that. No wonder they lose their sense of identity once they lose the very thing that 'defined' them.

'Just Red' by ©© Flickr/Nam Nguyen

Once I asked a few friends to find out and tell me what defines them, and what they stand for. Even after a month, none of them could come up with any answers! This is where profile filling columns of 'Couchsurfing', stand apart. It mostly focuses on what sets one apart and makes them unique, and a self-introspection on one's life. (At the least, their earlier version of the questionnaire was much more introspective, which I liked better, though complicated) To be honest, it took me 2 whole weeks to figure out the answers to all those questions!!

I believe that one must define oneself by what they believe in and what they do for realizing that. It means following your heart and being in sync with who you are; and aligning your life with it.

Although rare, I am sometimes asked by some curious minds - what is the purpose of my life, and why I do what I do. I believe that one must define oneself by what they believe in and what they do for realizing that. It means following your heart and being in sync with who you are; and aligning your life with it, whatever your job may be. If you can create a career out of it, well then that is totally great. It's just that it shouldn't be your job (unless that's what you believe in or is passionate about) or paycheck or social status, where or whom you belong with, be the one defining you. That's why they say that you must be passionate about something, and passionate enough to follow it. And that is where one finds meaning in themselves, and in their life and purpose. Let it be any activity or a cause you care for; just stand for it and do something about it. Let that be your definition; because that's where true happiness lies.

Creating a Perfect Art - From Imperfection

During my stay in Taiwan a few years back, I happened to visit the National Palace Museum of the country in Taipei. The Museum is one of the largest in the world, with over 65,000 ancient Chinese artifacts and, this is in fact, is the national museum of the Republic of China. Floors and floors of artifacts and relics, stand as a proof to that!

'Jadeite Cabbage' by ©© WikiCommons/Peellden
Derivative ©© Flickr/Seena Joy

Once while in the art gallery, I noticed a large crowd in front of something. I found a glass case that was the center of attraction and lots of 'ooh's and 'wow's. There it was a beautiful cabbage carved in green jade - a marvelous piece of art that captures anyone's eye.  And more than the art itself, I was mesmerized by the reading of it, on a nearby pamphlet.

Here it goes. “This jadeite, part green and part white, which is now a wonderful Chinese cabbage, would be considered mere second-rate material full of impurities if it was to be made into usual vases, jars, or ornaments, because of the cracks and blemishes that came with it. However, the artisan ingeniously transformed the rock into a lifelike vegetable of leafy green and white stems, with all unappealing rifts now hidden invisible amid the veins. And the discoloured spots take on the marks of snow and frost. So with a stroke of genius, defects turn perfect. Beauty is in the detail and creativity works wonder.” That is, by the magic wand of creativity, the clever craftsman turned the cracks and discoloured blotches to create a beautiful art. Anything can be made perfect by creativity, if one have it or utilize it.