What is the good life? Or rather what is the happy life

In my entire lifetime till now ((which is to say not very long)) i've been searching for what makes my life purposeful and what makes it good. Intrigued, i have done some research in search for my answer. And last night, i think i might have found my answer.

In one talk that i listened to, i learnt that what makes our lives interesting and worthwhile is built upon 4 pillars: purpose, belonging, storytelling and transcendence. Not very sure how transcendence play a part here but i think purpose and belonging are the main framework for a "good life". In another talk, i learnt about this guy rick warren he actually donated much of his wealth away and said that he's purpose is to serve. And this really resonated within me. He says "we are the stewards of our lives" and he says that when we give generously, we get happiness and the meaning of life.

Another thing i found out is that people who constantly seeks out for happiness are often unhappy because they try to find ways to be happy that results in them not being themselves and in turn not having that sense of purpose and belonging. And so, i think i should stop worry about leading a "happy" life but rather try my best to give generously and serve others. Because its only through giving and servicing others can i truly make a difference to the society.

I lack a sense of belonging as of now because im not sure who i am and what i want to be. But then again, a sense of belonging can be instilled through servicing others. Through servicing, i feel more attuned to the society and maybe one day ill find where i belong. And when that day comes, ill come to realise what is the "happy life" and what is the "good life"

Is life merely a routine? What's the purpose? im uncertain

Hi!! So ive decided to write this second post because i feel that my first post has somewhat helped me  sort out my thoughts.

The truth about the life we live in today: isnt everyday just (almost) the same? It feels like my life just goes on repeat everyday. I wake up, eat, go to school, go home, study and then sleep and the cycle repeats. So i guess in a way this is another way in which life is a cycle, a more microscale of the one i talked about in the previous post. I wish i know the purpose for my existence, because i feel that without a purpose im not going anywhere as each day passes by, im just drifting through everyday aimlessly. That's why we all have small little goals we set right? doing well for exams, going to university, marriage, career etc. But to me, all these are just satisfactory momentarily. I wont deny that having the ability to build a stable life with a stable career is something that i would want to have. But beyond this? Are we merely living just for the sake of living? I mean none of us were given the choice to live in this world right? (Or maybe we had in our previous lives idk) And the thing is because we are born into this world, we tell ourselves that we need to make the most out of what we have and so yes we pursue for education, for jobs and for family. But the central question is: is that really YOUR purpose in life? The entire world's population is just going for the exact same goals arent they? So how is any of these YOURS? What sets me apart from others is a question i constantly ask myself. If i were to disappear from the face of the Earth, will this be a significant event in any way?

Famous people like Beethoven, he's purpose was pretty clear: he composes world-class renowned music pieces for the masses and his legacy still lives even after two centuries. That's what sets him apart from the rest and it is also the reason why he was a key figure. Im sure at the peak of his career and fame, if he were to have disappearred  it would likely to cause havoc and had massive impact on the world past and present.

I guess what i want to say is that i want to have a purpose in life that will distinguish me from others. I want individuality and identity. I dont want to just be a face in the 9 billion sea of people because i want to make a difference with my presence. And as of now, i cant find this purpose and worst of all, I dont feel in control of my life. This is of course mostly because im not yet self-sufficient and so  all my decisions are under the influence of my parents. I feel absolutely powerless from my lack of resources, my lack of purpose and my incompetency in all my uptakings. This had led to me questioning whether my life is just a routine and whether my presence is redundant.

This is not by any means a emotional post, but more of a reflective post. I feel that these questoons that i posed are applicable for everyone. Because wont it be very cool if everyone is unique in the sense that we all have our own specific set of purpose in mind? We wont ever stray or doubt ourselves anymore. We wont make mistakes that we regret for life, we wont disappoint our loved-ones and we wont be failures living on this planet.

So im asking all of you: what's your purpose in this life?

life is a cycle

hii! after creating this blog website for around 3 years, i think i should post at least once or twice haha. so the way i see life is that its a cycle. Things that we do previously will somehow catch up to our lives and we will have to face them head on anyways. In primary school, i had absolutely detested every single moment in there and hoped that i could start anew in secondary school. And yes it kinda worked, only for that 4 years. In JC, i met so many of my primary sch ppl again, be it in my sch or otw or common friends. Its hard to shake off the past no matter how hard i try, because as much as we dont like it, our past does define us to a certain extent. Not saying that our past is of paramount importance, but it shouldnt be taken lightly too.

However, in order to keep going, we need to move on too. As the saying goes "you cant move on to a new chapter if you keep rereading the previous one." So yes, we must carry on our daily lives and not remain stagnent with our current situation. from what i have experienced, i learnt and grew from the mistakes and issues i've faced in the past and all these make me react very differently frm before. An experience in particular, made me more wary of people whom i feel "good vibes" frm and to be more careful of what's going on around me. It has translated into my daily life; my past can be seen in the way i behave today. So this is the whole paradox of the situation: we cant escape the past but we got to move on. 

There are so many times when i wished that i had no done this or done that in the past bc i know that there will be consequences and repercussions. Sometimes i act rashly only to regret later and by then the full force of what follows has already hit me straight in the face. And i guess life is all about making mistakes and falling then standing up again for yet another battle but this time more knowledged than before and you might just be facing this same old momster that had defeated you ages ago. 

I'll dont think that life is ever straightforward and easy,, in a way all these challenges we face makes living worthwhile. We need to survive amidst the storm that passes us relentlessly so that we will appreciate the little calm moments in between. So while i am definitely not v happy with everything i have in life right now, i just want to take this time to reflect a little so that i can see the bigger picture. Whenever we are sad or down, our point of view our scope gets v narrow till we neglect to see better alternatives, it has happened to me before countless times and yet im still here so i know that i have at least become just a little stronger and a little more knowledged than before. 

I'll end off with this quote from looking for alaska one of my absolute favs:" how will i ever get out of this labyrinth of suffering?"