so many of us live the majority of our lives wandering around in the wilderness with seemingly no direction and no sense of purpose?

so many of us climb the ladder of success only to find it perched up on the wrong wall?

instead of choosing to embody the “best version of ourselves” we choose to become a “mediocre” version at best?

These questions had never even been in my field of awareness until a few years back when we were struggling to deal with our daughter’s health crisis. This was an extremely difficult period in my life which forced me to get out of my comfort zone and grow into the person I truly needed to become in order to be able to fully contribute towards my role as her primary caregiver. The reality of the circumstances at that time acted as a mirror that I had no choice but to look into and confront on a daily basis. I did not know it at that time, but this phase of our lives would end up changing all of us and lead me on a path to self-discovery and self-exploration. This journey was neither smooth nor comfortable and was filled with uncertainty. However, something deep inside made me decide to keep an open mind and continue on the path one step at a time- it was one of the best decisions I have ever made in my life.

And no, this NOT a rhetorical question. It is a question which deserves time and respect. It needs to be thought through and then written down in a quiet and clear frame of mind (do take some time out ponder and write down answers to this question preferably in a journal as this should give you some insight into which areas of your life is in alignment with your principles and which are not). However, this is just the beginning of your journey into self-exploration.

Research shows us that when we devote ourselves to a difficult but worthwhile task- think of your role as a parent, or as a caregiver for your loved one, taking care of your pet or even pursuing a noble cause or growing a plant- our lives feel more significant. Psychologists call this the “Ikea Effect“- i.e, putting together furniture makes people like it more and it is true even when we apply this to aspects of our lives.

German philosopher Frederick Nietzsche once said, ‘He who has a why can endure any how.’

The pervasive “busyness” of our adult lives can mask the lack of a sense of purpose, something that gives our lives meaning. This “purpose” is our first and foremost reason to get out of bed each and every morning knowing that we are making a difference in this world and leaving our mark. This feeling makes our struggles worthwhile and gives us the strength to push through even when there is no end in sight. This kind of purpose can also to help us to take risks and move beyond our comfort zone to GROW and maintain momentum over long periods of time. But all this is really hard to sustain when we are not clear on our life’s purpose and what is most important to us.

Some of us are fortunate enough to have found a way to be able to reach a place of convergence where various aspects of our life come together as a beautiful whole. I came across the word”Ikigai” a couple of years back and it has stayed with me ever since. It is a Japanese word/concept which means “a reason for being” and has a profound effect on longevity and the quality of life. To figure out your Ikigai, Dan Buettner (author of the book The Blue Zones) suggests making three lists- your values, things you like to do and things you are good at.

There are five basic pillars to Ikigai (based on the book Awakening your Ikigai by Ken Mogi)

• Starting small
• Releasing yourself
• Harmony and sustainability
• The joy of small things
• Being in the here and now

Knowing that what we are doing with our life is at the intersection of our values, our passion and contribution to society gives us the strength and the conviction to carry on even during difficult and uncertain times and prevents burnout in long run. I am truly blessed to be one those fortunate few who is in the centre of this convergence and I urge you to make an effort to work towards your own beautiful whole.

If this concept appeals to you can delve deeper into this with the help of the book (you can buy it HERE).

Unfortunately, many of us end up with a lifetime of regret that is filled with a lot of “I wish I had…” and “If only…” instead of having loved and lived by being the “best version of ourselves“. As a result, we may end up with a life filled with regret and unfulfilled dreams as we have waited until it was just too late.

In fact, the top 5 common regrets as recorded by a palliative nurse Bronnie Ware in her book “Top 5 regrets of the dying” are given below. Her patients had this to say as they were facing the end of their lives…

I wish…

So let us dream and let us take out the time to reflect on what is truly important for each of us. Let us find the courage to face up to reality and make the changes necessary to live in our TRUTH. To look at ourselves in the mirror every single day and be proud of who we are. At the same time be able to view life compassionately as we deal with our own pain and suffering and that of others.

If not, we may end up as the poet, Rabindranath Tagore said so eloquently-