Life's Purpose

Saturday night... 8pm... and i am home... something that seldomly happens these days...
I suddenly recalled a conversation i had yesterday with my friend about my title... it was left hanging because i don't think there is a correct answer to the question as to why we are here? What is our purpose? It is mind boggling actually because it is unexplainable. We all have our own opinions and thoughts on the subject. Different religions have different beliefs. I am currently reading a book about life. I have not even reached halfway due to time constraints. But one chapter was put into interest. For those of you who have not read the book, i would like to share a few of what it had to say....
What drives your life? Everyone's life is driven by something. Whether you are driving a car or playing golf, you are guiding, controlling, and directing it at that moment. You may be driven by a painful memory, a haunting fear, or an unconscious belief. There are hundreds of circumstances, values, and emotions that can drive your life. Here are five common ones: Many people are driven by guilt. They spend their entire lives running from regrets and hiding their shame. Guilt-driven people are manipulated by memories. We are products of our past, but we don't have to be prisoners of it. Many people are driven by resentment and anger. They hold on to hurts and never get over them. Those who hurt you in the past cannot continue to hurt you now unless you hold on to the pain through resentment. Nothing will change the past. Learn from it, and then let it go. Many people are driven by fear. Their fears may be a result of a traumatic experience, unrealistic expectations, etc. Regardless of the cause, fear-driven people often miss great opportunities because they are afraid to venture out. Many people are driven by materialism. Their desire to acquire becomes the whole goal of their lives. The most common myth about money is that having more will make you more secure. It won't. Wealth can be lost instantly through a variety of uncontrollable factors. Many people are driven by the need for approval. They allow the expectations of the people around them to control their lives. Unfortunately, those who follow the crowd usually get lost in it. One key to failure is to try to please everyone. There are other forces that can drive your life but all lead to the same dead end: unused potential, unnecessary stress, and an unfulfilled life. We all have a purpose-driven life. Without a purpose, life is motion without meaning, activity without direction, and events without reason. Without a purpose, life is trivial, petty, and pointless.
There are so many questions out there about life's purpose... why, what, when, where... and i guess it will always remain an open ended question... four words... Live it... Love it!

Birthdays

Today was a very hectic SWR day as usual. I don't quite remember a day where i can actually say that work was good... planning definitely eats you up.. and surely kills the social life! But knowing me, as tired as i may be, social life is still very much alive.. hehe.. Compared to IT, this department works you like a cow (not that a cow really works.. haha.. what a comparison.. but anyways)! Sometimes i wonder why i actually landed there. So far away from the 4 years of hard work in college. Practicality is probably what they would call it. The oportunity is there to bite you so all you've got to do is get bitten. Not that i am complaining (a bit obvious??) , i am so thankful i do have a job... but sometimes you can't help but be sour over things especially if you are completely stressed out! Sigh! Two words.. "Oh Well!"... why am i talking about work anyway when my title is BIRTHDAYS!
My friend is celebrating THE birthday today... so to you my friend : HAPPY BIRTHDAY!! =) hope you have a good one! Your gift is still with me, you have got to travel half way around the world to get it! ha-ha... finally 26...
Twenty six... i can't believe that in less than two months, i too will reach that age. I remember when i was 13, i couldn't wait to be 18. How wonderful it would be to officially be a young lady and in college. At the age of 18, it felt quite the same except of course that you physically evolved, but i couldn't help wondering how it would be to be 21. How it would feel to be an adult. How it would feel to graduate, get a job and earn on my own. Shop with my own money. Travel with friends using your own hard work and sacrifice. No more scary nights of going home late thinking my dad is waiting up for me. I was passing a great company one time in college, and i thought back then, how it would be like working there. At the age of 21, amazingly, i was working in that company. And i came to a point where i said to myself "so this is how it feels". But of course, being the human that i was, i wasn't content of where i was and how far i have gone from my first thought when i was 13... the next thing that popped into my wandering mind was how it would feel to drive my own car to work. Two years later at the age of 23, i got my own car... as a birthday gift from my lovely sister! Nothing can top that at 23! And so life went on... actually living in my own young thoughts... i somtimes still say to myself "so this is how it feels"... at the age of 25, i must say, that a lot of other thoughts have passed me by. From marriage to migrating to changing jobs... but i can't seem to see, for now, what i would really want next. Maybe it goes with the age. The older you get, the less you wander about the future. Because instead of getting excited, you end up worrying! ha-ha... Number 26 is coming up and i guess all i have to do is wait and see what is in store for me. So far i can say the HE has been very good to me in all aspects of my life. There have been really bad ones but i guess it is all part of it. I still thank HIM for everything. Well, the evening is getting older (like the people who just leaped up another year) and colder for that matter... i can see my bed calling me... And so i signoff tonight by saying... advanced Happy Birthday to me! =)

TGIF

There is just too much work. Nine hours a day is not enough to finish everything. Well, it is a friday again. Time does pass by so quickly you don't notice it anymore. It's 11pm on a friday night and i am home! Hooray!
Badminton was good tonight. Two and a half hours of exercise surely relieves all the stress. Focusing your mind on the game and nothing else. And soon volleyball season will start again. I am truly enjoying all these sports. Now that i am single and have all the time in the world to do anything i want, it simply feels GREAT! Tomorrow will be another badminton day.
It has been more than 6 months now and i can say that i am doing alright. I am enjoying the company of so many friends. From my best friends to my close colleagues. Thankfully they are there to make every dull moment exciting. And thankfully most of them are single as well... haha... There are times you can't help remember how it was and you re-live the pain again, but i guess it is but natural to feel that way. I have realized so many things the past few months and what i have gotten out of all of it are lessons. I admit i have made mistakes, every single person in this world does, and i have learned from them. I have been asked many times if i am ready to take the next step and completely move on with someone else... and my honest answer is NO. I am still on the process of finding myself and enjoying the time i couldn't give myself the past two years. I was too busy giving my time to someone else forgetting that i should have prioritized myself first. I had forgotten that i did have a life of my own. I had forgotten that i had great friends. Now i realize how much you can miss in just two years.
Currently i am slowly making up for all the lost time and moving on on my own. Someday i will get there. I have a friend who, for the past 5 months, has been helping me slowly get there. Someone who has helped me, in one way or another, stand back up on my two feet. Someone who has made me realize that there is so much out there to look forward to. Amidst the workaholic aura, this person still manages to talk to me almost daily about anything. I can say that it does brighten up the day. And if that person gets the chance to read this blog, i would like to take this opportunity to THANK that person for every single conversation. You truly are a great friend.
Almost midnight... the weekend is about to enter... time to rest and relax... all i can say is Thank God It's Friday!