After a major disaster, it is not uncommon to start focusing on the things that matter in life. I don't believe I'm the only one who went through an existential crisis as the pandemic unraveled. But even if you didn't toss and turn at night, wondering why you were put on this Earth if not to exist and then seize to exist (As Lana Del Rey once put it: we were born to die), I believe this to be a great opportunity to start pondering on the meaning of life. As a young scientist, I would argue the only meaning of human life is to procreate in order to move the evolution of the species forward. However, since we have evolved past our our need to reproduce, we have come to a point where we choose the purpose we give our life.
Modern society has us scheduling and filling our calendars with more and more stuff, as if what we already do isn't enough. But there comes a time when we feel burnt out and some questions arise, making us rethink the choices we have made over the past few years.
Am I productive or just busy?
Stacking our to-do lists and our calendars with more things and eliminating the time we spend for ourselves, whether that be resting or pursuing a hobby, may have quite a few negative side-effects on our overall well-being. Having minimal free time is not always a bad thing. If you're reaching for something big, aiming for your dream job or practicing a skill, spending most of your time doing that is ideal for a short period of time. However, when your day is full of things you have to do that offer you nothing in the long-run, perhaps you are too busy. You should learn to notice the difference between being busy and productive, and see if you can spend more time doing things that have to offer something.
Am I fulfilled?
There is nothing like unwinding at the end of the day and knowing you have taken one step forward toward the life you want. Fulfillment means something different to everyone. Some people are fulfilled the moment they become parents. Others are fulfilled when they achieve their dream career. And of course, there are people who are never satisfied with what they have and therefore are never fulfilled. Are you at the best position you could be? If not, are you working toward that direction?
Do I have a calling?
Does everyone have a calling? This question always bothered me. I do not believe that we have a purpose in life. I understand how small and unimportant we are to the universe as a whole, and therefore don't believe we "were brought to life for a specific reason". There simply is no reason whatsoever that we are alive, just as evolution had no plans of bringing the human species to earth. We evolved out of pure luck and we were born out of pure luck as well. If you believe otherwise, you might have already found your calling/purpose. For the rest of us, it took years of trying and failing to recognize the things that give most meaning to our day to day life. Most of the times, I would argue, we simply didn't want to admit our passions because of what other people might perceive of us if we did. Some people never get to the point of questioning the path they've followed. While others have regrets for not following their dreams. Do you have a dream? Do you have a passion you can't breathe without? Do you have a calling?
2021 is the best year to question where your life is heading, if you are satisfied with your choices, if there are things you would have done differently if you had the chance to turn back time... Is there a call you have been ignoring?
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