In Search of Purpose

It was September, onset of autumn and a beginning of new academic session. The auditorium was packed as it was the orientation program and all students of World University were present. Their faces were glowing and eyes shining as they all had entered one of the best universities of the world. Students from different stream of subjects like physics, maths, biology, philosophy, political science, English, management and many other courses were attending the induction program which was the most awaited moment of their life.

One by one professors came on stage briefing students about the university, duration of the study program, curriculum, facilities in the university and life after the program is over.

One of the professors while interacting with the students asked them, “Why have they taken up the specific course”? As expected many hands were raised and there were a variety of answers.

Some students said, they like the subject and hence wanted to study it, some students said, this was the only option available and hence had enrolled in the course, some students said, there are better future prospects with it. There were varied answers given by the students to the teacher. The next question, the teacher asked was, “what would they do after completing the course”? Again, as expected, there were lot of hands raised and there were varied answers by the students.
Some students said, they would they take up a job, some said, they would join their parents’ business, some said, they would start their own business, while some students were not aware of what they wanted to do after the course.

The professor asked one last question to the students, “what is the purpose of their life”? It was in this question, the entire auditorium was silent and only a handful of the students could raise their hands. There were only few answers and the most common was that they wanted to earn lot of money, enjoy life and the other was that they wanted to be famous.
The professor smiled and said, “life without purpose is similar to no life, it is equal to a non-living thing. So, give a purpose to your life, whatever it may be”.

On hearing this, students went back home with a question in their mind, that, what is the purpose of their life? For a couple of days, there was a weary expression on the faces of the children. The shining bright eyes had turned into thoughtful and pensive eyes. They gave a lot of thought to this question and when the professor took their next lecture, most of them were ready with the answer.

Most of the answers were similar to each other as given earlier by the students; they wanted to be really rich and famous, they wanted to get into one of the best organisations securing a very high position, enjoying life by partying as they said. “life is short so enjoy”. But then, the professor asked them, “What would you do, once you have achieved your purpose and your wishes are fulfilled”? Again, there was a silence in the room, as the students really didn’t know what they would do once they have money, they are rich, once they are tired of partying and they have achieved their wishes.

On seeing this silence, the professor said, “Your purpose of life should be such that there is no break in it. Like, being happy for self and spreading happiness, as there is no break in it, doing something for others is a lifelong purpose”. He said, “even short term goals are good enough, but the most important thing is to have a goal in your entire life. Once the short term purpose of the life is achieved, then one should be aware of the next purpose in the life. As you put break on the goals and you are not aware of it, then physically you are alive but mentally dead. So, dear students, this state of being mentally handicapped is more dangerous than being physically handicapped. If you are not aware of long term purpose of life, then work on short term but don’t put a break in your purpose”.

Once the lecture was finished, the students got an insight to living and they all knew one thing, they have to be in search of motive throughout their life. The students knew that once they achieve what they desire, provided they know what they desire, they have to continue with their search for some other purpose of life, otherwise they would be lost and tangled in life. This is the way towards road to success in life.

Once again, they were smiling back, they had confidence and their eyes depicted surety and positivity. They knew they had to give a purpose to their life, as for sure, none of them wanted to live life like an inanimate object.

My dear readers, what is your purpose of life, short term or long term, do write in and join the discussion.