What’s your purpose on Earth?
Honestly, I think it’s to be free. To laugh. To have a blast at every point in time. For it truly is about the journey, isn’t it? Because say you reached your goal. Whatever it may be. The high-paying job. The fancy car. Your dream home. The instant you achieve it, your goal shifts. A new one is created. It has to be that way because if not, there is nothing to look forward to. My mom always says she has unlimited wishes. And it was a running joke in our family. My mom with her endless wishes. But then, when we truly think about it, that is the case with every one of us, is it not? It would be weird if we got our fancy car, and we’re like - this is it. I’m content. I want for nothing else. Then what? Game Over?
There’s a ton of research on how we revert back to our baseline of happiness, with only a brief spike of either increases or decreases in happiness levels depending on whether we’re faced with pleasant or unpleasant situations. So, if the results of achieving end goals are so fleeting, then it makes perfect sense that the journey is what matters most.
Yet, every day we’re willing to put off things that make us happy at the moment. These little sacrifices, each day, each week, each month, each year, for what? A brief moment of happiness in the future that, mind you, is never guaranteed?
Now, let’s be clear. I’m not condoning reckless behavior. I don’t want you to empty your bank account, take copious amounts of loans, or drink and drive. And let’s face it. Could you be truly happy doing that? The guilt would probably negate most of the joy.
I’m talking about the simple pleasures we deny ourselves. Like, I promise you. You can absolutely afford five minutes in the morning to drink your coffee, tea, or any beverage of your choice in peace and truly enjoy every sip. I’ll even be ever so bold as to say you can also afford an evening beverage with yourself or a companion, whatever gives you more joy. You deserve it!
And what about that fifteen minutes of meditation you keep avoiding each day because you don’t have the time? You guessed it. Absolutely can afford it! In fact, do it right now, and thank me later. Wherever you are, if you have the time, space, and mental bandwidth to read this, you have everything you need right now to meditate. Peace is your birthright. Claim it!
So, you miss dancing? Go lock yourself in a room with a mirror for ten minutes, put on your favorite music, and just dance. Who’s going to stop you? The world outside the room will be fine for ten minutes without you. Actually, even if you don’t miss dancing, do it. See how the rhythm fuels your soul.
I guess what I’m trying to say here is just take the time every day to do things that make you happy to be alive. Whatever it may be. Because feeding your soul is equally, if not more important than feeding your body. I cannot claim to know that I have the answer to the mysteries of this marvelous universe we are a part of. But I think I can say with some degree of certainty that one of our primary purposes in life is to experience bliss. Living life in the moment is not a cliché. It’s a guide to ensure that we choose ourselves, our well-being, and our happiness on a daily basis.
So here’s my challenge for you. Do one thing that makes you truly happy TODAY! Not tomorrow morning, not this weekend, TODAY! Then thank yourself for putting yourself first and loving yourself. Just see how that simple act creates so much more space in your heart and mind to tackle everything else in the day with grace and a smile on your face.
Lots of love ❤
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Sneha Pradhan
Storyteller. Dreamer. ✨
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Comments (16)
We all need to take moments and just be.. great article
I have been pigging out on all the foods I avoided, trying to stay thin-ish. Been eating like a pig lately. Enjoyed it, though gotta revert to good behavior. I totally get your take on this. Living for the sake of living is fun.
It is interesting as I reread my comment on this six months ago. I have come aong way in these six months. Things continued to pile up on me to the point where I was beginning to hyperventilate daily. I was honestly losing my way. I saw that I was drowning so I reached out about 3 months ago (early January) and started working with a therapist. As they say it's going to get worse before it gets better. It did get worse. I experienced trauma in other areas in my life. But now things are working themselves out. So right now I am sitting down with a salad and I'm not just eating it. I am enjoying it. I am still a 24/7 caregiver but my attitude is different. Thank you for you article. Reading it again six months later has been both healing and eye opening for me.
What a beautiful way to view life. I hope to take some of this with me everyday.
Your mother was a wise and playful woman and I'm taking the lessons you learned and communicated to us to heart. ❤'d and subscribed 🤗
Listening to some vinyl as I read this, so I was one step ahead of you. 😄
What a nice dose of inspiration. Thanks for sharing!
This is a wonderful read!! ❤️ feeding your soul is definitely important!
Great article that hits straight to the two things people are concerned most with in life: what it means to be happy and what it means to be free. Love this line: "The world outside the room will be fine for ten minutes without you."
I love your positive outlook! It's so refreshing. I hope you keep your endless wishes like your mom :) Thank you for sharing this slice of happy.
Some really nice ideas. But you are young. If only it was that five minutes in the morning to sip on some tea in the morning or relax at night with a favorite beverage. And to actually have time to meditate or exercise would be wonderful. But here is the catch we are all at different walks in our lives. What you mentioned in your article is for a person that has minimal or maybe normal responsibilities in life. There are some of us, such as myself, that are at a point in life where we are protectors, caregivers, health advocates, and more... We do all these things simultaneously. Some of us, such as myself, do not have much help in doing all of this. My job is 24/7. I do not get a break. And it never fails whenever I think I will have about 5 minutes to myself the person I care for ends up waking up or needing something and before I know it the time that I have for myself is no longer there for myself. It happens more so than not. So yes I do try to capture moments for myself. But the reality is that those moments for myself don't really exist right now. I like what you have to say and it sounds like a beautiful wonderful world but there are so many different facets and seasons and journeys in life that were not always there and the one part of the journey that you are speaking of. I hope to someday be back and that part of the journey. Thank you though for a nicely written article.
Beautiful message 🥰
Beautiful article, wonderful ideas to keep use safe in ourselves
Love this, Sneha. Made me feel warm inside knowing that it's okay to take time off to do the little things I love. Little pockets of joy, eh? Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
I finished reading, put my phone down, made myself coffee and am now commenting. I'll go feed my soul now with this elixir of life. Thank you so much for sharing this!
Good article. Well said.