“All I want is to be done with exams, get good grades and a job” – this is what we hear around campus these days. As students, this is the first answer that comes to mind when asked what we want from life. We may also think of money, a nice house, having a family, travelling. Our goals are concrete. Yet, we know that these are not enough. There seems to be greater goals that need to be achieved, greater heights to be reached. At some point in life, we all felt the urge to do something meaningful in life. Compared to people like Mother Teresa, Martin Luther King, Bill Gates, William Shakespeare, our student lives seem so insignificant. Obviously, we know that not all of us will change the world or create history but we probably all feel that life cannot be reduced to getting good grades, doing well at job interviews, secure good jobs and making money.
It is the time of our lives when we decide what career to take, what path to follow. It seems like if we do not make the right choice now, we might not get the chance to change our lives later. We are all busy. There is no time to think of what we really want in life, except for what we want in the immediate future. Yet, we should all take some time to think, because there is more to life. If we aim for higher goals then the smaller ones come naturally. Different people want different things. Some want to live with purpose and make a positive change in a large community. This does not necessarily mean changing the face of the world but rather doing something for others. Others are more attracted to spirituality; they want to find peace of mind and their inner self. Fulfilment can also be found in a meaningful career, making money while living your passion and getting recognition for your work.
True happiness can also simply mean knowing that whatever you are doing is worthwhile, be it raising children, taking care of a family, working, travelling, being surrounded by your loved ones. Different people will rank these objectives differently or will attach different meanings to them. These goals overlap, one can lead to the other or one could encompass another. There exists no list to pick and choose what we want from life. This is why finding what will make us happy difficult; there are no fixed rules.
Our goals also seem to be set by society, by family, by our background. Most of us have grown in an environment where we are told what will make us happy: being educated, securing a good job, having a family, being able to afford holidays, etc. We have been conditioned to want these things and it is now more difficult to distinguish what we really want. But this is completely normal. Our environment shapes who we are and there is not much we can do about it. If we feel comfortable with what we have been told will make us happy, then it’s probably right. On the other hand, our true desires can be shaped by our own personal experience and happiness may not be reached by traditional means.
Everyone is different and everyone will find happiness through different means. Choosing one way or another is not an easy task. There is no certainty that we will ever be sure that we have made the correct choice. At this moment in life, where every decision seems to be crucial, it is time to reflect on what we want from life. Nobody can give us a mantra to personal fulfilment. Maybe one day we will just have a revelation or we will just get a feeling that we have reached true happiness. Whichever goals we have, whatever the means we choose, at least we will have tried.