Earth is
filled with people who feel an empty hopelessness toward the meaning of life
(Newton, 1996, p276). At the last page of the book, the author, Dr. Newton
stated the above. This statement got me wondered if the wording is a bit too
strong, or sensational though I agree with his point of view. Always curious
and seeking answers, I asked one of my coworkers to see if she agreed with the
author by telling her that statement. Without hesitation, she told me she
shared the same feeling that, indeed, lots of people simply walk the roads of
life not knowing the purpose or meaning of life. “Empty” is the right word.
Talking
about purpose of life, one of the dogmas I learned from school at youth stated:
To serve others is the purpose of life.
Whoever came from the same education system would recite this and other principles
about life without any difficulty; it’s as easy as if one was fetching a
certain document from a dossier. At youth, that dogma was simply something I
had to remember; it was just a statement the teachers and schools taught and
gave. Words were just words without density, depth, or intensity.
The drive
to excel is internal to each soul. This sort of self-actualization of the soul identity is the purpose of life on
any world (Newton, 1996, p179). Self-actualization is to develop and achieve a
person’s full potential, according to the definition of dictionary. The
teachings from the East where I was educated told me to serve others is the
purpose of life and root of happiness. Self vs others? Conflict?
Years ago,
the wave and impact of the staggering economy reached the public library
causing some dramatic changes, and daunting challenges. Confused and lost as if
a ship floating in the immense ocean with a broken compass, I felt frustrated
and wondered if this would be the end of my working in the public library. One
night, physically exhausted and mentally defeated, I voiced my doubt and
frustration to my coworker whom I was following to the lobby area to close the
building at closing hour. “What’s next? What should I do?” “To serve the
public.” Just like that: simple, straightforward, and to the point. And, thanks
to this short conversation and inspirational encounter, not only did I go back
to school, earn a degree, become a librarian, I also am able to enjoy everyday
at work, a place I nicknamed “my playground.”
Getting
older helps me to make the connection between the self-actualization and
serving the others, the public. Development and achievement of one’s talents,
skills, and potential are the means and tools to fulfill the goals of helping
others. I had no clues that what I believed so-called common sense, instinct,
spontaneous responses, and natural acts were hidden potential I have owned.
As if peeling off a raw onion,
conversations, happenstances, and events were layers had to be exposed then
removed to see the staunch, innate core of that stubborn onion. Naturally
strong odor and spicy, the onion would become pretty sweet and tasty after
cooked properly and skillfully. I felt as if I was the headstrong and stubborn
smelly onion secured and protected by its crispy and brown skin years ago. Once
the resistant façade was taken away, the process of growth and development
began.
As if I were an addicted, obsessed
with and fascinated by the positive responses and kind comments from the
patrons, the urge to serve and the drive for excellence silently and gradually
led me to walk out the shell I hid for years and to step out my comfort zone. Inexperienced,
hesitant, and shy, I tried, learned, experimented, failed, and tried again to
make progress. Lack of training opened the doors to self-educate, self-develop,
and self-fulfill. Whenever there was an unpleasant news or a coming challenge,
my heartbeat increased, my mind started to race with ideas and scenes swimming
and floating in my head as if fish struggling to get out of the small tank to
jump into the ocean to enjoy the immensity and freshness of waters. Bells of
opportunities were made waiting for me to follow and to catch the meaning of
the sound and melody.
The meaning of life is not too hard
to understand and comprehend. Sense of achievement and happiness are the
manifestation of it. If a person is not great at work the chance for this
person to be great at home is slim, and vice versa. No need of social status,
stratum, power, or wealth to meet the goal and fulfillment of the purpose of
life. All one has to do is to inspect and reflect what’s important in her/his
life and that importance is related to and influential to other’s well-beings
and benefits. No one is really independent living on earth. Food, clothes, and
other necessities in a person’s life come from other’s hard working.
Like a drop of water onto a
borderless lake, the depth, intensity, and breadth of ripples are determined
and measured by the force and dimension of that drop of water. How sincere is
your attitude at work? How hard do you work? How genuine is your heart dealing
with people? How much effort and contribution do you make to have your team work
and work together? Ask these questions, reflect your answers, and you might be
able to understand what’s the meaning of life.
Every person has her/his influence
and impact upon people around her/him. Negative or positive of yours? The
answer for the meaning of life is just a question away.
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