Living a meaningful life | Raeveen Pasupathy

Living a meaningful life

“In the quest for a purposeful life, the truth is this: crafting meaningful experiences rests in your hands alone.”

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Do you know who you are? Do you know why you are here and what your purpose in life is?

It’s okay if you don’t though! It’s okay to not have an answer to these questions — or for the answers to change over time. But they are great questions to keep asking to ground and recenter yourself on your journey through life. I had the same questions too, and was completely lost in “What if” / “Future” while neglecting the present, or finding the purpose for my life.

These days, we’re often too busy working, worrying, and arguing to give much thought to such grand, existential questions.

Reminder:
“Amidst the expanse of time, our stay on Earth is a fleeting ember.”

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Pause and reflect

Despite what people’s social media accounts may have you believe, no one lives a perfect life. Behind the scenes, our lives are full of twists and turns, of loss and love, of beautiful coincidences and nasty surprises.

The problem isn’t that life’s not perfect. The problem is that we get angry, sad, and frustrated because we expect it to be.

But here’s the thing. We can’t change the things that happen to us. But as famous writer and civil rights activist Maya Angelou advised, “If you can’t change it, change the way you think about it”.

Message:
It’s important to pause and reflect so you can change direction if you need to.

Changing the way we think about things means we can also change how we react to them and strive to become the most caring, considerate, and compassionate version of ourselves. Of course, these changes take time, and time is a precious resource in today’s busy world.

That’s why it’s the most important gift you can give to yourself. As often as you can, slow down your life and press pause. This means consciously scheduling uninterrupted time in your day that you can use to think, reflect, and just be in the present moment.

When you do this, you will notice that many things in your busy life are not what they seem — And not as they need to be. You may pause and realize that, even though you had a crappy day at work, you are surrounded by colleagues who admire and respect you. You may pause and reconsider, because emotions blinds you and takes control of you.

So whenever you are struggling with a situation or decision that you imperfect life throws at you, pause! Think about what you would like your values, purpose, and mission in life to be. Recall the times in the past you’ve demonstrated strength, wisdom and courage. Remember that you are not defined by the things that happen to you, but by how you choose to deal with them.

Prayer, meditation, and gratitude practices are ways to cultivate inner peace.

Message:
Prayer, meditation, and gratitude practices are great ways to cultivate inner peace.

Prayers is not simply a demonstration of faith. It’s a powerful way to getting in touch with your own thoughts and emotions. It is important to frequently seek God for help, guidance, hope, and forgiveness for ourselves — And for health, joy, and prosperity for our family, community, and country. We have to remind ourselves of our blessings, makes peace with our own and others’ imperfections, and sets intentions for the future.

Prayers can also be a great way to guide decision-making. The “Process of Discernment”, as it’s called, includes steps such as identifying the problem, observing your emotions, and praying for openness and freedom.