Paved path

By watedroplet

I like to read books right from the first page, but this book is something different. I just started with preface and my mind is already smiling. I don't remember, I have given this importance to preface page but this time it meant so much to me.

So, it begins with my favorite question: What is your life's goal?

Thus, it begins like this: " What do you want to be when you grow up? "

The author answers this as : " I had many interests as a kid, and it was easy to choose. If it sounded exciting and glamorous, I wanted to do it. I wanted to be a marine biologist, an astronaut, a Marine, a ship’s officer, a pilot, and a professional football player. I was fortunate enough to achieve three of those goals: a Marine Corps officer, a ship’s officer, and a pilot. I knew I did not want to become a teacher, a writer, or an accountant. I did not want to be a teacher because I did not like school. I did not want to be a writer because I failed English twice. And I dropped out of my MBA program because I could not stand accounting."

This was pretty good. The moment I read this I was drawn back to my younger days when I used to question myself this question and like him, I too had a big list of professions I wished to do which kept changing every year based on my taste and interests. Like the author, I too was successful in fulfilling few of my wishes. 

The best words I ever came across were, "Ironically, now that I have grown up, I have become everything I never wanted to become." I always had complain with myself that I have to do things I never wanted to do. When I read these words, my years of frustration and my inner resentments, all dissolved. In fact I also feel the very same. I became everything I never wanted to become. 

I became a nurse which I never wanted to be, but it brought patience and care in me. I struggled a lot with the English grammar, and now I write blogs, stories, poetries and even research papers. Of course, I learned more of grammar after becoming a writer.

This also landed me to a short period of teaching and learning English which further improved my language. 

In the wee years of my life, I have learned things which does not fall in my path of learning at all but I learned. These were few unique things which no one wants to learn but they were part of my bucket list and I am happy to learn them. These skills will never allow me to be hungery ever. 

So, the charming part of the discussion is what goal of life we discovered in this diverse experience the author had and what I had.

The goal of life which I discovered is the path through which I ultimately reach to the purpose for which I have been created. The same thing Thich Naht Hahn, the Vitnemese Zen master said, "The path is the goal." I could relate to this person as I have read his work on mindfulness in daily life and mindfulness-based stress reduction. The similar concept is also proposed by Viktor Frankl when he talked about "exsistentialism" where he focused on finding the purpose in life. 

When I am writing this down, I could reflect on everything I had done to reach to this stage. I had found couple of books which actually started this journey. One book was "Purpose driven life" by Pastor Rick Warren. I think this set the tone. I thought my life would be more organised after I finsh this book but nothing changed, I still was confused. Amidst all these confusions and uncertainities I kept moving on the path I landed or chose. 

You know the path I have walked through no way appeared to lead me to the dreams I have always dreamt of. 

I was a nurse which seemed to do nothing with what I love doing now but it has a purpose. It laid the stone of patience which I need now. Then I moved to school set up which paved path of obsevations. I observed things which I want to make better. This school phase opened my eyes to what I want to work on. After all these struggles, I started my college after a long break. This was the time and place where I was first introduced to research and I did my work. This was the time I was reminded of what all dreams I had. I started writing because of an event in my life and thereafter writing became my hobby as well as relaxation means. This was the essentiality for my research work. It all began way before I even thought to do reasearch. Thus, I see that the path is all that will lead us to our purpose of life. 

Since, I am not writing autobiography, I would just say that my path, my struggles, my challenges and my everything all led me to what I am today and I am proud that I took all those things. We will not know our purpose until we step into the path that stands in front of us. We need to make the path to the purpose of our life. The purpose of our life unfolds in sections. Therefore, we should be attentive in our life and keep moving until we make it. 

This post is a part of Blogchatter A2Z Challenge 2026 and backlink to www.theblogchatter.com

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