The secret to life’s purpose isn’t hidden in someone else’s expectations or society’s checklist. It lies in discovering what truly matters to you — not what others say should matter. Your purpose is yours alone, and no one else can define it for you.
Growing up in a loving middle-class family, I had it all mapped out. My parents have been madly in love for over 65 years — my dad doted on my mom throughout their marriage. So, naturally, I believed my story would unfold just the same. I envisioned a perfect love, a flawless marriage, a life filled with laughter, picnics, and Sunday Drive-In movies.
After all, Bollywood showed me that love always had a happy ending. Rajesh Khanna and Sharmila Tagore always found their way back to each other. Rishi Kapoor and Neetu Singh didn’t just act the love story — they lived it. So I waited for my movie-script ending.
But life, as it does, had other plans.
I soon realized that ideals are just that — ideals, not guarantees. Life doesn’t hand us perfection wrapped in a bow. Plans change, people change, and even the best scripts fall apart. The truth is: you cannot wait for your standards and dreams to arrive neatly packaged. They may never come. What you can do is choose how you respond to the twists and turns.
That’s the lesson I’ve learned the hard way.
These days, I no longer waste time overthinking or polling others for their opinions. I write out my options, weigh them, and ask myself one key question:
Will this even matter a year from now?
If the answer is no, I let it go. If it’s yes, I act — with purpose and peace.
Success isn’t just about achieving a goal. Sometimes, it’s knowing when to quit or walk away from what no longer fits. Everything in life — every relationship, every opportunity — has a time limit. Even we do.
Challenges are a given. But if we learn to let go of obsessive thinking, embrace self-care, and become the priority in our own lives, we’ll meet those challenges with grace and strength. After all, if life were predictable, it would be dull. Uncertainty is what makes it real.
“Life is not a problem to be solved, but a reality to be experienced.”
– Søren Kierkegaard
Live it. Feel it. Own your journey — no filters, no script. Just you!
