Finding Your Own Path

A line by songwriter Tim Booth goes "If I hadn't seen such riches, I could live with being poor".

Well, in a society where wealth and success is not only evident but relentlessly sold to us every day, it's natural for the average person to question his own lot.

Not that we shouldn't want to achieve more, but the majority of the messages we get these days tend to convince us that to be happy, to be proud of ourselves, to be respected by others, we must attain great wealth or be a frontrunner in some popular field like sport or music.

It's enough to make many of us can feel awfully inadequate. And this tendency to compare ourselves with others can make us forget about what we want, what makes us happy, what our natural passions drive us to do.

Your ex-classmates, former colleagues and friends may have gone on to earn more, get promoted, buy their third car, their second apartment and so on, but life is not a race. Some of us may want to be a full-time parent, for example, a theatre performer, work with children, travel the world, or a foodie blogger.

Sure, we should aim to move forward in life, but gunning for the benchmarks set by others can often prove frustrating. that's because we each have unique talents, values and passions. In order to be happy and successful in our own way, we have to look to ourselves instead of others.

Start with your innate gifts - what do you do well naturally? Are you good in sports, for example? Draw or paint well? Perhaps you are musically-inclined? Write or speak well? Don't dismiss them as common. You would be surprised how far you could go in a job that requires one or a combination of those gifts.

Think of how you could serve the world. What problem could you solve? That's your value right there. Every job is one that solves a certain problem or fulfills a certain need. Think along those lines and your path towards a more satisfying life and career will become clearer.

So by all means admire others for their achievements, but don't let their yardsticks dictate yours. Explore your own path towards self-discovery and self-fulfillment.

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Eugine Loh, 938Live, MediaCorp Pte Ltd