This is a user submission to IRL. The opinions expressed are solely those of the author, and do not represent the opinions of IRL or its affiliates.
Sometimes I wonder what the meaning of life is.
People around me have described it as a journey from A to Z. Others see it as a process of growth in stages from a child to an elderly person before waving goodbye to this world.
Some may have a better life in this reality while others are still struggling to cope with the ups and downs of this journey.
For me, I see life as a series of challenging aspects, full of obstacles ahead of us. But I believe we are here to experience the process of becoming better humans, right?
After all, we are born to lend a helping hand to each other and assist those in dire need of help.
[Image via Pexel]
Why am I penning my Life’s journey?
I am an ordinary person and come from an average and single-parent family. I don’t have any siblings, and was taught to be independent since I was small.
Back when I was still a kid, I had already understood the meaning of life, although the people around me hadn’t yet arrived at this stage.
The reason is simple: I faced hardships as a kid that set me apart from the others.
I don’t mean to boast — but I had a driven personality, coupled with the understanding that I had to strive to earn a living.
I didn’t have many friends due to my family background; I grew up in a sophisticated environment and lacked family attachments.
And yet, money was a concern for me back then.
To support myself, I would go all-out, juggling part-time tasks after school.
I began working as a waiter from Form 1 until Form 4. After school hours and after quickly completing my homework, I would rush back home for my work.
[Image via Inside Retail Asia]
As such, I rarely had the chance to join any extracurricular activities.
The only time I was able to enjoy my passion for running and football was during my day off.
That’s why I empathise with the plight of the poor until now.
Appreciate the people around us
When I started my career platform at the age of 25, my mind was focused solely on accruing wealth and status.
Seven years ago, I would go all-out to work hard for my future. After some time, I took a pause to gather my thoughts.
I realised that I had neglected my family all these years. Since I started work, I have been on duty every single year during Chinese New Year festivities.
It was then I realised, what do I wish to achieve in my life?
[Image via AsiaOne]
Money, status, family or health?
All of these thoughts were running through my mind when I encountered my friend’s ordeal one day.
Her name is F. She comes from a well-educated and rich background, and yet she is the type of person who cares for her friends and sacrifices a lot for her family.
Just last week, her world came crashing down when she was informed by her doctor that she had Stage Two cancer.
When I heard the news from a mutual friend during a New Year’s gathering, I was stunned.
Why did such a thing happen to F?
How am I going to console her?
Although she is a positive person by nature, I worried that no one in the world would ever be able to accept such heartbreaking news.
[Image via Clinical Advisor]
Money is not everything in this world
Even now, F is still trying to avoid everyone around her.
I understand her feelings and I know the difficulty she needs to go through.
After all, the Journey of Life is wide and broad.
They say that “Money is not everything in this world.”
After I heard about F’s news, I realised this was true.
My new mantra is now: “Always spend time with loved ones.”
That’s how I intend to live the rest of my life.
For more stories like this, read: What My Father’s Death Taught Me and 5 Life Mistakes I Made Without Realizing It.
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