The purpose of being alive

One of my favorite philosopher Alan Watts once said and I paraphrase here:

“What is the purpose of being alive? Well, the purpose of being alive is simply, being alive.”

Sometimes, the ultimate truth, the enlightening wisdom, is shockingly, simple.

However, like any wisdom, to understand it is easy, as it only requires our intellect, but to implement it to full execution, that’s a completely different story.

After all, most of us are still half-asleep, walking in a morning mist in search of our awakening.

And many people, myself included, have embarked on a self-discovery quest to seek our true calling and a sense of significance in the world. And it’s quite a challenging but rewarding journey.

Because deep down we believe there’s so much we can offer and so much potential we can possibly realize.

However, one of the pitfalls of this grand pursuit is that, over time, we become too attached to our envisioned dreams or goals of figuring out what our purpose is; we lose touch with the initial spark that ignites this journey—what our heart is really longing for: to simply be happy.

And most importantly, oftentimes, the effort of bettering ourselves turns into, frankly, a facade to cover our deepest fears, scared of not being liked or feeling not good enough.

So maybe, if you take a pause here, you might realize that the answer is already presenting itself, unveiling its holy face when you let go of the desire to figure things out.

You don’t have to be anyone, prove to anybody, or accomplish anything in order to be loved, to be happy, and to be enough, because you already are.

I know it might sound cliché, but remember that famous saying from Rumi: “You are not a drop in the ocean; you are literally the entire ocean in a drop.”

So, take a moment to slow down. Breathe in the soothing fragrance that surrounds you, listen to the gentle whispers of the wind, feel the comforting warmth of the sun on your skin, and immerse yourself in the invigorating breath of life.

You being alive, being your authentic self, is already the best gift to the world and your great purpose of being alive.