When the first typhoons of the rainy season hit the Philippines, my mum asked me (fearing about my life) “Why can’t you just return to London and live normal life?” I told her that the things that used to fill my life before suddenly lost their appeal – I lost my purpose. I knew everyone around me thought I was thriving in London so I didn’t blame them for questioning my mental state but for me, London has became a hopeless place. I lived a cushy life with virtually unlimited resources and suddenly boom! I embraced a simple island life. Clearly, I closed one door but after opening a new door I stepped into an utter jungle. Because this experience has had such a profound impact on my understanding of life I want to share what I learned. If it only helps one person I’ll be grateful. This is a story of finding purpose in a hopeless place.
I know how it feels to be stuck. But right when you feel like you’re in a hopeless place, it only means that something is about to happen. A breakthrough is around the corner. A new door is about to open. Finding purpose doesn’t always have an obvious or immediate destination. It’s way more important to feel that you’re doing what you love on a daily basis and persist, than being able to describe yourself as an executive director, mathematician or a painter by the age of 25.
