What are we all striving for?
I realized that I didn’t care anymore whether I was from whatever-name university. After all, in business, I realize that people come from everywhere, not just HYPSM. If you came up to me and introduced yourself as from Harvard or MIT or Stanford, I don’t think that I would really care. So why do people want to go to all those big prestigious places for? Study so hard, work like mad, be passionate in some areas, most of the time for the sake of it, all to be an alum of Princeton/Penn/Cambridge/Oxford etc.? Then get a prestigious job and earn tons of money? What is the end goal?(Help others? Maybe) Self-empowerment and fame boost? Be in a higher standing? Be looked at with awe and amazement? Be famous? Be a “role model” that people look up to? Achieve your career goals? What does all these mean anyway? It’s all temporary. Fleeting.
I don’t care about all that anymore. At least I think I don’t. But I think that’s lying.
And many people work work work to earn money money and more money. What is the point of it all in the end? Yes of course no money no talk. We all need money to survive, enjoy and also do God’s work. But what is the bigger picture? I don’t have the bigger picture at the moment. All I am doing is follow the motions, do what everyone is doing, follow what everybody is pursuing. You go to university? Therefore I have to go to. You trying to enter Big Name University? Hence I try to do so too. You earn big bucks? So my mum tells me that I should too, be prosperous and help others in return, i.e. get money to give money. (Sounds like a cover up and a good excuse for wanting to be wealthy, but it’s not a bad motive) But I really think that there should be something bigger. A bigger purpose. What’s the point of going through the motions, getting along life, striving and striving and losing ourselves?
How can I live my life such that I have absolutely no regrets following the path that I am treading now when I look back in the distant future? I don’t know. I really don’t know. But I know one thing: I really want to start my own company somewhere in the next few years after I graduate. Hopefully in Malaysia.
Why? I am just fascinated by large companies and how they function, especially tech companies. But is it also because I am some power hungry freak who wants to be at the helm of a tech conglomerate? Or because I want to be in control and have a recognizable name? So many possible wrong motives. Is it because I want to make big money? That’s another possible hidden motive. Do I have the hidden motives in me? Maybe. If I answered ‘No’ you wouldn’t believe me either.
But my other reason is that it is just plain fun (and hard work of course). Results are directly proportional to the amount of effort and wisdom that you employ in the business, wisdom in applying the right technology, systems, and in recruiting the right people. And of course, it would be outright exhilarating to see your enterprise lift off the ground and profitably grow. I get to meet and work with people everywhere. Hopefully I get to travel too. Maybe I can provide a great employment opportunity to thousands of people, and motivate them to join the company and embrace its vision instead of treating it like a job. Oh, then it would be a ‘we’ thing too. So many opportunities.
Well, talk is cheap. Let’s go back to the above question? Why bother doing all this? My answer would be that because it would be worse trying to do nothing at all and wonder what your goals are and end up not doing anything. You dream it, go for it. Why and what am I striving for? Do I even have the option to not strive? Really, do I? Can I just stop striving? Would that mean just be complacent? Complacent is a bad word, isn’t it?
I don’t have a choice, do I?
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i’m reposting the comments made in the shoutmix…
dude, you think too much. Here’s a piece of what i think- Not everything you do will have a ‘correct’ and ‘wrong’ motive. A motive is just a motive.
what my 26 yr old senior told me may make things easier for u. ” life is simple. Only things u need to do is a) serve God, b) bring others to God.
Whichever path you take to accomplishing the 2 goals is entirely up to you.
@mayshi: 2 simple things, yet it is so hard isn’t it? I certainly flunk badly in the latter, and in the first I don’t even know whether what I am intending to do glorifies God and serves His purpose. More like I am serving my own self and my desires…
@victor: what do you mean a motive is just a motive?
I would believe in you, for one. I know you well enough.
The thing is yes, you have to strive, but not to the point that you overdo it. How do you overdo it? That happens when you compromise your principles (integrity, etc.) or more importantly, God.
Not sure if related, but read my blog, the article on “A Person’s Worth”. (Search “worth”, I’d say.) If you haven’t done so, that is.
The best way to know whether what you are doing glorifies God is to bring it to Him in prayers. As long as you always commit all your decisions to Him and let Him have His way, chances are God will work everything out for you, and it will be so beautifully done that it will glorify Him. I have no idea whether I am walking the talk, but I’d say, put God first, and His will and plans will be done, and being a witness to such is something that all worldly satisfaction cannot buy.
Of course, serving God does not necessarily mean going into pastoral service… God plants godly people in the business world too. It matters not what you do, it is your heart that matters. If you sincerely seek to glorify Him, God will allow you to! =)
At least for me I know I can’t be a pastor (maybe not yet) because as much as you are now being enthu about going Bible College, I am not interested, and neither has God moved me to do it. Same goes with missionary and evangelism. The fact that I am pretty darn crazy with IT stuffs made it easy for me to decide to go into CompSci… made the decision and see how God works everything out.
neither do i feel the calling to go into pastoral service… just felt like attending bible school, that’s pretty much it
hmmm yeah i have to agree with what you shared with me, putting God first and all, and about striving but not to the point of overdoing it. thanks for sharing your thoughts. reinforces the notions that I have floating on the back of my mind. just great to hear it from another person’s perspective =)
=) Thanks for sharing your thoughts too.