The Importance of Defining Your Life Philosophy

Finding your direction and purpose — an often neglected but crucial task.

You may have grown up in a specific family environment, or were surrounded by peers who were all following a relatively standardized, fixed path. You may be walking that same path too, but somewhere along the way, you begin feeling that this is not bringing you fulfilment; that you are not happy with the direction your life is heading. But you are too afraid to take the unconventional route, even though you believe it could be much healthier and more suited for your interests, lifestyle and aspirations.

It’s normal to feel this mid-life, or even quarter-life crisis. I’m arguably experiencing one myself now, as a fresh 22 year old undergraduate trapped in a never-ending pandemic and conservative Asian household.

It takes courage to both acknowledge and act on these feelings of disillusionment and misalignment. But I believe that these are internal conversations that you must have with yourself, with the outcome being you finding your grounding and identifying the values, direction and purpose you want to shape your life around. It may be different from others, but it must be something that you hold close to your heart, and never waver on. By standing steadfast to your values and life philosophy, I believe that you will at the same time unlock what exactly makes life worth living — for you.

We are all unique individuals, molded by different sets of experiences and social circles…