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Publisher’s Note
It was 22 years ago when I arrived in Canada and chose Calgary, Alberta to be my home. Leaving my family and friends behind, it was a new adventure for me to be in a new country without knowing anyone. That was the time I looked for a Filipino community paper and never found any, [...]
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Purposes of life

By Consuelo (Chit) E. Munar

“What is the meaning of life? This meaning is not for you to find but for you to define. The meaning of life is found in the purposes that we pursue as we grow older” – Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago

I was in disbelief when I learned about the passing of my idol, my hero, Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago. Immediately, I felt so distraught that I wept. I wept just like I wept when John F. Kennedy died. The woman whom I adored since her law school years in UP Diliman, who was extraordinarily respected for her intelligence, her courageous battle for good governance, the person who epitomized genuine public service, has lost her own battle.

Despite the loss, many Filipinos, will cherish her memory forever. Many expressed that she was the Best Woman President the Philippines never had. As a politician, she’s one of the few honorable people in the Philippines who served in the three branches of government – executive, judicial and legislative. In 1997, she was named one of the 100 Most Powerful Women in the World by the Australian Magazine. She was an icon of incorruptibility, honest government service and constitutional law. Senator Santiago also was the first Filipina and the first Asian from a developing country to be elected judge of the International Criminal Court. These were among her greatest achievements and I believe she defined her purpose on earth and in life well.

Leo Rosten said, “I think the purpose of life is, above all, to matter, to count, to stand for something, to have made some difference that you lived at all. ” We live in a world of constant change and it’s not easy to maintain our balance and sense of direction. We strive to do so because having a sense of direction toward a meaningful goal is the better part of becoming happy.

Recently, I read Dan Millman’s, ” The Four Purposes of Life,” a book in which he shares important rules to help people everywhere improve their lives, find their passion, do what they love and live with inspiration. I found the book filled with meaningful insights. First, Millman argues that Earth is a perfect school, and daily life is the classroom. We aren’t here on Earth merely to strive for success. We’re here to learn- and daily life is guaranteed to teach us all our needs in order to grow, to evolve and to awaken us to our higher purpose here.

Our curriculum, called humanity’s curriculum, come in the form of twelve (12) core subjects namely: discipline, self-worth, wellbeing, money, emotions, mind, courage, self-knowledge, intuition, sexuality, live and service. Life provides certain opportunities and choices that we must allow ourselves to receive, achieve or enjoy such opportunities to the extent that we believe ourselves deserving or worthy of them. Realizing our innate worth expands our horizons and opens our lives to a larger life.

The practice of self-discipline roots in will. Most of us know the value of exercise, good diet, kindness, relaxation and breaking unhealthy habits. Our greatest single challenge in every area of self-improvement is transforming knowledge into action – turning what we know into what we actually do.

The second purpose of life is finding our career and calling. Most people in the developed world spend many of their waking hours in an office, at home, maybe in a factory, or outdoors doing work that provides a sense of purpose (and even pride) while performing a service for others. Some types of work primarily offer material rewards; other pursuits may bring little income but provide psychological or emotional rewards.

Discovering a life path is the third purpose of life. It begins with the precept that we are each climbing a mountain toward our highest potential but by differing paths. Anya Seton said, ” there are many trails up the mountain, but in time they all reach the top.” We were born with the drives, challenges, and gifts of our life path; what we do with them is up to us.

The last piece on the four purposes of life is attending to the arising moment. No matter what life brings – joys and disappointments, burdens and delights- amid all the complications, duties and responsibilities, we can always handle this arising moment. The purpose of today is today. So live a life that matters. Want your life to make a difference – think biblically, speak intelligently, work passionately, act responsibly, love unconditionally and, most of all, live significantly.

Purposes of life

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