Purpose in Life

Sisyphus challenged death and he was dealt a punishment of eternal damnation. A gruelling, perpetual task of rolling a rock up a summit, never succeeding and would never succeed, and yet the former King derived pleasure in doing so. Perhaps that pleasure would be aptly defined by tenacity, the refusal to succumb to hardships when triumph was within an arm’s reach. That, then, is Sisyphus’ purpose in existing.

Without a purpose in life, we are merely puppets strung tightly on strings, simply existing and not living. Purpose is the fuel to passion in life, the spark to ignite hope in our mundane, everyday life. However, when one had found a purpose in life and had succeeded in achieving that dream, what would come afterwards? Is it yet another descend into the mundanity of life or the arduous search for another purpose?

In this instance, drawing from my personal experience, the completion of my education has been my purpose. My dream is to graduate with a distinction, adhering to society’s dictum, and to finally leave the life of endless lectures and tutorials. However, as the date of my graduation draws near, this strange bittersweet feeling permeates me. It is the revelation that my journey is coming to an end, for my purpose is coming to fruit, and it is a rather terrifying thought.

Sisyphus deserves recognition, not for his machinations or misplaced intelligence, but for having a motivating purpose for his veritably cursed immortal life. Perchance the most gratifying part of life has always been the journey and not the destination; the greatest pleasure in life may be, while a paradox, the path of struggles to our dream.