Why do I do…What I do??

February, 2020

Hi Folks

Ask yourself ‘Why do I do what I do’. Confused ? Clear ? This was a simple ice-breaker question that a well known keynote speaker threw at us at a recent Talk Session. Infact he made each one of us ask our neighbour this question to understand him/her better. Actually looks simple but difficult to answer since in most cases we are not clear why we are into something. But this question not only broke ice but also helped us all do a split-second introspection into the quintessential existential question ‘Who am I ? What do I do ? Why do I do it?’. More often than not, we continue to do what we do without taking a moment to stop, pause and think. We get washed away in the deluge of life’s challenges and charms without stopping by to analyse if we are enjoying what we are doing or not.

This activity enabled not only self-introspection and articulation but also knowing the other person well enough to connect. It was interesting to see the diverse kind of responses this question got. Someone said “I do what I do because it gives me a kick, a sense of adventure and purpose. Helps me connect with people which I love the most”. Someone else said “I do it for a living”. I said “This is what I do best and I know nothing else”. Yet another said “I am not sure why I am doing this. I am an Engineer and so…..” Everyone laughed because most Engineers are burnt out and bored nowadays. Branching into other domains with most preferred being Food & Travel. A young student got up and boldly declared “I am studying commerce only to satisfy my father. But I love photography. I don’t like what I am doing” Reminded me of the struggle that Madhavan’s character had in 3 Idiots movie where he is studying engineering to please his dad but heart in heart desires to be a wildlife photographer. Yet another gentleman got up and shared what his neighbour was doing “He is a 82 year old Social Sciences Professor who has moved from teaching to serving the destitutes. He is clear why he is doing what he is doing. It is deeply satisfying to him at this stage in life”. Wow, in about 5 minutes, we knew each other but also realised how little we knew of ourselves ! How each person has a different purpose in life. How each one of us is either clear or confused about the purpose. What is driving whom. Who is doing what …well, the outcome was it is ok to do anything so long as you enjoy it. So long as there are no regrets. No complaints. Else it is time for you to ‘unbox’ yourself (in the speaker’s words) and find your calling. Find the courage to change course. Then and only then will you Live Life. Enjoy Life. Be Successful in Life. Then years seem like days, days seem like hours and hours like moments. Doesn’t matter if it is a normal year or a Leap year like 2020 ! If you find the answer to ‘Why I do what I do” you can leapfrog into success.