Find your purpose in life
written by Vanessa Herrera Santiago, an ellement collective™ teen intern & founding member
Have you ever wondered why are you alive? Ever thought that maybe there’s a reason or reasons behind your existence? Well, if you have, you’re totally right. Every single one of us has a purpose in life, the only problem is that we don’t discover it right away. For me, it took me about 18 years to figure it out. Maybe you’re one of those people who knew it since they were little or maybe you haven’t found it yet. Whatever your situation, remember that your life is not a random game, but an opportunity to become your best self. There is a reason for everything that has happened and once you find your purpose, you will notice that it was worth it and, more importantly, you will realize that if something had happened differently, you would not be the same person.
“All the obstacles you have faced were intended to make you stronger and more prepared for the future.”
“Ikigai”... have you heard this word before? Well, it is a japanese philosophy that, personally, is the key to finding everything: happiness, success, self realisation and transcendence. The first time I heard about it was during the pandemic, how ironic right? How could I think about happiness when the world was going through one of the worst health crises? Nevertheless, reflecting about it changed my life and let me tell you why.
This philosophy is divided into 4 main categories, which are passion, mission, vocation and profession, and by combining some of them you are able to make deep introspections about who you are. The most important combination is obtained when combining everything, because in the center you will find your reason for being, or like I prefer to call it: your purpose in life. Take a look at the Ikigai diagram and see how each concept is related to one another but it is not until everything is together that it just makes complete sense.
Let’s talk about each category really quickly, starting with my favorite one: passion. As you can see, passion is the combination of what you love to do and what you are good at. For me, it’s more personal than that. I understand passion as a lifestyle where I do what makes me happy, even if nobody gets it or recognizes it. It’s like a state of mind in which everything you do makes you enjoy life to the fullest. Now let’s talk about the concept of mission, which basically refers to what the world needs from you. Consider that everything you do, especially what you really love to do, has a purpose in this world and that somehow you’re making it a better place. As for the vocation, when you finish college, or even before, and start working, you need to make sure that you’re still contributing to make this world a better place, now with the benefit of getting paid for doing something you love. Finally, but not less important, is the concept of profession, which combines your skills and once again your salary. Personally, I think most teens and adults in general focus only on their profession, which I believe is the reason most of them are unhappy at their jobs.
“The two most important days in your life are the day you are born and the day you find out why”
The purpose of making your own Ikigai relies on discovering the key to your existence, while at the same time you find what you will do for the rest of your life. Once you reflect on each category, and on each subcategory, you will reach the intersection of all of them and that will be your Ikigai. I invite you to go through this introspection process while you are still a teenager, as it can help you figure out what to study once you enter college. In my case, it helped me realize that studying business administration was the right career path for me, as my goal is to one day run a foundation or nonprofit organization. I discovered, while still a high school student, that my passion, mission, vocation and profession lie in the business world, and now I am more than happy to be doing what I love, what the world needs from me, for what I'll get paid for one day to do and what I am very good at.
“Never forget that you are alive for a reason, and once you find out why, your life will change forever.”
Vanessa Herrera Santiago
{ellement collective™ teen intern & founding member}
I am Vanessa, I am 19 years old and I live in Monterrey, Mexico. I love being a Girl Guide and I am passionate about learning and developing professionally. My goal is to make a significant difference in the world through social actions.
