"Do you think we all are created for a purpose? Because i would love to think so!"
This is a scene in the movie I, Robot, where a robot with (super) artificial intelligence asks another ordinary robot (machine). I would have watched this movie almost every time its on TV. (For some of you guys, to relate it better - number of times this movie is telecast in TV is equal to the Rajini movie "Muthu"). Almost everytime I watch this scene: Goosebumps! (The only other occasion i get goosebumps is when the national anthem is played - தொட்டில் பழக்கம்).
Belief and perceptions:
Perceptions are mostly sensory and are stored as memory cells. Right click and open those memory cell - you can feel them.
- MS Dhoni's six to win the world cup
- Sun rise at Kanyakumari
- The sight of Taj Mahal
- Tirunelveli Halwa
- Haldirams' Rasagulla (refrigerated)
- Curd rice at home after a week long travel
- Sunday late evening (weekend is over - got to sleep in a while)
- Smell of amrutanjan (pain balm)
- Smell of the earth moments before it rains (petrichor)
- Solomon Pappiah - என்னய்யா!!!!
- Your favourite Ilayaraja or ARR song (on a rainy day)
- That whatsapp message tone
- when you restart your old nokia phone, the startup tone (dan dan dan dan dan)
As you would have noticed, as you read, your mind opened the relevant memory cell and made you feel all of this (FEEL it - not just relate to it or comprehend or understand it) - these are Perceptions. There are perceptions about people - For instance, at work place, you like some, you dont like a few and there are a few - the sight of whom would irritate you. (Notice that you would have thought of some names for each such category). Computers are imitations of our human mind. Just imagine all these perceptions (out of experiences in the past or hearsay) are files. Every time, we get to think about any of this, the mind opens the file and thats why we feel (and not just relate).
Belief: Belief is hard to describe! Belief cant be explained. There can not be "Why?" and "How" here. I believe - Fullstop! Some belief statements:
- I believe in GOD.
- I believe India will win this match.
- I believe today is a beautiful day
- I believe exams are going to be easy
- I believe this Doctor - I will be better off with the medicine he / she prescribes
- I believe Federer is the best tennis player
For instance, you talk statistics to your friend about how many matches Federer has lost to Djokovic and Nadal - He will simply say "Doesn't matter - RF is the best" I guess belief is not a file like perceptions are! Perceptions can change and it can be renewed voluntarily or by time. Belief is probably like the operating systems. And the most important thing is that, perceptions are dictated by belief. You can not have perceptions against your belief. For instance, if you believe that your boss hinders your career (you dont like him or you think he doesn't like you), you can not perceive that you will get a better performance rating this quarter (Only negative perceptions possible). Hence people who have negative perceptions about theirs state of life got to think about belief systems.
So whats the point?
For all those who believe that there is purpose in life, there is so much optimism about living. There is always something to look forward to. There is always an unfinished responsibility to happily hustle towards. There is opportunity to leave a footprint in this world, try to make this world a better place to live. The drive to attain or achieve the purpose let them take hindrances and failures by the stride. They smile a lot. They create smiles. Purpose is a very powerful motivator!
Are you a guy who keeps cribbing about what you dont have? Take a sheet of paper and write down what you have (than list of things that we dont have), break it into material and intangible ones:
Material ones:
- To start with, food, cloth and shelter
- Electricity, internet, vehicles
- Phones, computer
- Proximity to your workplace
Intangible ones:
- Language - how many do you know? Can you read, write and speak a language other than your mother tongue?
- Sincerity - how many of you are sincere in doing everything?
- Communication - how many have effective communication skills? Remember English is not the only language in the world - There could be a time in the future where India could outsource activities to England and they could learn Tamil.
- Speed at work
- Sense of humour
- Patience
- State of health
With a few of them that i have listed out, i think each of you can make a beautiful living, touching so many peoples' lives. It is just that, we have to have the right belief: that life is beautiful, that all of us have a purpose, each of us have a purpose in taking care of our parents, our children, our family, our friends and the society as a whole. All of us have a purpose in passing on to the next generation what we know. Knowledge is not measurable (it does not have a size - it is absurd to call one person to be more knowledgeable than another). A person can teach language to another, help a kindergarten child learn alphabets, can teach people to sing and dance and and swim and recite and type and hold a mouse and use a smartphone, to be sincere, to be punctual, to be loving, to be humorous, to shoulder pain and suffering. You can teach kids how to play. You can help people how to cook, how to dress up. All of us are bestowed with goodness and something that is special and unique. People who believe they have a purpose live a full life and others keep cribbing - no matter how much goodness.
"because HE is at my right hand, I shall not be moved" says Will Smith's grandmother in the climax of the movie. I click the publish button with my right hand now!
PS: (some of them are direct messages)
(How can i write blogs without postscript :) )
To all my student friends who would have heard me talking about 'picking a purpose' - Expand horizons (and hustle - we have very little time left out)!
To my 60 year old maternal uncle (who would definitely be reading this blog) - You would have 'liked' this blog in facebook when i share this despite having a very myopic view on life! (I know you would call me and vehemently deny that there is no purpose in life)
To my friend (and mentor) - Shivram: If you are reading this blog, i know you would have watched the movie today - One more time!! :)
To myself:
If, after playing cricket on a sunday morning and sumptuous breakfast at HSB, with the final ODI between India and South africa to start in 5 minutes - I switch off the TV and I commence writing a blog - then I must be super excited! :)
