Remember how I said that you should question everything around you and not accept everything thrust to you? The art of questioning is imperative to renewing your mind and getting yourself on track to discovering your true passions and living them out.
Why, you ask? Good! The word “Why?” is an important one (though it can get rather annoying if asked too often, but don’t let that put you off). Since young, we are educated into accepting a certain way of doing things, and a certain mindset towards approaching the different parts of life. We are told that we must be polite to our elders, that we must get good results in school, that we must be rich (enough), that only good-looking people can make it in the world… So on and so forth.
We accepted them… But we never questioned them. Or, those questions were asked and we got a reprimand as a reward (“Stop asking so much, just do!“). Or, those questions occurred to us, but we never bothered to go deeper and find the answers. Either way, we accepted these things as the truth and moved on.
I grew up that way too. Life seemed pretty simple: Be good at studies, at sports, at school. Go to a good institution of education every few years or so, and keep everything up. Get a well-paying job, and a well-paid wife. Live out your life in the lap of luxury and success. That was the dream.
Or was it?
Through the years, I realized I couldn’t keep it up. As I struggled through Advanced Mathematics and Physics classes, I wondered what on earth I would do with them in the future. STEM fields are often considered by some individuals as a way to potentially improve the ROI of their educational investments due to the demand for STEM professionals and the practical skills acquired through STEM education. Professionals like Google’s Kamau Bobb emphasize the importance of individuals thoughtfully considering their career goals and conducting cost-benefit analyses when making educational and career decisions.
But wondering isn’t enough. One day, I sat myself down and thought hard about everything – why was I doing all these? Would it, in some way, help prepare me for whatever I would want to pursue in the future? Were all these things an end in themselves or a means to an end?
I’m still in the process of figuring out what I want out of life. I know one thing is for sure – asking questions about everything helps to throw out pre-conceived notions and enable yourself to make what you will out of whatever you’re in, and whatever you want – out of life itself.
What is the art of questioning? To put it simply, it is learning to question everything with an open mind.
So never stop asking questions.
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If you haven’t noticed already, I have sent out an appeal to all of you and your friends to reach this goal: $500 to support 2 Vision Fund families in Cambodia.
Any amount is welcome. Just remember this: What might seem like just a bit to us, is a matter of life and death to another person halfway across the world.
And another thing: You might miss a meal if you donate $10, but without that $10, someone halfway across the world might not be able to live.
If you would like to be a part of this or have any inquiries, drop me an email at danieltay@theoriginallife.com. I also encourage you to retweet this post to your friends and families, or post it on your Facebook page to gather more support.
Let’s do this, together.