Purpose-driven life 有目的的人生

Purpose-driven life 有目的的人生

 

Last year a book called “Purpose-driven life” went best-seller for months on end. It sounds like a self-help/improvement kind of book. But in fact it’s religious/Christian and the primary reason that it sold so many copies was because it’s required reading at numerous churches US nationwide.

去年一本叫‘有目的的人生’的書風靡全美。因為是很多教堂的必讀書，所以極端暢銷。

 

Never read the book. But the title of the book came into my mind, out of nowhere, and it got me thinking: what’s the purpose of my life?

從沒讀過這書。不過偶然想起它倒讓我揣測：我的人生目的是什麽？

 

For those of us who are so “unlucky” to be forsaken by religion, what’s our purpose? What’s the single most overwhelming goal that we must strive for?

有宗教固然有了指靠，但如果不走運沒有”被主揀選“，那我們人活一世到底是為了什麽？

 

When we were younger the purpose of our lives used to be loud and clear. It’s been going into good schools, landing glamorous jobs, and flying across the ocean see the other side of the earth. Then it’s to be as Roman when in Rome. But after all is said and done, what’s next? What are the things that motivate us from here on? What get us out of the bed every single morning, rain or shine? What bring us joy, pride, and sense of achievements?

小的時候反而目的清晰無比。好學校，風光的工作，去地球的另一邊。再後來是要人有我有。一切都有了之後呢？接下來的動力在哪裏？每天早晨為什麽要從床上爬起來，特別是當窗外是淒風苦雨，被中是溫暖愜意的時候？曾經令我歡呼雀躍無比自豪的東東你們都藏到了哪裏？

 

Some people say that you should enjoy the simple little things in life. Smell the flowers. Go with the flow. That’s fine – except what if it’s not my cup of tea?

有人說應該有一顆平常心 。要欣賞生命中的種種細微末節。要隨遇而安。聽起來好像不錯。可是 - 就是做不到水靜河飛又怎麽辦？

 

I need a purpose (or purposes). I have to find out what I’m supposed to do here. What’s my calling in this journey called life? What are the good deeds that I’m destined to do?

我得有目的。我得知道我為什麽來地球一遭。我得知道我人生旅程的使命。雖然不是雷鋒，我也一樣要做好事 - 但是做什麽呢？

 

By the time I get old, I NEED to be able to look back and say, hopefully contentedly, that I have worked hard and served my life’s purpose. Without a purpose, my journey is aimless and my time is wasted.

等我老掉牙的時候，我指望著能夠回頭看看，然後最好是得意洋洋地說：嗯幹得還不錯嗎你。可以如果沒有目的的話，所做的事情就變得沒有意義，就荒廢了我的生命。

 

I’m still searching for my purpose and I will continue to do so until the day that I find it. Though it's perfectly clear to me that that day may never materialize and that makes me sad.

到現在為止還在尋尋覓覓。也許永遠也找不到那個目的。其實很悲涼。

 

And such is life.

人生大致如此。