Sometimes I do ask myself why I’m doing a particular thing. Different thoughts will always pop up in my mind. And if we ask 10 people why they are working hard in life, 8 of them might not be able to give a straight answer and probably go blank. That’s a bitter truth. The brain becomes blank not because they don’t have anything to say, but because they haven’t sat down to ask themselves the question. They haven’t had that self-reflection because most of us are just on autopilot, in the sense of waking up and repeating the same thing every day. We keep grinding because, if we don’t, bills are waiting for us anyway. So, when the question suddenly comes up, that’s when it’ll dawn on us that many of us are running even when we don’t know what we are running toward.
There are times I ask myself, “If paying bills was the only purpose I have, then what happens after the bills are paid? There are times I could wake up at night and ask myself questions. For a long time, I thought the answer was money. Honestly, financial freedom is one of the reasons we roll up our sleeves. We are afraid of being broke. We all need money to pay bills and afford the basic things of life. But as time goes on, as I grew older, I had another introspection: What if the bills are sorted out? What’s next? I got to realize that money is not enough. I thought about what I want to become, what I want to look back on one day and say, “I achieved this.” When there’s nothing to look back to, I don’t think I’ve achieved anything.
One of my purposes for rolling up my sleeves is to create something meaningful for myself, like having an idea and turning it into reality. I don’t want to be someone busy working for other people’s dreams without building something for myself. The goal is to start slowly, even when nobody believes in it. I keep trying my best, even when I’m not sure how it will turn out. Honestly, I have moments of doubt. There are times I failed at different attempts, trying all over again, doing things differently even when I’m tired. I still have to try my best. Just a little growth or achievement will make me feel like I won a lottery, even when money is not involved. Then I realized it’s not about the money most times, but the little achievements. The desire to own something to call my own makes me work hard when money is not the motivation.
Another purpose is creating something that lasts. I want a situation where I can create a better position for people around me because there’s this happiness I feel when my progress becomes a blessing to people around me. I don’t want to roll up my sleeves to be financially free alone, but to have good memories, visit places, be happy, and live in the moment. Because I’ve seen some cases of people who worked hard to have the money, yet they are not happy. That’s sad.
I want to build a life where my hard work doesn’t give me money alone, but a life that feels calm, stable, and intentional. I used to be part of the 8 people who would go blank when they were asked why they work, but my paradigm shifted after questioning myself. I just want to learn, build, grow, and be happy. 😊
So, has someone ever asked you why you’re working hard? Do you go blank, or were you able to answer the question?
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