Pursuit of Responsibility: How we can make our lives meaningful
Everyone might be familiar with the phrase “Pursuit of Happiness”. Most of us are pursuing happiness in our life. Happiness in the form of a good grade, a good job, a good salary, a good vacation, and good friends. What are we supposed to do when we achieve these milestones? Suppose You get good grades in school; what’s next? You have to get good grades in college. What happens after College graduation: the endless search for employment. The pursuit of happiness is a very turbulent journey; one with drastic ups and downs.
Why don’t we try replacing the word “Happiness” with “Responsibility”( just as indicated by the title of this article)? Will it lead to a better life?
Happiness is unfortunately a right-now thing. Once you achieve a milestone that brings you happiness, you bask in its glory for a day or two and later on; you are back to where you were miserable as always. I am not saying to avoid happiness and stay miserable; instead, enjoy it while it lasts but always be aware of the fact that happiness has an expiration date.
Responsibility on the other hand has another story to tell. “Your life becomes meaningful in precise proportion to the depths of the responsibility you are willing to shoulder”; this quote from the “12 Rules for Life” by Jordan Peterson sums up precisely the utility of pursuing responsibility. We all are people with potential. We may not know to what end but we all do have the spark at the least. Many of us even have varying levels of talent. If we are not using our potential or skill in a meaningful way, our life would be wretched in the long run.
We should have a vision and a direction in life. Find out the inadequacies in ourselves and around us, find out what needs to be changed and what needs to be improved, which courses to attend, which career path to choose, which books to read and so on. Take responsibility to fulfil your visions. Don’t get carried away and bear the world’s weight on your shoulder. Moderation is advised even in taking on responsibility. It’s the journey to all these goals that will give you a sense of happiness if happiness is what you desire. Aim for the highest good possible for you and everyone around you. It will make our world a better place to live.