The Purpose

My brother Dinesh has adopted a new purpose in life which is to help people improve their lives by changing their habits and live till the age of 100, which is a noble cause. I fully support his cause except for the fact that I don’t believe all humans who are already over the age of 60 are ready to live till the age of 100. Before you become cynical about my last statement, hear my thoughts first. 

I remember this famous line from the Hindi film “Anand” – “Zindagi badi honi chahiye, Lambi nahin” (life should be grand, not long). It doesn’t mean living a long life is not desirable but the real message is that life should be big, rather grand. 

The thought that not every human is ready to live till 100 is based on the fact most people who grew up with an age-old practice of retiring by the age of 65 have psychologically and financially prepared themselves to live till about the age of 80 or maximum 85. Now if they change their lifestyle and live till the age of 100, they will have a hard time living the last 15 years of their lives, primarily because they wouldn’t have –

• a purpose, 
• mental endurance, or
• Financial preparedness 

IMHO, life is wasted if not lived with a purpose. It doesn’t mean it has no value, it means one did not value it. While we are working and providing for the family and children, it seems our life has a purpose but once we are done with family duties, it seems there is no purpose unless we explicitly define that purpose. Hence, it is of utmost importance to have a purpose to live even after you have fulfilled your duties and are no longer working. I imagine living without purpose till the age of 100 can be meaningless and depressing for most. Purpose can be anything that fulfills your psychological needs and is a reason to wake up every morning. It does not have to be grand like my brother changing people’s lives or my friend Prakash changing the lives of hundreds of homeless people. It can be as simple as growing your vegetable garden, traveling around the world, raising your grandchildren, building a financial empire for the next generation, painting your masterpiece, creating your best film, or performing in a play or a concert… pick anything that your body, heart, and mind supports. Your physical health may also limit your ability to fulfill your purpose so plan accordingly.

What is mental endurance? It is the mentally prepared destination or target. For example, when I go to the gym, I prepare myself to do the treadmill for 30, 45, or 60 minutes. I experimented with this a few times when I prepared myself to do only 30 min. walk, I started feeling tired after 20 minutes and started watching the clock for 10 minutes to pass, somehow; and I had no pain until I reached 50 min. mark when I set my mind to 60 min. The same phenomenon plays a role in people’s lives. After retirement, we start counting our years based on our set age or parents’ age. We start planning to live say till 80, 85, or 90. Rarely anyone, except my brother, plans to live till 100. I’m sure he will live till 100 or very close to it. Our mental endurance is set for 80-90. 

Financial preparedness is one of the most critical factors in living happily in old age. Life is hell if you are not financially independent throughout your living years. So start saving for retirement as soon as there is financial comfort in your income level (be honest, there is no end to spending) and stop after you have reached your goal for the retired life (talk to a financial advisor or a financially failed retired person to understand how much to save). 

Freedom from financial stress is the only way to serve your purpose and have the mental endurance to succeed in life. If you are still below the age of 50, start building your life’s purpose, mental endurance, and financial health along with your physical health, now. 

Have a happy life!!! May you live as long as you want to live.