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Melvin Dave Jordan

I grew up in a family that doesn't have much when it comes to worldly possesions. What we only had back then are dreams and full of love. Growing up seeing my dad sell our car, our sari-sari store closed, secretly reading my dad's debt notices, days where I have to "palista" in the carinderia near us. It made me have this dream that one day, life will be better. Life will be easy. When I was young my definition of purpose in life is just being rich. There's not much reason why. No good reason or deep realization on what I really want to do with my life.

Growing up with nothing made me have this passion of making things out of nothing. Plus the fact that I grew up in a sari-sari store, molded my mind into an entreprenurial mind. Back then, creating things out of nothing was very fun for me. Fast forward to my highschool days, I discovered graphic design. The idea of creating logos and artworks and being paid for it really sparked my life and took me to where I am right now.

2014, almost midnight and I'm making art on my 13 year old computer with an on graphics card and very slow processor. My mind was in a creative euphoria where I just wanted to create more. My passion for creating things was very high and suddenly, in the middle of my work, my computer hanged. It was this moment where I guess God gave me this vision/ purpose. This purpose that one day, when I grow up and became successful, I will find kids like me who are very passionate on what they're doing but have nothing. Kids who are very talented but their gears and tools for their passion aren't enough. I want to be that bridge that will make them achieve their dreams. Everytime I'm asked this question, what's my purpose in life. It always points back to that 14 year old kid with a burning passion frustrated on his computer.

That's why when I was 14 years old, I started my first business. With no money to start it and only a passion and talent for graphic design. I started it. But sad to say, it didn't really grew. I just eventually closed it.

Fast forward to 2017 when I met likeminded people in UST. We started a new business. All of us had this same vision that one day, it's us who's up there that will give opportunities to these kids who are hungry to create more art or whatever passion that's burning inside of them. A lot of trials that happened in our business but the achievements are worth it. We made it to a magazine article, national news paper, and as I'm writing this essay, I just got home from our meeting because tomorrow we're one of the major sponsors of an event here in Manila. All of these achievements because of that moment in 2014. It took us, and me to where we are right now.

A lot of things has changed now since 2014, the passion for arts and business grew deeper and a lot of trials and struggles. To be honest, my passion for arts isn't as intense as it was last year. I experienced a lot of trials and had big business debts. But because of God's grace, I was able to pay it all just last month. My passion may be isn't the same as before. But the desire to fulfill the vision and the goal that one day we'll be the bridge to talented people to their dreams is still the same and more intense as before. So if you ask me what my purpose is. It is to be God's instruments in fulfilling His great plans for His people. It is to be God's door of opportunity to His hardworking and passionate children. Looking back right now, I am humble by how far God took me. Even though I stumble a lot of times, He is always there to pick me up. I will end this essay with a quote that goes: "The things that excite you are not random. they are connected to your purpose." This is very accurate for me because looking back, my passion for the arts was just a hobby and something that excites me back then. And now looking back, I guess it all has a reason. It is connected to my purpose.

Before I took this course, my purpose was very clear. But now it became a lot more clearer that success isn't just for me but success is also about serving other people. As I've stated, in number 1, my purpose is still burning and the same but now, it's a lot more of giving back to the Lord who gave all these blessings.

I think people find it difficult to answer this question because they don't take the time to find what they love, Steve Job said that

"Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven't found it yet, keep looking. Don't settle."

Majority of the people still doesn't know what they really value and care about. That's why it's hard to answer this question

I guess we have a different understanding of purpose in life because of the world we live in. We live in the world where money is the measurement of success. But really, at the end of the day, your business partners, money, cars, etc. wont be beside you on your death bed. It's the people that you love and the people that you've changed their lives. So I guess everyone has to align there perspective in life to something that really matters not in the eyes of man, but in the eyes of the Lord.

I guess that's all.

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Bianca Delos Reyes

what is your purpose in life ?

My purpose in life is to be a good daughter to my parents and to follow the things they want me to reach but in a way that it is according to God's holy path.

I always wanted to live a life that is according to the teachings of the heavely father. I am happy whenever I do things according to his holy will for I know that whenever I become an inspiration to other people I feel like I had done a fullfilment in life. My purpose for me is to be an instrument that will help people in need. I always want to think about other people's welfare before mine because I always want everyone to be fine first before me.

1. Before this course what is your purpose in life

Well before the course I was confused if helping was good and if what I am doing is still under the way I want to live in. I was always consious of I am doing the right thing for the people I care for. I always wanted doing things for others and I came to the point that I forgot about myself. But through this course it helped me to understand more on how I can love myself more and give value to my own needs. I perceive my purpose better than before.

3.My happiness is to help and connecting my purpose of helping other people makes me elated. If I am happy in the way I am still doing my purpose according God's grace the I still find true happiness if i continue doing such.

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Back then when I was a kid I don't really know or have the clear meaning of life, all I have in mind is to live in the moment and have fun. Buy stuffs here and there, just to satisfy all my wants. I don't really think of the purpose of life back then, all I know is I have to finish my studies, have a stable job, buy all the thinks that I want, and eventually have my own family. But after all of that, I'm clueless of the things what will happen in my life.

I think one of the hardest thing to know about one's life is it's purpose, and what does make it more difficult to determine your own purpose in life? I think what makes it more difficult is that we hear and we listen to the opinions and insights of the wrong people because we should be very careful of the people we listen to because sometimes we might be mislead because of their bad opinions. Another factor is the different life situations and experiences that we have, and it is going to be much harder to determine the purpose of our life if we are in a bad situation in our life because lot of people tend to be hopeless when having problems in life.

As I grew older and experience different things in life, it helped me to little by little know and see what my purpose in life is, and that purpose for me is to be a family person, to help and take care of my family, and to find happiness in my family. Because back then i'm not that really close to my family, but now, I can also see that joy in family, that's the time I recognized my purpose in life.

We have different understanding about our purpose in life because of the expereinces that we have and the present situations that we are encountering, but for me the purpose of life is finding the real meaning of it, and you will not find it unless you find God, because going back to our Creator is the real purpose of man's life.

My desire for happiness is going to be my way to serve my family and make them happy, because family is the reason why I found the meaning of my life, and having meaning in life is simply having something to hold on to eventhough things are not going on our way, because when things are not going as planned, it means that it's not God's will

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Before I took my Theology course, the purpose of my life is to become happy. To live in a small place (like a condo unit) with my grandmom, while achieving financial stability, while being able to buy any cosplay costumes, clothes, accessories and more without looking at their price tags and being able to give my grandmom the life she never experienced before. The life "Without" Jesus Christ. The life of being a utilitarian and materialistic who uses people to gain my desires.

People find it difficult to answer such question, because they themselves do not know why they actually exist - they don't know what are the things that truly makes them happy. We have different understandings about our purpose in life because, we all came from different places with different cultures and mindset. Some peoples' way of thinking is contributing something to the society, while some, is being able to fully unleash your potential in this world.. and religious people, is to worship "Allah/God."

The purpose of my life right NOW, is to achieve happiness. As the meaning of happiness might be different for people, for me, happiness is achieving satisfaction. But how am I going to do that?.. in my experience, I did have the capacity to buy a number of cosplay costumes, I worn them and had fun with them..... for 30 minutes. The joy of receiving a parcel order from an online shop, the joy of opening that parcel, the joy of fitting that costume while looking at the mirror.. it made me happy for 30 minutes, so I yearned and asked for more. I bought more cosplay costumes so I can become happy everyday.. due to the law of diminishing utility, eventually I'd get tired of it. I'd just see those costumes at one corner of my room and having no utility for me anymore. That 30 minutes, was never enough. Before,to be honest, I did not really know God, I even doubted Him and His existence. In times of crisis, I would only remember His name.

For me, NOW the purpose of my life is still achieving happiness. I started to recognize the face of God. Before, I viewed God as Zeus, living in the clouds that we may never reach, like a CCTV who will punish you in one wrong move. I recognized God's existence through the church. Church - as in not the physical structure, but the human being..

Very recently, I encountered a "heartless" human being who seem to not care about the people that surrounds her. My heart was broken because the God that lives inside her seemed to be non-existent. I was affected by it, It was an awful feeling, but I know it's one of God's will. I viewed it in a greater schema, that without her actions, I would not be someone who I am right now. The purpose of my life is, going back home to my Creator, and that will only be possible, if I will know my meaning as well. By walking in our own path using our free will, but while following Jesus Christ because He knows the right way. Yes, it's the hardest path, an example is, the encounter of "that" woman.. but everything has its purpose. I believe that, I can be happy if I will do my best to limit or even- disregard my temporary and selfish desires and follow Jesus.

If I follow Jesus, I know that it will be the "surest" way to have an eternal happiness.