Sabydee all, sorry I didn't get this out earlier this morning, but my piece for our topic is ready to be posted. Ai Kongkeo or ai Guy or anybody, please revise this for me and if there are no comments or tips, please post for me. Sorry I'm a little late! Kop jai lai lai. jak, Sengthiene -------------------------------------------------------------------------- My Purpose In Life Is Not The Same As Yours Life. What is life? What is the purpose of life? Why am I here and where am I going? We have all asked ourselves these questions at one time or another, yet we are never quite content with the attempted answers we are given. There is no right or wrong answer to this complex phenomenon. The meaning of life for one person is not necessarily the same for the next person, for we are all unique and have different purposes to serve and goals to fulfill. Even though I am unable to tell you what your purpose in life is, I can still help you realize the importance of life and point out important aspects of it. They are the following: The Rules For Being Human and Tips for Living 1. You will receive a body. You may like it or hate it, but it will be yours for the entire period of this time around. 2. You will learn lessons. You are enrolled in a full-time informal school called "Life." Each day in this school, you will have the opportunity to learn lessons. You may like the lessons or think them irrelevant and at times painful, yet you must take it, learn from it, and go on. 3. There are no mistakes, only lessons. Growth is a process of trial and error: Experimentation. The "failed" experiments are as much a part of the process as the experiment that ultimately "works." 4. A lesson is repeated until learned. A lesson will be presented to you in various forms until you have learned it. When you have learned it, you can then go on to the next lesson. 5. Learning lessons does not end. There is a lesson to be learned in everything you do. There is no part of life that does not contain its lessons. If you are alive, there are lessons to be learned. 6. "There" is no better than "here." When your "there" has become a "here," you will simply obtain another "there" that will again look better than "here." 7. Others are merely mirrors of you. You cannot love or hate something about another person unless it reflects something you love or hate about yourself. 8. What you make of your life is up to you. You have all the tools and resources you need. What you do with them is up to you. The choice is yours. You should live your life. Don't let life live you. 9. Your answers lie inside you. The answers to Life's questions lie inside you. All you need to do is look, listen, and trust. 10. Follow your heart. The main essence of living is your heart. It has the capacity to feel and love. Your heart will lead you to essential happiness if you listen to it. Even though at times, it can lead you to unpleasantness. 11. You have a purpose in life. Each individual has a purpose in life. We are here to fulfill that purpose. If we did not have goals and purposes, life would seem meaningless and there would not be a reason for living. 12. Do your best in everything. Give it your best in all that you do, because what you do today will be tomorrow's history. 13. Live life, don't let life live you. Take control and responsibility over your own life. Don't let others dictate your destiny. Your life is what you make of it. 14. Do not be afraid of experiencing. Don't hesitate to experience because your exper- iences make you who you are and builds you as a person. 15. Life is a rollercoaster. Life is filled with ups and downs, hills and valleys. 16. What goes up must come down and vice versa. When you stumble upon obstacles and problems in your life, feel rest assured that with a down, there is an up. There is sunshine after the rain and a light at the end of every tunnel. Just don't give in and console yourself that everything will be alright. 17. Lessons to be learned. Life is filled with tests to take and lessons to be learned. If you come accross an unpleasant incident or an obstruction, be aware that this is yet another life experience and that there is a lesson to be learned from it. 18. Be thankful for what you have for there are always someone who are less fortunate and have less than you do. 19. Live your life to it's fullest. You only have one life to live, therefore enjoy and make the most of it. 20. Make things happen. In high school, I attended an inspirational youth leadership convention. An ultra- modivational speaker said these words that I will never forget: "There are 3 kinds of people in this world: one who watches what happens, one who makes things happen, and one who wonders what happened." Let's all not watch and wonder what happened. 20. All good things must come to an end. Death is inevitable. 1-9 Cherie Carter-Scott 10-20 Sengthiene Bosavanh These are just my thoughts and feelings about the content of life. They do not contain what the definition of life is, nor any answers life's questions. Those answers lie within each of your hearts and if you allow yourselves, you will find them. In the meantime, may your god be with you in all that you do throughout your lifetime and may you receive all that your heart desires. Best wishes and soke dee too all my brothers and sisters in your lifetime quest in finding out the meanings and purposes of your lives. Huk pang, Sengthiene Bosavanh *smile* =) email: bosavanh@scf.usc.edu