A Better Mankind
For the last three years, I have been involved in the tech industry professionally. I started my career as a website designer, and moving forward to today, I’m going from one university to another, teaching about blockchain technology. Although I consider that it’s nothing marvelous, my co-founder often said that I should be proud of what I have become and how much I have grown. Reflecting on what he said, I’m humbled and grateful to be trusted to run one of the most important roles in the company.
If you are in your twenties like me, life’s biggest mystery lies in questions like: What is the purpose we bring to this world? What will I do in the future? What are my plans for the next 5 to 10 years? What drives me to go to work other than survival? These questions remain a mystery that many are still trying to discover.
Most people would reply “happiness” when asked these questions, but if you can’t really specify what happiness means — what you want in life — it’s safe to assume that you are also still clouded in finding the answers.
During the pandemic, I was serving people coffee at Starbucks, making hundreds of beverages each day while wearing a KN-95 mask and a face shield. When the virus was first discovered in our countries, I’m sure you had the same fears as many did, and I wasn’t an exception.
I’m not going to lie; it was one of the most challenging jobs, yet one that I’m proudest of. Back then, I never really knew the reason why I would still wake up in the morning and serve coffee to a few regulars and hundreds of strangers, and still be proud when I had finished my shift.
Now I know why. It’s for a better mankind.
My Starbucks was only 500 meters away from the biggest hospital in the city. Many doctors came to simply take away some americanos. In my head, I was helping them.
“If I’m keeping them awake with my coffee, I might help them save someone’s life.”
That’s what I thought back then.
To be honest, I’m always proud of all the work that I do because, in my mind, somehow I’m making the world a better place. Maybe you should start seeing your job from the same perspective too. Whether you are a psychologist treating a client, a bus driver driving hundreds of people every day, or even a barista making coffee like me back then, trust me, you are making a difference in this world, and your existence matters. You just need to create your own narrative about how everything you do is making the world a better place.
Simon Sinek describes this better than I do in his concept of finding your “Why.” It’s important to find your why, as many studies suggest it is crucial for your mental well-being. Maybe making a better mankind could also be your “why.”
So please share how your work making the world a better place.
