1. Finding Purpose

I lift my window shutters up, fastened my seat belt and placed my seat in an upright position for yet another bumpy landing. The cabin assistants were already making their way down the aisle, taking short and careful glances across every row to make sure that everyone was in check.

I couldn't help but notice the couple next to me as they flipped through a travel guidebook filled with the best places to visit in Seoul. Seeing their hands placed over each other, I supposed they were off for a romantic getaway. The great thing about meaningful relationships like theirs, is the hope and assurance

of a bright future. Life is pretty sweet when you fill it with love. Don’t you think?

I sat motionless in the comforts of the plane, reminding myself again that I was not going to Seoul for romance, work or sightseeing. Instead, I am on my way to a secret temple that may offer me something that I hope will change my life forever, my purpose in life.

As my thoughts unfold itself, an announcement from the pilot is broadcasted through the overhead speakers, “Good morning everyone, we will be landing in approximately 30 minutes time. The local time in Seoul is 8.30am. The skies are clear and the temperature is floating around 15 Celsius. Today must be your lucky day, look out the window on the right and you will see a beautiful rainbow. It is not fully formed but it is better than nothing. Have a pleasant stay in Seoul and thank you for flying with us.”

The announcement ended with a sharp beep that sounded like a burnt out electrical circuit. I peered over to catch a glimpse of what mother nature has to offer, while some sat back to take her for granted. As expected, she is half-formed but it made my day anyway. It reminded me of myself in a way, somewhat halfformed.

I always thought that I knew exactly who I was and what I was meant to do. I went down the road of listing down my passions, but I could only think of the things I did outside of work, like football for example. My projects and companies that I have worked on in the past started to stack up like shopping items, only to feed my desire to own more, but are now just items that eventually fades away into the past without any lasting satisfaction. Knowing this, I always end up at the same dead end, pondering over the real reason why we are doing what we do? Or, is there any reason to our actions if it doesn’t even matter at the end of the day?

The plane wheels gave a loud screech below the belly of the plane, the whole fuselage is now shaking and rambling with us all still belted in like raw eggs in a carton. The airplane wings expose itself to create more wind drag, while the turbine engines roar in a reverse air flow to slow the plane further.

I have arrived and my search begins. What I may end up finding may be nothing at all. I will keep my fingers crossed and for good luck, let me tell you what I am really here to find.

I am in search of a life-changing experience, away from the mundane work that I have been enduring all these years. The truth is that I have not spent enough time on my own to figure out what I am really passionate about. I don’t even know what 5

is the purpose of the work that I was doing. I was a consultant for large clients, where requirements were handed to us and it was really up to us to deliver the solution. The problem was that I have never had the luxury of meeting the client's customers, the disconnection from the end user had me wondering if and where my value exists. With all the late nights and stressful deadlines, there was no time to think about what value I am giving or what really matters to me anymore. I was numbed to the core and felt really empty because I was starting to feel lost. Coming to work every day was just sucking the energy out of me.

I recently saw hope when I met a senior leader, who managed various companies across America and Japan - and left it all behind to develop a new generation of leaders. He once asked me to take a leap of faith to find a small temple in Seoul that he has once been to, because he was convinced that I will be able to find my answer there. What he got out from that place eventually changed him forever. Unfortunately, it was such a surreal experience for him that he found it difficult to share with me. His only advice was to search for the temple and express my doubts there. That is exactly what I am doing today.

Packing light has its benefits, you can travel around easily and you don’t have to waste your time waiting at the baggage

carousel. I finally got my bus ticket and was soon on my way out of Seoul to find this unknown temple.

Looking out, I can't help but admire the bustling city of Seoul, filled with a combination of modern skyscrapers that envelopes the old temples and palaces that are just screaming to be seen and heard. It was the result of their fast pace modernization and a rush to compete with the rest of the world. The country was once underdeveloped right after the Korean war and look at how far it has come now, it is one of the most important economies in this region, if not, in the world.

The resiliency of the Korean people and the pride they have to defy all odds is admirable. It was known that during the economic meltdown in the 90s, the people of South Korea decided to engage IMF (International Monetary Fund) to help inject cash into their economy. To repay IMF back fast, the citizens started offering their own gold and money to the government to save the country from foreign interest, and in fact, the IMF was paid back at record speed. After this milestone achievement, the Korean people went on to build an economic powerhouse with the likes of Samsung and Hyundai, exporting products to serve global consumption. But here I wonder, has this country found its purpose?

As I journeyed into the outskirts of Seoul, I noticed a change of landscape. My mind starts to calm down, even though I am nervous about the trip ahead. I have no expectations on what I was about to get myself into. I have nothing to lose. There is nothing much to think about now but to see this trip through.

After 2 hours of travelling, my bus finally stops at a remote village. I could not help but notice the motionless vibe here. It has been reported that more and more people from the villages are starting to flood to Seoul for better job opportunities, you do get the occasional retirees that are up and about the small markets but nothing more exciting than that. I was starting to feel disconnected from the modern world already and that might just be a good thing.

Looking around without sight of any temple, I told myself that it is just about time to ask someone for directions.

Questions For Readers

1. Have any of you been on a soul-searching trip before? What did you learn? 2. What are some of the things that you take for granted? 3. How has work been for you in the past? Do you feel passionate about it? 4. Was there an incident that changed your life dramatically? 5. How did modernization change your lifestyle? 6. How do lifestyles differ between east and west? 7. How is western culture different from the east, in terms of preserving its cultural history?