Very few things that occupy our day-to-day attention count in the calculus of what makes our life worth living.

And yet we are all absorbed and consumed with just that. The race begins early and has no finishing line. There is little thought to where you are coming from or where you are headed. There seems to be just an overriding desire to run hard. To become a part of the herd. Maybe it is the fear of the inevitable stampede or an overwhelming sense of missing out. Regardless of the motivation the implications of running with the herd are predictable. And the outcome, pedestrian at best.

Steve Jobs once said that you can only join the dots of your life backwards. But only a few are even bothered with joining the dots. Most remain busy chasing dots. It is only possible for those who stand apart from the rest to gain a better perspective on life. Why do we remain blinded and lured by the flight of mindless desire ? The true value and purpose of life is usually far removed from this daily madness. To know that there are paths that seem rockier but more interesting. To ignore the dust, sound of hooves and ranting. To see beyond the herd. To take a deep breath and a break. To choose not to run this particular race. To choose not to run all the time. There seems little reason to run mindlessly and attempt to cross every finishing line. Ever wonder why it’s called a finishing line?

Here is a simple but existiential insight. The trick in life is not to find the right answers but to ask the right questions. Schools would point you towards and score you only on the basis of right answers. And they do the damage right from your childhood. So do yourself one favour. Whenever you next have some moments of solitude ask yourself a more potent question, “What gives worth to my life ?”

Someone once said that you can’t start living till you find something worth dying for. The next time you stand naked in front of the mirror ask yourself what makes your life worth living. Label, box and hold dear the things that define your life. And make it worth living. The rest as they say will take care of itself.

Neeraj Batra is the co-founder and chairman of OnCourse Vantage and tweets at @batra_neeraj