The Purpose of our Lives

"The purpose of our lives is to be happy."  - Dalai Lama

So simple, yet so complex.  The purpose of our lives, truly IS to be happy.  Down to the root of things, yes - that is the truth.  But somehow we get so lost and convoluted in our actual lives that we quickly and easily lose sight of that very simple truth.  We go on this ever-present hunt for happiness, which only leads us down twists, turns, and spiraled paths.  Think about this - what makes you most happy?  What makes you TRULY happy, deep down in your core? 

I, personally, have a passion for learning.  I love to expand my mind and learn new things.  I'm one of those few people who actually liked school.  Having been on a long journey to find what exactly I'm meant to do and go to school for, I would get a pang of jealousy when hearing about friends who had a final to take or needed to study or read for a class.  I mean, who does that?  This person.  (Feel free to insert your nerd jokes here, I can take it.  I'm very in touch with my nerdiness.)

I'm beyond excited that I have FINALLY started school (again)!  For a few years now, I've searched and searched, looking for that perfect fit for me.  I've researched a ton of schools and the programs they offer, waiting for the "one" to call out to me.  It seemed that every time I looked through the course requirements of a program that sounded interesting, I would find something in there that I just wasn't feeling.  I've met with several schools, and every time would hit a wall at some point that I just wasn't willing to climb.  Each time one of these things occurred, it was as if I was closer to pinpointing my exact wants out of school and the next leg of my scholastic journey.  

I found that I wasn't happy with the location of many schools, in regards to their proximity to my home.  I found that many schools charged an obscene amount of tuition, disabling my desire to not pay out of pocket from the start.  I found that many programs had a few classes that made me cringe.  I found that I didn't want to deal with the discomfort of having to 'go' to a building almost every day to attend a class - learning on their schedule as opposed to mine.  Most of all, I found that everything I looked at just didn't have that 'thing' I was looking for. 

Then, lo and behold, one morning I stumble upon a school.  It was as if the Universe took everything I had been wanting, and not wanting, put it all together in a nice little package, placed it on a plate, and laid the plate out before me, saying, "Here you go."  I spent a couple of days, looking at everything the school had to offer and found myself torn between two programs - one being a Mind Body Wellness practitioner program, the other an Associates of Occupation Studies in Holistic Health Care, the concentration being Mind Body Transformational Psychology.  The MBW program was less expensive and a shorter time span, but the AOS contained the entire MBW program PLUS all of the psychological learning.  Anyone who knows me knows that I LOVE psychology.  I talked with the admissions advisor, who didn't offer much help in either direction, but set up an appointment with a financial aid advisor, since I had made up my mind to attend.  

In the conversation with the financial aid advisor, I learned I would have to pay out of pocket for the MBW program.  This conversation was over the phone, thank goodness(!), because I felt tears welling up in my eyes as I thought, "Not again."  I asked her to lay out the numbers for me - how much would I have to pay, and in what intervals.  She explained that and without one question from me, she went on to say, "I'm not sure if you're at all interested in the AOS degree, but since it falls over two calendar years, that program would be fully covered under your student loan."  Wait.  What's that you say?!  So, I ask her to repeat that, and include whether books are covered as well.  "Yes, it falls under two calendar years, so the amount you are guaranteed from the US Department of Education ends up covering the entire program, including all of the book fees.  Most people aren't interested in this program because it's a two-year program though, so I just wanted to check with you."  

I go on to tell her that I actually had been going back and forth with which program to actually take, and decided on the shorter one, because it was less expensive, which I assumed would be fully covered based on that reason alone. 

OK Universe, I got your message.  Thanks for the help!