Growing up in Sri Lanka, I’ve always been fascinated by the patterns in people’s lives. There’s a certain rhythm, almost like a template that many seem to follow—a textbook life. But as an observer, I can’t help but wonder: are we truly living, or are we just ticking boxes?
From the moment a child is born, the chase begins. Childhood, meant to be a time of wonder and play, is consumed by exams and the relentless race to secure a spot in a prestigious school. The pressure doesn’t stop there. Next comes the struggle to get into university—if not a government one, then a private one. The goal? To land a "big" corporate job and secure a badge of success.
But life doesn’t pause for reflection. Before long, there are aunties poking around, asking the inevitable: "When are you getting married?" What follows is often a grand wedding, one the family can’t afford, staged not for joy but for the fleeting approval of guests who will forget the details in days.
And the cycle deepens. A hefty loan is taken for a shiny SUV, then another for a big house. Yet, ironically, the people who worked so hard for this house rarely have the time to live in it. They are stressed, overworked, and always chasing the next goal. Eventually, they bring children into this cycle, only to push them into the same exhausting routine.
As an observer, I can’t help but ask: Are we not seeing the problem? Are we too busy following the script to notice how little space it leaves for truly living?
We try so hard to create perfect lives that we forget to feel, to be sensitive to our own needs and the needs of others. We focus on impressing people who barely care and neglect the fleeting, beautiful moments that actually matter.
Perhaps it’s time to pause. To break the cycle. To ask ourselves: What do we truly want from life?
Because life isn’t a template. It’s not a race to be won or a checklist to complete. It’s a collection of moments—moments that we so often overlook in our endless pursuit of perfection.
Maybe, just maybe, we can step away from the race and start living instead.