To “breathe” is not something we are told to do or taught of, but instead, it is an action that inadvertently takes place from the time we’re born until death. The circle of inhaling Oxygen and exhaling Carbon dioxide, serves as the driving force of life and it is quite mesmerizing as to how this infinite process of inhaling and exhaling defines the basis of our entity, and when it stops, we cease to exist!
We at RACFOSUOC came to realize what life has become as of now, due to the never-ending “race” we all seem to be on, and decided to take a modest attempt at redefining “Breathe”. As necessary as it is to inhale Oxygen and exhale Carbon dioxide to survive, we realized the importance of “Inhaling Courage and Exhaling Fear” in order to make this a successful life. After seeing how myriads of stranded souls are surrounded with pressure and unasked muddles, simply due to the lack of awareness of what they truly want to accomplish in life, RACFOSUOC took the initiative to orchestrate the Project Breathe, in order to shape-up many of these stranded souls’ lives for a better future.
Society is made up of countless individuals with unique thinking patterns and unique capabilities where no two people are the same! Nevertheless, one major problem within our society is the majority trying to follow someone else’s footsteps without thinking of a new perspective. Without thoroughly fathoming what one’s passion is, and what it is they want to achieve in life, many try to “follow the trend” and do as everyone else does. This can be purely based on the upbringing and the peer pressure surrounding them. Since childhood, in countries like Sri Lanka children are spoon-fed and taught that only certain occupations are best for one’s future and the rest of the career options are inefficient. Instead of directing their kids to discover their “true inner selves”, they are advised to forget their own dreams so as to focus on what the parent wishes for the kid. Hence, such issues have taken a toll on the future of the youth, where they have neglected trying to discover the true meaning of life and what they want to achieve in it.
Another dilemma the working population encounters at present is the failure to balance one’s career with their personal life. In this day and age where everything is too rushed and strenuous, the work-force has found it difficult to maintain a good work-life balance. Especially with the prevailing global pandemic, where everyone has to abide by the “new normal”, work and personal life have simply merged into one. Piled up unfinished work, financial problems, unfeigned alarm because of the pandemic, have given rise to differences of opinions within the household. These pitfalls have tired out the youth and have made their lives monotonous which may lead to fracturing the equilibrium of lifestyle. Such disruptions in the healthy and peaceful way of life can make us lose the excitement in life, affecting the mental-health, self-confidence, and self-esteem in the long term.
Being university students, quite often we also face the above issue. Particularly, the latter issue of juggling to sustain a balance in life, academics and extracurricular work is a set-back we have to face on a daily mundane basis. What we undergraduates seek, is to fulfill our higher studies and goals while securing a content life for the future. Besides finding our inner strengths and weaknesses along with our true selves, juggling multiple responsibilities has become the foremost necessity nowadays. As these issues weigh up our tomorrow and day-to-day routines, our project’s pivotal objectives were to find more preferable remedies to these unheeded issues of the youth.
Hence, the targeted audience for Project Breathe was the whole of the Sri Lankan youth in general. Along with the motto, “Inhale Courage-Exhale Fear”, we at RACFOSUOC pondered over the fact that this discussion will be a great helping hand to those who are trapped at homes, enduring all these unanswered doubts.
“Breathe”, was conducted as an Online Discussion to address these overlooked queries and to provide guidance and insight to all the individuals in need, in order to acknowledge their capabilities, goals and to achieve maximum productivity in whatever work they do. Hence, the discussion involved two well-known and reputable personalities in Sri Lanka who had faced such challenges and succeeded in identifying and following their passions and capabilities. One was Mr. Marvan Atapattu, a prestigious former Sri Lankan cricketer and former coach for the National Sri Lankan cricket team who kept the Sri Lankan flag flying high during his days, and Mrs. Umara Sinhawansa, who is one of the most celebrated and talented singers in the country due to her unique vocals.
Thereby, Project Breathe was conducted successfully on the 20th of December 2020, amidst much praise and cheer with the involvement of around 200 participants. The professionals addressed very important and diverse issues during the webinar. The importance of discovering one’s true inner self by finding their strengths and weaknesses, tips on overcoming obstacles while following one’s passion, and personal experience on how important it is to maintain a perfect work-life balance even amidst hectic work schedules were some such areas of discussion.
As these concerns have taken a toll on the lives of many, the discussion was surely refreshing to be a part of. The tips on stress management, life schedule, and time management shared by the panelists were indeed helpful. Therefore, I must say that it was a very coherent and informative webinar for all the participants because I believe everyone that was involved, gained a distinctive idea of how important it is to achieve our goals successfully, rather than just blindly following the ‘trends’.
I think everyone will agree with me if I say that it was a very eye-opening, yet enjoyable session where we got to first hand, hear the success stories of two amazing personalities. Given the ongoing pandemic situation and amidst the pressured life conditions, it was indeed a thrill to have been a part of the team behind all the action.
On an ending note, realizing your true passion and capability in life should be the core of our existence. Unearthing our true strengths and weaknesses to achieve the above, is the best way for a successful and content life. Despite the mediocre societal opinions, one should follow their heart’s desire and by doing so, they will be able to achieve the maximum satisfaction in life.
By Rtr. Nishakya Liyanarachchi
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