It had been a long time since I last wrote anything, and when I finally wanted to write, I didn’t know where to start. Random notes after reading the little book The Why Are You Here Cafe.
Meeting by Chance Is the Best Kind of Encounter
Over the years, I rarely went to libraries. The last time I borrowed books from a library was just before Dora was born, when I checked out a few practical guides on how to care for babies and how to be a parent. After Dora learned to read, I deliberately took her to libraries and bookstores like Yanjiyou many times, hoping she could experience the joy of reading and develop a reading habit. Unfortunately, things didn’t go as wished — the kid was never very interested in reading.
One time, while wandering around a shopping mall with the kid and feeling bored, I strolled into a Sisyphe Bookstore and happened to spot a book titled 《世界尽头的咖啡馆》 (literally, “The Cafe at the End of the World”). As a heavily addicted coffee lover, I was immediately drawn in by the title. What kind of cafe could it be, opened at the end of the world? And what would the end of the world look like? Later I looked up the original edition, whose title is The Why Are You Here Cafe. I have to say, this free translation of the Chinese title is remarkably appealing.
Flipping through the preface, I was hooked again by the following words:
I was lost, and I had lost my way on the journey of life too — I didn’t know where the road beneath my feet was leading, nor why I was heading in that direction.
My job wasn’t bad, though it was frustrating at times. But what mattered more was this: I sat in a cubicle working ten to twelve hours a day, and if I got promoted someday, the best I could hope for was moving into a private office, with my working hours stretching to twelve or fourteen. I couldn’t help but wonder — is this all there is to life, with no other choice?
It sounded like a chicken-soup-for-the-soul read, but it showed up at just the right moment and fit my state of mind at the time, so I couldn’t resist reading on — and that is how this story continued.
Travel Is a Rest for the Soul
Life is elsewhere: we long to leave the place we’ve grown tired of and look for something beautiful in a place others have grown tired of. Sometimes going out for a trip and giving yourself a break really does seem to reset your state. Yet once we arrive at the destination, we seem to forget again: “Why are you here?” Maybe we’re just too tired and simply want to relax.
The Meaning of Existence
One of the oldest questions of all: Who am I? Where do I come from? Where am I going? The book approaches it from a different angle,
Purpose For Existing, exploring the meaning of one’s existence through three questions.
- Why are you here?
- Do you fear death?
- Are you fulfilled?
Many things in life are done without regard for meaning. But if nothing means anything and we passively accept whatever life arranges, we become like a gear ⚙️ driven along by society — turning mechanically, day after day, as time slips by — until we truly become a machine with no feelings at all.
The book gives no answer to PFE (Purpose For Existing); everyone’s answer is different. And for many people, searching for the answer to this question is not a required course.
Why Not?
I will still actively look for my answer.
Where do I want to go, and what kind of life do I want to live?
What does the faraway place I hope for look like?
If it’s possible, why not go?
Compared with vague questions, starting from what’s right in front of me is somewhat easier.
- Do you like what you’re doing? Yes
- Will you still like what you’re doing a year from now? Yes
- Will you still like what you’re doing three years from now? Yes
- Are there other things you’d like to do in life? Yes
- Can you start doing those other things you’d like to do? Yes
- Is there something you want to do but haven’t done? Yes
- Do you want to escape your current life? Not sure
- Are you satisfied with your current life? Yes
- Do you fear death? Yes
- Are you fulfilled? Yes
Just Do It
In life, when something is left undone — something you want to do but can’t seem to get to — there are thousands of reasons: no time, no experience, no financial support, the wrong environment, and so on. After finishing this little book, I came to understand: Just Do It. If the thing aligns with your PFE, then even if you fail, what does it matter?
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