Surrendering yourself to an idea

When Mr Creedy asked V, in the movie V for Vendetta, why he would not die, V responded with the following: "Beneath this mask Mr Creedy, is an idea, and ideas are bulletproof". Surrendering yourself to an idea or a vision larger than yourself can be daunting; doing so cost V his life (V being a fictitious representation of Guy Fawkes).

Others like Dr Martin Luther King had a vision of legal and political equality for people of all races, and he paid for that realisation with his life. But the idea behind the person, movement, or group, remains very much alive forever.

Yet surrounding yourself to an idea that has a wider impact need not be so dramatic and extreme. In fact, devoting yourself to a principle that goes beyond satisfying your own interests adds purpose and meaning to your life, something we all desire to have.

Let's perform a quick thought experiment to examine this further. Imagine that you are in heaven and you are observing your funeral ceremony. A friend or a family member is giving an eulogy at this ceremony. What would you want that person to say about you?

Would you want to be remembered for your kindness and empathy towards others? Would you want to be remembered for giving up your time to help friends and family in need? Would you want to be remembered for serving an idea that has helped improve the lives of many people? Probably.

The fact that so many of us tend not to surrender ourselves to a larger vision is not because we are incapable, but perhaps because we already live a satisfying life. In my community, my peers and I have the comfort of a safe home, fabulous educational and career prospects, and a wonderful group of friends and family. That, in itself, is sufficient to add meaning to our lives.

But others are more daring, and one person in particular is especially daring; his name is Sal Khan. A graduate of MIT, Sal worked as a very successful hedge fund analyst in Boston. He was perfectly content with this lifestyle, for he had a wonderful wife supporting him and a fantastic career and education

However, upon realising that he could help educate millions of students around the world through his video tutorials, his previous lifestyle no longer seemed purposeful. So, Sal decided to give up his job at a hedge fund and instead started a website, called Khan Academy (some of you might use it), to offer a "world class education for anyone, anywhere".

Sal surrendered himself to an idea, and in doing so, he has helped millions of people, including me; we all need a hand with calculus now and then.

By no means am I suggesting that we should all dare to do big things and go about changing the world. I am simply saying that we should dare to see the bigger picture and find a purpose that is special to us and commit to it, day in and day out, for the greater good.

If this all resonates with you, why not join Sal and V in daring to surrender yourself to a vision that could attract hundreds of other people to you, and together, we can fulfil our dreams.