The past months have been life-altering, mind boggling and definitely a rollercoaster. They gave me something I hadn't had in a long time: space. Space to reflect. Space to question. Space to think about what truly matters, what doesn't, and what is simply part of the journey.

Being alone with your thoughts is terrifying because there are no boundaries inside your own mind. I started questioning everything. My journey. My purpose. The deeper meaning of life. These aren't conversations I get to have with just anyone. Our lives may intersect, but our paths are all so different.

Ultimately, we all fight our individual battles. I think it is really all a matter of perspective. Whenever I start asking questions like these, I always end up doing the same thing: I go back to stories.

I've always looked for answers in fiction. Maybe it comes from spending my childhood with my nose buried in books or movies, always trying to figure out what they were really trying to say; Greek mythology, Les Fables de La Fontaine, Mulan, Kung Fu Panda... yes, Kung Fu Panda. Some of life's best lessons are hidden in the places people least expect.

I love Everything Everywhere All at Once, although I think that film deserves a blog post of its own. I love Marvel too, but not because of the action sequences or the visual effects. I love it because of the character arcs. Especially Loki's.

I've always had a soft spot for anti-heroes because I think, in one way or another, we're all anti-heroes. None of us are entirely good or entirely bad. We're all just people trying to become someone we're proud of.

Sometimes I wonder if we cling to tangible things because they're easier to measure. Careers. Money. Productivity. They're comforting because they give us something concrete to chase. Questions about purpose are much harder to sit with. That's why I keep coming back to one particular scene between Loki and Mobius.

For anyone who hasn't watched the series or movies, Loki spends most of his life chasing what he calls his "glorious purpose." He grows up in the shadow of his brother, Thor, desperate for recognition, desperate to prove himself, and convinced that he was always meant for something greater. Before the series, he's mostly remembered as a villain.

Then comes the conversation with Mobius.

In the scene, Mobius tells him to keep the bigger picture in mind. And I think that's something we all need to hear from time to time, because when you're inside a difficult moment, it feels like that moment is everything. But later you might understand why those moments matter. The "bigger picture" is the version of events you can only see with distance.

I won't spoil the series for you because it is genuinely worth the watch but Mobius eventually tells Loki that he needs to "choose his burden".

I have thought about that line more times than I can count. I think that that line is very powerful because it's not saying that suffering is inherently noble but it is saying that meaning often comes from choosing a responsibility worth carrying, even when it is painful.

It presents the idea that things don't happen in isolation; our choices, our mistakes, our losses and struggles all become part of a bigger story.

A bad chapter does not automatically mean a bad ending. And perhaps the hardest part is that, eventually, a choice has to be made anyway.

Even when there is no perfect option.

Even when every option hurts.

Avoiding a choice is still a choice.

So you choose your burden. This is the core of it.

Life will ask something of you sooner or later, no matter what. Every path comes with its own weight.

You don't choose whether you carry something.

You choose what is worth carrying.

And I know it's paradoxical but you can either carry the discomfort of growing or keep carrying the identity you've outgrown. You can carry the sadness of letting something go, or the exhaustion of holding onto it. You can carry the discomfort of growing, or the regret of staying the same.

There is no version of life without weight.

Choose the weight that leads you somewhere.

I decided to write this because I have this habit of "lire entre les lignes". Social media has made us incredibly good at presenting polished versions of ourselves. Everything looks effortless. Everyone seems to know exactly where they're going. Everyone presents this perfect version of themselves.

But over the past few months, through conversations with friends, family, and even strangers, I've realised something.

We all carry something.

We all have our baggage.

We all want to succeed. We all want to win somewhere. We all compare ourselves. We all wonder whether we're falling behind. Sometimes life slows us down in ways we never expected. Sometimes it can feel like defeat. But maybe it isn't.

No one has it all together.

No one.

And strangely enough, I don't find that depressing.

I find it comforting.

The reason this scene has an impact is because it flips the question of "why is this happening to me" to something much more important ; "what kind of person do I want to be because of it?".

I used to chase this meaning, this purpose while all forgetting how delicate life really is. How fragile it is. Everything can disappear in the blink of an eye.

And somewhere in the middle of all those questions, I realised something.

Maybe I had already been living my purpose all along.

Maybe purpose doesn't have to be this grand, glossy thing.

Maybe it's holding someone's hand while they're going through something difficult.

Maybe it's helping your friend through heartbreak.

Maybe it's making someone laugh on a day they thought they couldn't.

Maybe it's making someone feel a little less alone.

Maybe purpose isn't about changing the whole world. Maybe it's as simple as just being you.