Growing up, I was always taught that challenging myself was the key to growth. If something was uncomfortable, to me, that probably meant it was worthwhile.

Investment banking seemed to fit that bill perfectly.

So, after I graduated from college, I accepted a job as an investment-banking analyst, jumping into an industry full of intensity and rigor that I thought would serve as a launchpad toward a life of long-term success.

Drawn to the challenge that the role offered, I dove right in. The prospect of gaining financial intuition and building the analytical toolkit of a mini CFO sounded like the ultimate accomplishment.

Rather than emerging with a deep insight into evaluating businesses, I spent most of my two years there focusing on execution: learning highly specific processes, navigating tight deadlines, and delivering work under relentless pressure with minimal sleep.

I soon realized that, despite how hard I was working, this experience wasn't shaping me into the person I'd hoped to become.

So, I began asking myself a bigger question: If this isn't the path to fulfillment, what is?

About a year and a half into that role, I decided to ask my dad the existential question I'd been quietly wrestling with for months.

"What's the point of life?" I asked him. "Like, why do we get out of bed every morning?"

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I saw a look of concern briefly flicker across his face before he steeled himself with a deep breath. We sat quietly for a few minutes before he answered.

"For me," he said, "it's experiences. It's being fully present during the brief period we get to be alive."

I realized my answer had nothing to do with compensation or prestige. Instead, I wanted to build meaningful relationships and make a positive impact on other living things. I wanted to contribute to something that improved the lives of people, animals, or ecosystems.

Source: Read the original article on www.businessinsider.com