On a hazy Sunday morning in Hyderabad, life tells different stories. A teenager bowling a cricket ball on an empty pitch, completely lost in the game. A GenZ college student scrolling endlessly on Instagram Reels, restless but unsure why. An old man with grey hair sits in an Irani café, sipping chai slowly, staring out as if waiting for life to whisper something back.
Three different scenes. One common question: “What is my purpose?”
For today’s youth, purpose often feels like something dramatic, like the climax of a blockbuster movie, where the hero finally discovers his destiny. Maybe you imagine running a company, writing a book, launching a viral podcast, or saving the world. But in reality, purpose doesn’t always roar in with cinematic background music. For most of us, it’s quiet. It shows in everyday hints what excites you, what keeps you awake at night, and what people always ask your help for in love, studies, or relationships.
Purpose doesn’t strike like lightning. Purpose grows like the roots of a banyan tree: slow, invisible, but strong enough to hold everything together. And that’s exactly what this Anna Show guide is about: a roadmap for youth, teenagers, and GenZ to uncover their direction in life.
1. Notice Where Time Disappears
When do you lose track of time? Playing cricket in the gully, binge-watching movies, recording a Telugu podcast with friends, or even writing jokes for fun? Those are not accidents. They are signals.
Mini Challenge: Tonight, write down one activity that made you forget your phone today. That’s a breadcrumb to your purpose.
2. Look Back at Childhood
Childhood is like the trailer of your life movie. It shows raw instincts before society taught you to “be practical.”
Did you love storytelling? Organizing cricket matches? Performing comedy skits and making your cousins laugh? Those forgotten joys often hold clues to what still matters.
A retired clerk in Abids once remembered how, as a boy, he coached his cousins in cricket. After retirement, he turned that memory into action by training local kids for free. What began as play became his lifelong purpose.
Remember: What you loved as a child is rarely useless. It’s just waiting to be rediscovered.
3. Recall When You Felt Useful
Purpose often hides in service. Maybe you helped a friend through a breakup or explained a tough math problem until they finally smiled. That feeling of being “useful” is the heartbeat of real purpose. Those flashes of fulfillment show that real purpose is often tied to love, relationships, and mental health support. Small acts matter more than grand gestures.
4. List Out Your Skills
Ask yourself: What do people call me for? Love advice? Relationship humor? Cricket strategies? Tech fixes? Being a good listener? Your circle already knows your hidden talent.
5. Say “Yes” to More Experiences
Life is like a podcast recording. You don’t know which episode will blow up until you try. Say yes to a volunteer event, a cricket tournament, or even a random collaboration with friends.
A VFX artist in Hyderabad once casually said yes to recording a podcast episode. That one “yes” revealed a passion for storytelling. Today, he runs a Telugu podcast about Hyderabad’s artisans. His purpose was revealed not in the editing studio but in the mic.
Reminder: Every new “yes” is a test drive for your purpose.
6. Learn from Your Regrets
Regrets are like post-credit scenes in movies: painful but full of clues.
- If you regret not learning music, it shows your creative hunger.
- If you regret not speaking up for a friend, it shows that courage and loyalty matter deeply to you.
Philosophy reminder: Regret is a teacher in disguise. It tells you where your heart was louder than your actions.
7. Use Envy as a Clue
Envy isn’t ugly. It’s a mirror. If you envy a friend’s podcast, their fitness routine, or their freedom to travel, it’s not about wanting their life. It’s about uncovering what your heart secretly craves.
8. Practice Silence & Gut Listening
In noisy Hyderabad, horns, reels, Netflix, and endless WhatsApp pings make silence rare. But your gut needs peace to speak. Try a 5-minute breathing exercise.
Try this:Sit quietly for five minutes. Inhale for four counts, hold for four, and exhale for six. Then ask yourself, “What is my gut telling me right now?”
That gut feeling is your personal compass, more reliable than any GPS.
9. Step Away for Clarity
Sometimes, like in a cricket match, you need a timeout. A gap year, a weekend retreat, or just a long walk at Hussain Sagar can give clarity.
Lesson: A timeout isn’t quitting. It’s like a cricket drinks break. It keeps you strong for the long game.
10. Imagine Your 90th Birthday
Close your eyes. Imagine yourself at 90. Your friends, children, and even grandchildren are around. What do you want them to say about you?
- “He made us laugh even in tough times.”
- “She inspired youth with her courage.”
- “They spread love and supported mental health conversations.”
This exercise isn’t about fantasy. It’s about identifying what values truly matter.
11. Draw a Passion Timeline
Take a blank page. Mark the moments when you felt most alive:
- Winning a cricket match.
- Launching a podcast episode.
- Helping a friend through heartbreak.
- Falling in love.
Patterns will emerge. These aren’t random highlights. They’re the story arc of your purpose
12. Talk Beyond Your Circle
Teenagers and Gen Z often stay locked in their own bubble, with the same friends, same reels, same conversations. But your purpose expands when you step outside. Talk to a craftsperson in Laad Bazaar, a street vendor, or a startup founder in Madhapur. Every new perspective is like watching a different movie genre. It enriches your own storyline.
Three Simple Practices to Begin Today
1. Daily Check: Write 3 moments you felt alive today.
2. Childhood Replay: Try one thing you loved as a kid (drawing, cricket, or storytelling).
3. 90th-Birthday Note: Write one line you’d love to hear at 90. Stick it on your wall.
A Little Philosophy (Anna Style)
Aristotle said life’s goal is eudaimonia (human flourishing). Viktor Frankl said we find the meaning of life through work, love, and even suffering. Both remind us: purpose isn’t in the clouds; it’s in your daily choices.
Finding purpose isn’t a race. It’s a garden. Plant seeds (new experiences), water them (effort), cut weeds (distractions), and wait. Some will fail. But the right ones will grow.
And if you’re in Hyderabad, let the city itself guide you. The lanes of Charminar, the startups of Madhapur, and the calm mornings near Hussain Sagar all whisper lessons if you pause and listen.
Final Word from Anna Show
Purpose won’t rescue you from every struggle. But it will give you direction, humor in the dark days, and the resilience to stand tall.
So tomorrow morning, don’t just ask, “What should I do today?”
Ask, “What makes me feel most alive?”
Do more of that. And slowly, you’ll write the movie of your own life with love, relationships, mental health, humor, and above all, purpose.
– Srinivas Anna
The Anna Show | A Telugu Podcast for Youth & GenZ.