India, May 11 -- One of my senior colleagues introduced me to Richard Bach's Jonathan Livingston Seagull, a meditative rumination on forging identity, following passion, and finding higher purpose. It chronicles a seagull who believes in self-improvement, akin to the Japanese philosophy of Kaizen-continuous improvement of personal efficiency. Contrary to his flock's basic flying tactics used to secure food, this seagull sees flight not as a survival strategy, but as a joyous experience to be lived fully and a skill to be polished. His love for flying makes him a misfit, prompting him to leave the group and embark on a solitary journey. He learns new techniques and flies at an incredible pace, but that is not the end of the story. Individuality and self-actualisation without connection feel incomplete; mastery alone does not satisfy the human heart, nor even those of animals or birds. Somewhere deep inside, he misses the group, and a sense of alienation unsettles him. Here unfolds the enigma of life-the desire to belong. What is the purpose of life? What keeps us going despite setbacks or frequent brickbats? It is the knowledge that we belong, we matter, and we are valued. The desire to belong-to a loved one, a community, or a nation-surpasses other emotions because being unwanted brings the very purpose of our existence into question. Literature deepens this anguish. Even Viktor Frankenstein's monster in Mary Shelley's Frankenstein revolted against a world that dismissed his existence and denied him companionship. His tragedy stemmed from his inability to find human connection. Similarly, the nameless narrator in Ralph Ellison's Invisible Man creates an underground burrow after being stereotyped and invisibilised by society; his withdrawal comes from a deep-seated impulse to belong. From the emotional distress in Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre to the diasporic yearning captured by Jhumpa Lahiri or Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni, literature offers a lens through which we examine this need. More than anything, invisibility and exclusion wither us. There is nothing more heartbreaking than the feeling of being unanchored, of knowing that life continues "as usual" whether one lives or dies. Belonging is not a destination but a journey-an ongoing process of negotiation and reconciliation. We drift through moments of love, longing, displacement, and disillusionment. At times, belonging appears tethered to success or professional achievement. One strives to upgrade oneself in pursuit of validation. Material prosperity often masquerades as a gateway to inclusion, but even the most celebrated individuals struggle to connect. Stardom may prove a curse in competitive spaces where rivalry eclipses camaraderie. The world may not gaze in awe; instead, it may conspire to erase one's existence. Thus, the yearning for belonging becomes elusive when sought in performative spaces-where the performance of kinship is mistaken for true intimacy. We chase fireflies that slip through our fingers. Rather than investing in artificial bonds, we should focus on building smaller, meaningful circles-spaces threaded with genuine love, mutual recognition, and care. While passion drives our deeds and success may bring fame, it is belonging that adds weight, meaning, and beauty to our existence....