Isn’t that such a heavy question? It holds so much pressure, so many expectations.
Through my journey, I have found there are a few ways to look at this question. Deciding which one works best for you will become an important driver for your ‘road to recovery’, and how you approach your life.
1. Make it personal
There are over 7 billion unique individuals in the world. Therefore, how can the meaning of life hold a single answer that applies to everyone?
Tailor the question to you by removing the weight of the other 7 billion people from it. Ask yourself – what is the meaning of life to you? Perhaps the answer to this question isn’t universal. Maybe we need to just find our individual meaning, and let that be enough.
2. Link it to your passion or your career
The renowned physicist, Neil deGrasse Tyson, answered the meaning of life question beautifully. He expresses that meaning is not necessarily something you can find, but something you can create. He claims it is within arm’s reach of him every day. Neil deGrasse Tyson is an intellect, so his answers were based on growing his knowledge (you can hear the full speech here).
Our passion or our calling in this lifetime can form meaning in our lives.
Does teaching interest you? Then sharing knowledge can be the meaning of your life.
Does being a builder interest you? Then building for others and your society can be the meaning of your life.
Does parenthood interest you? Then creating life and moulding a mind can be the meaning of your life.
Societies exist because every person contributes a small piece to the bigger picture. Therefore, each person is valuable. That, for me, shows that each life has meaning. We are building this world together. And we can’t do it alone. We need each other’s unique gifts and contributions.
Look deeper into what you enjoy and where your passions lie and allow that to answer the question.
3. Question the question
I have discussed this question with others before, and often I find my answers don’t satisfy them. This made me wonder: what answer would be good enough?
We pose big questions like this, ask others, and hear from great minds. However, more often than not, we are resistant to the answer. We often shrug it off and deem it insufficient. If we are not willing to accept there is an answer to the question, we are not likely to ever be satisfied with a response.
Ask as many people as possible, and stay open to the infinite answers to the question. It may bring you one step closer to finding yours. When you think you have found an answer, just try to accept it.
4. Take the pressure off the question
It is likely the meaning of life does not hold one clean answer. Simply looking at it, we can conclude that we are here to survive, procreate, etc., but our level of consciousness tends to be hungry for more. We want to push deeper, and so we should.
Humans think deeply and critically about our existence, therefore our approach to the question includes a higher level of thought and analysis.
The answer, however, need not be so complex.
I do not believe we all must leave a legacy to make our lives worth living. I think our small day-to-day actions can be enough to make a meaningful life. Perhaps it is not the overall picture we need to be focusing on. Perhaps tirelessly working on every aspect of our lives creates an unattainable standard we can never achieve.
When we reflect on life, we see an infinite montage of moments and experiences. Just as a jigsaw puzzle holds many individual and valuable pieces to create a masterpiece, life must also be filled with many moments to create our life’s masterpiece.
If we focus on trying to make the small moments within the day valuable, we can create a beautiful and meaningful life.
What I found the meaning of life is for me
For me, the meaning of life is:
– To connect to the highest version of myself.
– To devote my career in service to others.
– To establish strong connections and relationships with my loved ones.
– To gain as much knowledge as possible.
– To live in alignment with my values.
These are five simple, but deep purposes that all contribute to my meaning in life.
I’m sure I will not be able to reach all of them perfectly, so my life’s mission will be to fulfil them to the best of my ability.
With these five answers, I have found the answer to the meaning of life.
Now I ask you, what is the meaning of life?
Recommended Speech: Alan Watts – Does Life Have A Final Purpose?
Up From The Well 