I know some people who feel like their life has no meaning. Some are not religious, and others are. And I see people from both groups suffering under the weight of thinking that no matter what they do, there simply isn’t a reason or a purpose that means something to them. Now, I hate to sound harsh, but to me, the question of ‘meaning’ is in and of itself simply ludicrous. From a scientific standpoint, we all are links in a chain that supports an ever-evolving life cycle on this planet. From a spiritual standpoint -we are here; shouldn’t that alone be enough? If there *is* a higher purpose behind the existence of each and every human (or – let’s expand that to *soul* and include all sentient life on earth) then that means there is a higher being with a web of pre-determined plans, making us all pawns in a game on a scope so large and timeless that we are totally incapable to seeing it in any meaningful scope. So, in many ways, the question itself begins to grow so vast that we could never begin to comprehend the answer even if it were handed to us with an outline and summary explanation page.
But that does not have to mean that life is So, I look to give my life meaning by raising my children to be happy and well. I work toward meaning by being kind to others, by defending those who cannot defend themselves, and by working to bring peace to the lives around me. And if that fits into a more ‘grand plan’ on a cosmic scale, so be it.
One day, I will die. I will either completely cease to exist, or my consciousness will continue in some form that is beyond what we can know. Regardless of which is right, I can’t spend my life worried only about an afterlife; that misses the point. Live for each day; love where you can; create art, literature, teach children, grow old. Dance. And if there is a deeper meaning to it all, now, or even in an afterlife, at least you won’t have wasted your *life* wallowing in the mire of feeling meaningless.
Find your joy, and you’ve found all the meaning you need.
