It’s early in my blog to tackle this, but here it goes. I will today tell you what the meaning of life is… for me.
It’s that last section that sets this answer apart because it really ONLY applies to me. It doesn’t apply to my wife, kids, parents, siblings, etc. This is my answer, but if you agree, even though I said this only applies to me, maybe it can be yours, too. The basic principal is the same, even though the details obviously are an individual thing.
The meaning of life is different for everyone. Some think they’ve found the meaning of life through religion. Others seek for the meaning of life through meditation, physical (and some mental) exploration. But when they do find what they are looking for, they may be quick to tell everyone that they’ve found it, the meaning of life! However, they usually leave out an important part. They’ve found the meaning of… THEIR life, not everyone’s.
Writing down what life means to me is a very simple thing to do:
- Take care of myself.
- Take care of others (can’t be done without #1 above).
- Be a good man (can’t be done without #s 1 & 2 above).
- Never stop learning.
That’s about it. Of course, I can go down a rabbit hole trying to define what being “a good man” means. In some instances, what I mean by that can make me look like a “bad man” to others. I realize that and am OK with it. Again, this is what I define as the meaning of MY life. It can be expounded by adding:
“try not to not hurt others.”
Why do I add “try”? Because I know I do hurt others. I drive a vehicle that burns fossil fuels, thereby harming the environment and in effect, everyone. I use a smartphone no doubt composed of conflict minerals. I have electricity in my house generated from a nuclear power station, thereby creating radioactive waste that will last millions of years. I wear clothing that may be manufactured in sweatshops or in another country by severely underpaid workers. The list goes on and on and on and on and on…
I really do try not to delude myself. I know my place in the world and that means being aware of the “good” I do, can do, and also the “bad” that I do, inadvertent or not.
I’m in line with Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson and Dr. Carl Sagan. They also expressed that life’s meaning was something to be decided individually. Here is a great quote from Dr. Sagan:
The significance of our lives and our fragile realm derives from our own wisdom and courage. We are the custodians of life’s meaning. We would prefer it to be otherwise, of course, but there is no compelling evidence for a cosmic Parent who will care for us and save us from ourselves. It is up to us.
In the end, we define what life means for us. I hope you agree and create meaning in your life that brings contentment and helps others.
I ran across this video and thought it was perfect, because I wholeheartedly agree with it. This is a video of Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson tackling the question:
Does the universe have a purpose?
Maybe, maybe not – does it matter?
