Many of us will find it difficult to read this article down,but please do try and read it down coz it will help you. THE MEANING OF LIFE- Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about the meaning of life and the impermanent nature of it all. Observing how we do what we do, the struggles we put ourselves through, the drama, the pain and the suffering. While thoughts about life, death and purpose drift in and out of my consciousness on a regular basis, the seed of this post was planted, when I had a life reflection I was just getting on a bus to lagos when I got this reflection, and by the time it came, tears were streaming down. I spent the rest of that traveling, and weekend reflecting on the meaning of life. “What is the point of life, when we come to the end?” I wondered. I mean, when I look around, I see a lot of struggling—in my own life and in the lives of others. It seems like, even though there’s an abundance of goodness in our lives, the prevalent theme seems to be this struggle to find balance, peace and happiness. “What is the meaning of it all? What is the purpose of life?” I asked silently in the privacy of my thoughts. I pondered this as I sat uncomfortably in the middle seat, squished between my friend on my right—who was napping in the aisle seat—and an annoying guy to my left—who was playing a distracting driving game"PSP", in which his iPad was used as the steering wheel, causing him to move wildly about his seat. I looked away towards the empty space along the aisle to my right, so that my distracting neighbor was no longer in my peripheral. I reflected on my own experiences—particularly my own “blind” chase towards a more promising tomorrow. Personal Reflections “All this chasing for what?” I asked myself. I race and I chase, all so that I can make more money/study in school"Abia-state university, have more success, be more attractive, and hopefully be happier in some distant future when I’ve hit some superficial and randomly selected target. But will that day ever arrive? You and I both know how this game goes: the wanting for more never ends; and happiness will always (unless we intervene) appear to be just a reach away, in “some day” land, when we’ve finished this project or have reached that goal. We stride through life as if we will live forever. We treat time as a cheap commodity that we blindly waste. We become consumed by negativity. We hide behind victim stories. We get stuck in jobs/academics and relationships that we dislike. We distract ourselves with the noise of media and other people’s opinions. We compete over beauty, status and owning stuff. We buy into the empty promises of cosmetics and luxury products—all of which are illusions fabricated by marketers. Unable to forgive, we hold on to the pain and we blame people, things, and circumstances for our unhappiness. We surround ourselves with anxiety, stress and depression. Failing to recognize that these “dis-eases” and uncomfortable emotions are our soul’s way of saying, “Wake up! It’s time for a change, baby. This isn’t working.” We give up our dreams, our art, our purpose, and trade our lives in exchange for money so that we can make a living. While making money to sustain our needs is inevitable, in the making of a living we sometimes forget our unique gifts, we temporarily lose touch with the enormity of our inner being, and we distance ourselves from the confidence of our unique expressions. In a race to survive, we become mentally paralyzed—like a dove whose wings have been clipped and soon forgets that she can fly. It’s all so exhausting. It’s overwhelming. There’s no end to the madness of chasing. So many of us rush though life in this way, oblivious to the preciousness of whom we are and unaware of the beauty, wealth, abundance, love & opportunities that surrounds us. And before we know it, the sands of our hourglass run out, and we face the end of our brief existence on this planet—unfulfilled and regretful for all that we’ve missed. I know this may sound harsh, and it is. Viewing how we live in its blunt, naked candor can feel rough around the edges. Truth stings. At the same time, we can use this emotionally charged observation to our advantage—to inspire us and to move us such that we begin to live differently...................................................................................................................................................................... It’s time to restructure how we live, how we prioritize, how we contribute, and how we can live more fully in the precious moments we are blessed with. Just now . The Meaning of Life So what is the meaning of life? What is the purpose of life? I don’t think any single answer can be ubiquitously shared and be applicable for everyone. So I’ll answer for myself, from my current state of understanding. I think the meaning of life is what ever meaning we give it—and we can literally give it any meaning that “feels right” to us. There’s a blank canvas in front of you. You are the artist of your life, and you are free to paint any picture that pleases you—and change it at any time for that matter. What “feels right” to you? What do you want your life to mean? What do you want your life to be about? I think the purpose of life is to discover what makes you happy, and then go do more of it. The most interesting answer I’ve heard to “What is the purpose of life?” came from my Mummy"Ezimummy". She said: “The purpose of life is to do what makes you come a live. When you stop, you die.” For me, the answer is simple: (in addition to my mummy) what makes you come alive? Parting Words on Life Meaning I wrote, The point of this article can be summarized by the following: Life is short. Life is precious. What are you dreaming about? Go do it. Go make it happen. Go do it despite fear and doubt and the opinions of others. Go do it, because it makes you happy. Go do it, because it makes you come alive. Who are you holding a grudge against? Decide to forgive them, today, right now. Decide that you will heal, and decide to tell a different story. Give yourself permission to be free, because you are. Where do you want to visit? Start planning for it, even if you don’t yet have the money. Keep moving in that direction, and I promise you that you will find a way. Who do you love? When you’re with them, give them your full attention. Create the time and space to connect with them. Put love at the top of your list. In the end, love is all that matters. Love for our selves, for other people, for our work, for all the unique experiences of life. Life is simple, but we insist on making it complicated. Let’s make it simple again, by focusing on what matters. "From the debt of my heart I confess to you this truth about the meaning of life" Macduff loves you.........
Posted on: Fri, 19 Jul 2013 07:41:22 +0000
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