S4 Ep8: Let’s Talk About The Meaning of Life, Shall We?
What if it’s staring us all right in the face?
The quest to find the meaning of life has occupied the human mind for most of recorded history. Why are we here? What are we doing? What’s the answer to the question of life, the Universe, and Everything? (That one we know – it’s 42).
It’s easy to argue that philosophy, religion, and science are all on the exact same quest – to discover the meaning of life. Each has their own approach to the question.
I believe that the answer to the meaning of life is quite possibly the simplest thing ever. Without further ado – what if the answer to the meaning of life is this:
TO LIVE.
How can it possibly be that simple?
Here are the reasons why I make this claim.
First – how many people do you know that don’t genuinely live their lives?
Secondly – how do you feel when you are acting intentionally
Thirdly – We are all energy. Why transmute from pure energy to a body if not for one reason – TO LIVE?
Lastly – Occam’s Razor. The idea of Occam’s Razor is that when presented with multiple possible answers, the simplest is usually the correct answer.
Shouldn’t the answer to the meaning of life be deep and complicated?
The idea that the meaning of life is abstract, deep, and complicated has led to discourse, disagreement, argument, violence, and ultimately to war.
Rejecting simplicity is human nature. While knowledge is certainly power, and better than ignorance, it comes with a price. The loss of innocence.
There are necessary complexities. It takes time, study, will, desire, and training to learn skills like medicine, piloting, and electrical work.
We add all sorts of unnecessary elements to our lives – often in the hope that it gives us a deeper sense of meaning. If I have it all, won’t I better know the meaning of life?
Mindfulness to recognize the meaning of life
Active conscious awareness is not about what’s in the world around you. This is about your inner being. It’s current, present awareness of your conscious mindset/headspace/psyche self.
When it comes to the meaning of life, mindfulness informs you if you’re merely surviving and existing or living and experiencing. Are you making choices and decisions to learn, grow, see, do, feel, and experience all the potential, possibilities, and wonders of this life?
This is not about grand and glorious purpose. It’s about the choices we make daily. Rather than make ourselves crazy seeking challenging answers to the meaning of life, isn’t it entirely possible it’s simply to live?
This week’s Applied Guidance for Mindfulness Tool:
Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is this – go live.
Do something that gives you a new experience, teaches you something new, and exposes you to potential and possibilities you’ve never been exposed to before.
Visit that place near or far, read that book, make that call, sign up for that class or experience – just make the choice to do something not rote, routine, or otherwise the regular in your day-to-day experience.
Don’t do something idiot or unsafe – but don’t utterly avoid risk, either. Accept that acting to live like this might cause you mental, emotional, or spiritual pain (more likely than physical pain).
After you’ve done this thing – or even made the appointment or took the first step to do this thing – write down what it is, why you desire to do it, and how it makes you feel. Note especially how alive and connected it makes you feel.
Does it make you desire to do more things and experience what it’s like to live?
Blogs: titaniumdon.com and mjblehart.medium.com
Original cover art artist Fe Mahoney: https://www.etsy.com/shop/TaliasInspirations