Finding Meaning in Life

  For thousands of years humans have looked around and wondered why they exist and what the meaning of their life is. They ponder Gods and big bang theories. They discuss cavemen and evolution from primordial slime. They theorize about spirits and higher dimensions of existence. But to date the whole of humanity still can’t agree on any specific over all meaning. There’s a simple reason for this. There isn’t one! It isn’t about the meaning of life, past, present, or future, it’s about the meaning of YOUR life as you live it.


  People can place values on things in life and subjectively give them any meaning they choose. As I have discussed before consciousness is a perception of your surroundings and it only exists within you. When you meet people who appear to have found the meaning of life, they most likely have… for them. What means the most to them may not hold the same value for you. It’s here that people get disconnected from each other when they speak of “the meaning of life”. Since every man, woman, and animals consciousness is independent so too is their perceived value of meaningfulness. Since we only know what we are told many times people are led to believe that happiness and meaningfulness come from certain aspects of life or certain interactions. Since not everyone is the same, people who find these things meaningless end up unhappy and disillusioned. This is where we can step in and intervene in the process by simply discovering what is meaningful to each one of us may differ. Instead of chasing someone elses' happiness or chasing a meaningless “perfect” life we should analyze what makes our individual conscious respond positively. As usual, when it comes too building and developing a connection with your inner self and your consciousness, this can be easier said than done.


  The first step is to slow yourself down a little bit. So many people are forced to rush through their day from task to task and they don’t get a chance to pay attention to the little things that make them happy. We give it a brief second of indulgence and then it passes like a warm summer nights breeze. In order to really enjoy life we must accept and respond to all emotions, both good and bad, and figure out where they stem from, how it affects us, and what we can do about it. Too often we harbor negative emotions and focus on the really big bad important stuff in our life and only stop briefly to enjoy the mini-pleasures of the day. These little luxuries make up for bearing the frequent negativity of the chaotic world we exist within. Our task at hand is to focus harder on these positive moments and make more out of our experience. Instead of shirking them off for thoughts of bills, lovers quarrels, or the injustices of life embrace every second and every aspect of it. It can be something as simple as walking down the street and smelling something that brings back a good memory from childhood. Instead of hurrying on worried about being 30 seconds or a minute later to where you are heading, stop! Take it in, breath deep and capture the essence. Let the images of childhood flood in, hear the sounds of laughter or familiar voices, smell it like you were there again, in a place you were told you could never be again. Yet, there you are standing in the street, far away from that time, living the moment twice through the power of human consciousness. When you’re really, really, comfortable in bed and you’re so happy you want just one more minute, take it! Don’t focus on the seconds passing by but instead wrap yourself in the emotional warmth and happiness of the moment. For that minute nothing else matters, it’s your life, your minute, your deep down happiness! Taking that minute won’t matter at 3:34 that afternoon or 7:52 that night or any other time for that matter. The happiness and joy and the smile it spread across your face is a new moment you can go back to when in a bad place. Capture it to enjoy it all over again. But in order to do that you need to know everything about it to begin with. Let the essence of every second permeate your entire being. Every smell, taste, sight, sound, and touch makes you who you are and what you know. If these experiences are all viewed through a negative perspective it becomes who you are. If you view every moment for what it is and truly embrace and cherish life you will lead a fuller existence then the richest man filled with hatred. Toys, women, money, cars, and everything else are all just aspects of the moment. Happiness can be found in either in their presence or in their absence and they are most certainly not a prerequisite to finding it. It can be found in the smell of rose petals, the spray of an oceans wave, the glint in a lover’s eye or smell of their hair, the perfect meal or drink, or even amidst a baron wasteland within one’s conscious self.


  Happiness is anywhere and everywhere if we are able to harness the moments in which it has come to us in the past. As we pay attention to the things that make us happy we learn instinctively to repeat those actions and begin to make a habit out of being happy and enjoying happy moments. Unfortunately, due to the chaotic nature of life there are moments which are just simply sad as well. But even these heart wrenching and tear jerking experiences can be used to remind us of times that were worse. In that fact alone it’s possible to find happiness within your current situation. For me personally, I just look back upon my teenage years when I was angry at the world and at “god” for taking so many of my family and friends from me too soon. I lived in anger and with a rage I couldn’t explain. As I get older I have begun to understand that this anger came from not understanding and accepting why life is as challenging as it is. Why do these things happen, why is life the way it is, and why do I need to be proactive about changing it? I have come to understand that life is just a reaction of all things to their environment. It the same for energy, particles, people, concepts, and the answer to “why?” it all is the way it is. We are simply individual consciousness bound together by interaction and destined to a chaotic ballet of impeccably random perfection for eternity. We are the masters of our own emotions and also highly influential on the people around us. When we input negativity into situations people take negativity out of them and react to them just as they would anything else bad, with fear, anger, violence, or rejection. When we input positivity into situations people tend to notice and return some form of positivity as a reaction.


  Simply put, changing an interaction and the outcome from it starts with you and the consciousness of who you are experiencing the interaction with. If even one or ideally both parties focus on positively interacting the chance of a good outcome is much greater. Essentially you can be the catalyst that changes a situation from bad to good! Be the trendsetter amongst your friends. Set an example and do good things for people without expecting a return just because it makes both of you feel good. Tell someone something positive that you think or feel about them. React with patience and kindness instead when you catch yourself getting angry or upset with someone or something. It’s amazing how this simple fundamental transformation of your conscious perception can allow you to experience life and reality with a whole different outlook. It can really let you analyze the things that are meaningful to you which are what create happiness. Find those things and embrace them, share them with the people you love and support them as they discover their own form of happiness. Remember their idea of happiness can be independent of yours but acknowledging this can allow you to both experience your own version of being happy without feeling like the other person is missing out and needs to know what you’ve found. Pushing your own happiness on others will seldom get the job done unless it really works for them on whatever level they choose to be conscious at.
The best bet for making your world a better place is to do it yourself and be the better person you wish everyone to be. It can be hard because so many people just don’t care but that makes it all that much more important why those of us who do care should make a difference. So what if other people can’t see the things that mean the most in life are not always tangible goods but the moments that can only be taken away by the loss of our precious consciousness? We can embrace this fact and cherish life for its good and bad days alike. Feel the rain, soak in the sun, learn the sting of goodbye as well as the kiss of hello, find meaning in actions, and mean everything you do. Act with your whole heart and change how the game is played. Not only will you feel better about life but those around you will feel better about sharing life with you. Happiness is contagious. Try laughing wholeheartedly out loud in a crowded quite room. I guarantee others will follow! Sure, they may be laughing at you making a fool of yourself but in reality you’re simply providing a happy moment that person can embrace and brighten up their day with. Where is the harm in that? So live carefree, be happy whenever possible, and try to help those who need a hand. Remember, those who don’t ask for it usually need it the most. It’s also those people who you will make the biggest impression on when you do help them to find a moment of happiness. I hope this rant helps one or two people look at things a little differently and enjoy what’s there for the taking. Happiness is an individual quality within yourself and it’s manifested through meaningful positive interactions! Find out what makes “you” tick and live to that beat! Although I should give you a fair warning, you may not be happy that you didn’t realize it all a little bit sooner! :)


    John