Why am I here? What is the meaning of life? What should I do with my life? Sooner or later we all ask ourselves these questions, but the answers are often nebulous and misleading. Here is a brief introduction to the "meaning of life".
Steps
Step 1. Discover your curious side and your faith
Many people find religious belief systems most appropriate to make sense of their lives. Being a "true believer", however, implies giving up your identity in the name of the collective one. Midlife crisis and conflicts are inevitable when the "adoptive" idea of yourself collides with the real one. If you are curious and prefer to rely on your intelligence, these are the first steps to discover your true self. Self-awareness is not for the picky: take the time to let go of bias imposed by yourself and society, and to let your identity emerge without superstructures.
Step 2. Let go of the language
The universe has existed before men, and certainly before language, and does not need pedantic explanations. Words are not things or actions; they are vibrations of air molecules or scribbles on a page. Exchanging reality with words is the mistake that makes politicians rise to power and sells all products, religions and systems of government on the planet. Saying "tree" does not capture the essence of the tree, like saying "I love you" does not mean that someone loves you. To perceive reality for what it is, we must accept that words are only a vehicle for expressing our perception of reality, not reality itself.
Step 3. To make sense of your life, you need to be able to perceive it without language
The fragility of language will undermine your search.
Step 4. Search without purpose
The universe will reveal itself and become clearer if you search without prejudice. Knowledge is not a destination, it is a journey. Human knowledge is not perfect either. But don't despair, we know enough to come to solid conclusions. A "fact" can only mean "confirmed to such a degree that it would be perverse to withhold provisional consent". I suppose apples can start growing tomorrow, but the chance doesn't deserve equal time in physics classes (Stephen Jay Gould). Work with what you know, not what you imagine.
Step 5. Know that the universe is not obliged to meet your expectations
It is what it is, whether you exist or not.
Step 6. Know that your life in civilization is a construct, not a law of nature
Our lives and our lifestyles are a construction of what we believe is the best way to live. It is covered with 6,000 years of myths, superstitions and dogmas. Don't confuse the truth with the things you do to survive. Society does, and it often makes no sense.
Step 7. Try to understand yourself, the universe and your place in society, and it will be easy to find meaning because you will begin to distinguish what is important
You will be able to separate the noise of language and society from the sound of your true Self. Define what makes your life meaningful. Each of us will discover something different. You will know that your life makes sense because you will not be afraid of death, old age or the pains we all go through. Your destiny, the reason you are here will be clear at all times. Happiness and serenity will be natural consequences.
Step 8. Find your place in this life, you are the piece of a puzzle
Most of us live on imagination, and when reality strikes us we are disappointed and we lose the meaning of life. Start seeing the larger than life drawing and you will know that the little things you do now have their place in this drawing. For example, if you want to save some money, all you have to do is decide how much you want to save each day, one day at a time for a number of years, and you will be able to put away the amount you want.
Advice
- Be careful what you put on your head. Television, mass media and modern music can be fatal to your voyage of discovery.
- Meditation is a great exercise for seeing things clearly as long as you don't focus too much on the technique. Many people believe they are meditating when they are just performing a ritual.
- You will know that the meaning of your life is strong when you can defend it. An open dialogue on the meaning of life is an important shortcut of the process.
- At first, you question everything. It will sharpen your intellect and your sense of observation and will irritate all the people who are close to you.
Warnings
- Remember that not everyone in modern society is able to think outside the box, much less outside the schemes imposed by the society in which they live. Your awareness may be perceived as an oddity or an act of rebellion, so don't share your point of view with anyone you meet.
- Many are comfortable with their worldview, and don't like to justify it. Do not impose your new point of view on others: it will only serve to put barriers between you and those around you. But don't be afraid to explain your meaning in life to other people.
