What is the Meaning of Life?

It\’s Sunday morning and I am reflecting on my recent post where I opened the door to sharing more of my journey with you.

My first thought was to be encouraged by the number of reads and favorable comments that resulted. It is wonderful to know that you are not only reading what I write and watching what I do next, but that you are willing to continue doing so even if I take some dramatic turns.

My second thought was \”Oh my gosh, what have I done?!\” I\’ve not pulled many punches in the past, but the notion that exposing portions of my journey is PART of my journey is a bit overwhelming.

After all, there are things that are just too personal to share. And then there are other things which I believe could be instructive and useful for others. I personally believe that while our life experiences are our best teachers, we often go through those experiences so they can become teachers for others as well.

I cannot help but think of this humorous image created by the people at Despair.com.

It\’s true that in order for humor to be funny, there must be some element of truth to it. So I guess my sunken ships could be your warning signs.

Which brings me back to where my mind was going this morning.

Life is a mish-mosh of several components, each more complex than the next.

There is the daily physical aspect. We wake up, scare ourselves when we look in the mirror, prepare for the day, eat, drink, work, play, sleep and so forth. Our bodies have many moving parts and the world our bodies operate in has many moving parts.

There is the soul aspect. We have wants, needs, desires, hopes and dreams. We have relationships with varying depths of intimacy. And we have our our emotions to deal with throughout the day. Happy, sad, anger, fear, frustation, joy… they come and go depending on what we are doing, who we are with, and what we think about what we are doing and who we are with.

On top of all this (or perhaps beneath it all) is the spiritual aspect. Thought to be non-existent by some and all-encompassing by others, it\’s tough to deny that man is a spiritual being. Because we are aware that life is fleeting and that we all die sooner than later, the question of the meaning of life frequently seems to land in spirituality.

My question for you today is a broad one. And hopefully it is one that will spark a great deal of interesting and respectful discussion.

What IS the meaning of life?

Before anyone says \”42\”, Douglas Adams beat you to it.

If making money, accumulating stuff and dying with the most toys is our perspective, we need look no further than the accumulation of stuff to end the conversation. But I have a hunch that for the vast majority, there are far more significant reasons we do what we do.

Now, I have nothing to hide here. Lest you think I am baiting you, I\’ve not hidden the fact that I am a Christian. My journey has led me to an increasingly strong faith in God through Jesus Christ. I can\’t discuss my journey without including this integral piece of the puzzle.

With that said, I am sincerely interested in your thoughts and beliefs. I don\’t believe I have the power to change anyone. We are all on our own personal journey and we each have the freedom to choose what we believe. I do have the power to share what I have discovered to those who are interested in listening. Whether it is one person or ten thousand doesn\’t matter to me. In fact, I\’d rather speak to one person who will listen than ten thousand who won\’t.

So why are you here? Is there a God? Does he care? Is there an afterlife? Is this all there is? Is the object to get as much as you can? Is it to serve as many as you are able? Is it to succeed in business? Is it to become poor and give it all away? So many questions…

Just so you know. I don\’t have a master plan for where this is all going. My next blog entry could be about social media, for all I know. Or maybe I\’ll write about The Avengers if I get a chance to see it.

I suppose there is a lesson even in that. Part of my journey has led me to discover that life is to be lived one day at a time. Carpe diem, and all that good stuff.

I am eager to hear your answers and comments. I\’m seeking real dialogue and interaction.

So if this discussion doesn\’t interest you, don\’t bother commenting.

If you are going to flame me, don\’t bother commenting.

Since this is my house, I won\’t approve those kinds of comments as I believe they distract from the conversation.

But if you wish to engage in a respectful, healthy manner, have at it! There\’s a little form below ready to capture your thoughts. Go for it!