What is the true meaning of life?
Tom Cronin is a meditation teacher, life coach and writer. He is the founder of The Stillness Project, a global movement that aims to help people on their journey towards calmness and fulfilment.
Do you ever stop to ask yourself what your life’s purpose is? Do you ever wonder what you’re doing here or whether or not you’re making a tangible difference? If you do, you aren’t alone. In fact, it’s quite human to ponder and pine for the true meaning of life. In fact, we’ve been philosophising on the meaning of life for hundreds of thousands of years, and guess what? We still don’t have any concrete answers.
Perhaps that’s because ‘meaning’ is all relative. In fact, we can choose to give meaning to the various people, situations, places, and things that we encounter throughout our lives. For instance, think of one of your friends. Think about the first time you met that person. At that time your friend was a stranger to you. You might not have placed any significance on your interactions. But now, think about the time you’ve spent with that person. Somewhere along the line you recognised that you enjoy that person’s company, you value his or her opinion, and you want to preserve the relationship. Whether unconscious or conscious, you made a choice to give those various meanings to your relationship with your friend. Had you never decided to place value on the relationship you have with that person, he or she would have remained an acquaintance.
You have tremendous power to choose the various meanings you want your life to have. If you don’t believe that the people and events that you encounter are worthy of meaning, then your life will have no meaning. If you are ready to give meaning to your relationships with others and if you see the things you do as meaningful then your life, in turn, will have meaning. It’s that simple. The following are just a few of life’s many pleasures that have the ability to make your life more worthwhile:
Spirituality
The gift of spirituality is something that is in general, poorly understood. So many of us go through life failing to recognise our capacity as divine beings. But in the midst of suffering, we often find ourselves searching for a crutch – something to help us explain what we are going through and understand the bigger picture. That’s when spirituality comes into the forefront. But you needn’t wait until you experience something major to start cultivating a healthy and meaningful sense of spirituality. Through Stillness, you can get started today.
Love & relationships
It has been said that “A life without love is a life not worth living.” It’s perhaps true that the relationships we will have throughout our lives have the most potential to enrich our lives with profound meaning. As humans we are social creatures. We need to interact with and learn from others in order to survive. The film Into the Wild, which is based on the true story of a man who rejects societal values and chooses a life of solitude in Alaska, is a powerful reminder that a life devoid of relationships is an empty one. Prior to his death Christopher McCandless, the main character of the film, writes a journal entry stating that “Happiness is only real when shared.”
Good health
It takes as little as a common cold or flu to make you realise how important your health is. Spending one or two days down with an illness is enough to help anyone recognise just how wonderful it is to live a healthy life. If you think that your health is out of your hands, you’re wrong. Only you have the power to improve the quality of your own life by engaging in healthy habits. By exercising regularly, eating a balanced diet, getting enough sleep, managing stress, and taking care of yourself, you show your gratitude for good health and reduce your risk of contracting an illness or falling prey to a disease.
Written by Tom Cronin. First appeared on The Stillness Project.
Related links:
How to build self-discipline in 10 days
7 “bad” habits that are actually good for you