What is the meaning of life to you?

[ajkumar]

I'm not sure if anyone has done this already....

What is the meaning of life to you?


My answer to the meaning of life is to do everything you’ve ever dreamed of doing! You only live once!

[TonyToneTone]

To live life to the fullest. To be that full amazing you that you were/are destined to be.

Good question, made me think.

[Trey Baird]

I believe in the greater purpose. We all have one.

Now, whether you believe in a deity, in the karmic balance of the universe, or whatever, what happens is that the universe makes an effort to balance itself out. Evil needs Love, the economy needs to be stimulated, oppression needs rebellion, etc. If there's an imbalance, then the universe works to balance it out.

With that said, people can find their purpose by moving towards what makes them happy. When people connect with a public figure, such as a musical band or a self help guru, they are connected through the greater purpose. They may be exactly the same, or they may be similar, but the greater purpose is the tie that binds them together. In fact, the person on stage may have fulfilled their purpose by inspiring other people, just like the people in the audience may have fulfilled theirs by listening.

And while it's sometimes difficult for someone to find their purpose, it's important to look. It may take a little bit of looking, or it may be that the pursuit IS your purpose. What is clear though, is that if you are rotting away in a nine to five job with no fulfillment in your life, you are not living out your purpose.

[Ralph]

Love unconditionally
Be in a resourceful state of mind and body
Explore the most of this world
Keep the truth of my real nature in mind
Share the best of me with the world

Live in alignment with seven growth principles and bring others into greater alignment with them


And the 20 things I want to do before I fertilize the ground:

Learn to levitate (pshychic power, not magick)
Have an out of body experience
Learn telekinesis
Heal miraculously someone whom traditional medicine can't help
Meditate in the mountains of Asia
Earn a black belt in Tae Kwon Do (or eventually some other style that suits me)
Give a speech in front of ten thousand people
Turn around the life of someone suicidal (don't call me just yet or I might screw up )
Do 100 psychic readings
Take a trip to Africa and watch animals in the wild
Visit Vegas, the legendary lair of Steve Pavlina
Meet Anthony Robbins face to face
Create an effective worldwide charity consulting company for homeless/depressed
Play in a rock band
Give 10 improv comedy shows
Take my partner to the super-romantic place every year (valentine's a good time)
Try polyphasic sleep
Write a non-fiction book
Visit Niagra falls
Participate in the worldwide Toastmasters speech contest

[AfteraDream]

To make a difference

And to reach my dreams ( some of them here):

Have my own business
Travel to USA
Travel around the world
Visit Madison Square Garden and NBA game
Make a million euros
Gain a weight (my most important currently)
and lots of others...

[SuavePlaya]

Get Paid and Laid.

[Judge]

I am god
You are not
The end

Slice and dice it anyway you want.

It's called responsibilty.

The meaning of life asks the question that only god can answer.

You are god.

Until you realise that

Keep asking questions

Judge

[Cantando]

Originally Posted by Judge

I am god
You are not
The end

Slice and dice it anyway you want.

It's called responsibilty.

The meaning of life asks the question that only god can answer.

You are god.

Until you realise that

Keep asking questions

Judge

Can someone realize they are something before they are conscious of having reached the state which qualifies as that something?

In other words, can someone realize they are God before they are consciously aware of being omniscient, omnipotent, omnipresent, creator of the universe, all merciful, all loving, etc - not just saying you are/have those things, but actually able to demonstrate them?

Can a boy look in a mirror and say, 'I now realize I am a man'?

Does being 'enlightened' make one God? Does being free of the ego and unwanted negative states make one God? Does dwelling in the 'now' make one God? Or, does it just put you on the first rung of a ladder stretching up into infinity?

If someone says, 'I am God', who exactly is making the assertion? If they are God, what are they doing wasting company time surfing the net and eating donuts?

[ajkumar]

Originally Posted by SuavePlaya

Get Paid and Laid.

lol

[ming]

Be born , toil, multiply and die.

[SuavePlaya]

Originally Posted by ajkumar

lol

Great minds think alike LOL.

[timothydrake]

To simply live.

Meaning will come when you die.

[Plato]

Life is a breakfast cereal made of whole grain oats, distributed by the Quaker Oats Company. It was introduced during the year 1961.

So now you know.

[lifetimelearner]

Originally Posted by ajkumar

I'm not sure if anyone has done this already....

What is the meaning of life to you?


My answer to the meaning of life is to do everything you’ve ever dreamed of doing! You only live once!

this simple statement sums it up for me -

HH the Dalai Lama:
"What is the meaning of life? To be happy and useful."

[Anagogy]

Originally Posted by ajkumar

I'm not sure if anyone has done this already....

What is the meaning of life to you?


My answer to the meaning of life is to do everything you’ve ever dreamed of doing! You only live once!

Unless reincarnation is a fact...

But I agree with your assessment of the meaning of life. Life is the cosmic sandbox of divinity.

Contrary to popular belief, gods don't command, they do, however, know how to play!

[Andrew Brunelle]

My view is that life has no inherent meaning or purpose, but you can choose to have a purpose or meaning in your own personal life. Your life is what you make of it. There are no wrong or right answers. Let your conscience be your guide to your meaning of life.

[Daniel Birdick]

Originally Posted by ajkumar

I'm not sure if anyone has done this already....

What is the meaning of life to you?

Whatever I want it to be.

Life appears to be neither meaningful nor meaningless until I choose either way.

[Cantando]

It's an interesting point that some of the posters above have said there is no meaning to life unless we give it one.

So what is it that makes us give meaning to life (or to anything)?
If we did not have the intelligence or reasoning power to do so, I suppose we would just live by our instincts, like animals, and not ask any questions. We would never wonder why about anything.

So, what is it with us human beings that we search for meaning in so many things?
Is it a gift or a curse?

Is it, perhaps, divinely instilled into us, that we search for the meaning of life until we find something beyond our noses, beyond the limits of our everyday struggle for survival?

If there is no meaning, why do we have the desire to find one?

If you say there is no meaning, do you then run on auto-pilot, obeying your primitive instincts, without ever asking why? Are you just an automaton that works, eats and sleeps, at the mercy of others who may seek to control you?

Are you little more than a guinea pig - as long as you are fed, then you are happy, or do you, perhaps run the risk of sinking into suicidal depression, when you realize that living like a guinea pig with all your material comforts, is ultimately meaningless?

[Michael Chui]

Given the above responses, I think I don't understand the term "meaning". Last I checked, it isn't synonymous with "purpose". Did that change?

[timothydrake]

Originally Posted by Cantando

It's an interesting point that some of the posters above have said there is no meaning to life unless we give it one.

So what is it that makes us give meaning to life (or to anything)?
If we did not have the intelligence or reasoning power to do so, I suppose we would just live by our instincts, like animals, and not ask any questions. We would never wonder why about anything.

So, what is it with us human beings that we search for meaning in so many things?
Is it a gift or a curse?

Is it, perhaps, divinely instilled into us, that we search for the meaning of life until we find something beyond our noses, beyond the limits of our everyday struggle for survival?

If there is no meaning, why do we have the desire to find one?

If you say there is no meaning, do you then run on auto-pilot, obeying your primitive instincts, without ever asking why? Are you just an automaton that works, eats and sleeps, at the mercy of others who may seek to control you?

Are you little more than a guinea pig - as long as you are fed, then you are happy, or do you, perhaps run the risk of sinking into suicidal depression, when you realize that living like a guinea pig with all your material comforts, is ultimately meaningless?

-Yes if we had no intelligence we would not have the capacity to ask questions. But our instincts will make us fulfill our purpose here.

-We are gifted with higher intelligence and have the imagination and capacity to create whatever we so choose. To that end our purpose can be anything.

-Because we are the most intelligent and dominant beings on the planet I believe its natural for the ego to be blown up and think that we are made from a divine source. I think because of man and today's society we have made it extremely difficult for ourselves to find our path in life. Everything is restricted and burdened by how we as humans should act and be like.
I think finding out what makes you tick and makes you happy will complete you. Isn't it also instinct that if you do something that feels good you'd want to keep doing it?

-But there is meaning. If we were born without the instinct to seek it, we would all be born dead.

-Some peoples calling is to be controlled and orderly. They seek no obstacles and try to cruise through life doing the most menial things. Having someone lay out the path for them is better than them having to do it them self.

-All things and all actions have meaning. You yourself may perceive such things as meaningless, but every one is different. It is sad that when people who has reached the question of "To be or not to be" choose "not to be." But then it was one of the choices for them.

[Andrew Gubb]

I've spent a huge amount of energy trying to work out this whole "meaning of life" thing. There are a lot of ways of going about answering it. Firstly, though, I think Douglas Adams may have said it best in the classic, must-read, why-the-****-haven't-you-read-it-yet, Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy:

"All right," said Deep Thought. "The Answer to the Great Question ..."

"Yes ... !"

"Of Life, the Universe and Everything ..." said Deep Thought.

"Yes ... !"

"Is ... " said Deep Thought, and paused.

"Yes ... !"

"Is ... "

"Yes ... !!! ... ?"

"Forty-two," said Deep Thought, with infinite majesty and calm. ...

"Forty-two!" yelled Loonquawl. "Is that all you've got to show for seven and a half million years' work?"

"I checked it very thoroughly," said the computer, "and that quite definitely is the answer. I think the problem, to be quite honest with you, is that you've never actually known what the question is."

Haha, enough playing with you. So, what actually is the meaning of life? The answer to that is in what you actually mean when you ask the question. It's obviously a pretty nonsensical question from a logical viewpoint. No computer would have any idea where to start. But computers don't know what it's like to be human. The very unique thing about being human is the desire to know oneself, the necessity for something indescribable. When we don't have this something we feel... indescribably bad. We can be well-fed and utterly unlacking in anything, but still feel worse than someone who is dying of thirst in the desert. When we are not lacking, life is indescribably good. Simply breathing the air is a joy. The lack that cannot be described is often in the form of a question, which is, "what is the meaning of life?" Many people have found the answer to this, but no-one has ever been able to describe it, which is why the search goes on. It's utterly simple and exquistely elusive.

The answer to the question "what is the meaning of life?" is found in asking, "why do I ask this? What am I searching for? Why am I searching?" To answer anything, you must start by deconstructing what you think you already know. Your life has been built on a foundation of error which you have inherited from your culture, so how can you know anything new until you have stopped to look at that? You must again and again realise the treachery of belief.

The answer to the question "what is the meaning of life?" is found in asking, "how can I live so that I feel the question has been answered?"

Answering the question is a journey, but it's well worth the trip.

[lifetimelearner]

Originally Posted by Michael Chui

Given the above responses, I think I don't understand the term "meaning". Last I checked, it isn't synonymous with "purpose". Did that change?

we could get into a linguistical war over the word but why take something so simple and complicate it with ego

[Jonahh]

What is meaning? - Purpose? Significance? Someone said that nothing is as common as the wish to be extraordinary. I think this is true and absolutely human.

My life has a meaning. I live. Life itself has no meaning. I think any answer to this question, from which ideological and cultural background ever, 'admits' this. Most 'answers' use other notions like morale, responsibility, god and spirituality, to reach an 'ultimate' insight.

Our existence is basically absurd. No one really knows why there's life in the first place, just beliefs and opinions. It may be coincidence, maybe there was some 'act of creation', or it is a regular twist of the Universe, The Powers That Be, or just God playing dice.

However I think it's important to ask these questions, even if the answers are 99% semantics. This is who we are, otherwise there wouldn't be a point in keep living (with each other). If you've once been close to death, it's likely you know what life means to you. Wordless.

So I don't believe there's a meaning to life, but a lot of life to its meaning...

[Michael Chui]

Originally Posted by lifetimelearner

we could get into a linguistical war over the word but why take something so simple and complicate it with ego

Blatherspike nutewere gibberyup?

[Jack]

I want to continue learning about spirituality and know "all" the things about spirituality and manifestation.

Learning telekinesis and some other psychic abilities.

Learning magic-spell.

Finding a way not to grow up-get older(physically).

Learning to fly like Superman!

To create Knight Industries Two Thousand-Kitt!(The talking black car of Knight Rider,but not the car of new series i hate the new car)If i could create this car,i would never share it with anyone other than my family hehe.I want to be the only person in the world who has this car

To show that one person can make a difference

[ajkumar]

Originally Posted by Michael Chui

Given the above responses, I think I don't understand the term "meaning". Last I checked, it isn't synonymous with "purpose". Did that change?

very interesting note. So what is your purpose?

[Michael Chui]

Originally Posted by ajkumar

very interesting note. So what is your purpose?

What, my signature isn't good enough?

[specialagentdalecooper]

Originally Posted by ajkumar

What is the meaning of life to you?

I really admire the Bodhisattva's vow; the vow to bring all beings to enlightenment before myself entering nirvana. BUT (as the Buddha warned) I won't, after all that, consider myself to have saved even a single being.

I don't know what the meaning will be of my life. Something enjoyable, natural to who I am, and not too taxing. And to do that with love and with constant attention to the realm of the spirit.

[But secretly, my greatest desire is to topple the gender binary and the religious establishment, shock everybody, and in the end have everybody admire me and beg me for my blessing.]

Originally Posted by ming

Be born , toil, multiply and die.

This too. Except for the multiply part. I plan to adopt.

Originally Posted by lifetimelearner

HH the Dalai Lama:
"What is the meaning of life? To be happy and useful."

That's awesome. I'm going to pin that to my wall.

[lifetimelearner]

Originally Posted by Michael Chui

Blatherspike nutewere gibberyup?

back at ya

[Michael Chui]

Originally Posted by lifetimelearner

back at ya

I already answered it in this thread. Your turn.