Many people spend a lifetime searching for the meaning of life. They ask the question, “What is the meaning of life?" Speaking scientifically, no scientific view on the meaning of biological life other than its observable biological function “to continue living" has been discovered. Truly the good news is that there is no meaning to life; and perhaps that isn’t the question one should ask anyway. There is a better question to ask that will lead to a more meaningful answer.
So what question should you ask? The better question to ask yourself is, “What is the meaning of my life?" Trying to figure out the meaning of “life" in the broader sense is simply too massive and expansive. Although narrowing it down to asking just about your life makes it a tad more managable, that doesn’t mean that it’s an easier question. Discovering the meaning of your own life is a process, one that takes time and the willingness to search deep within yourself.
There is a great commercial on television that depicts a young man searching for answers. The commercial starts with the young man climbing a very long and steep stairway on a side of a mountain. He is searching for the answer to the key ingredient in the bottle of tea he is drinking. When he gets to the top of the stairs there is a house, and he knocks on the door. An older Asian man answers the door, and the young man asks him about the main ingredient in the tea. The older man answers without hestitation, and the young man is amazed. He asks, “How did you know that?" The older man replies, “It is on the back of the bottle." The younger man goes back down the stairs, repeating in a perturbed voice, “It’s on the back of the bottle, it’s on the back of the bottle." Like this young man, so many of us go searching for the answers that we already have. The answer to “What is the meaning of my life?" isn’t out there somewhere. There is no guru, book, seminar or degree that can provide the answer. Sure, seeking outside support and guidance can be helpful, but in the end it will be up to you to discover the answer from within.
Another important concept to understand is that even your own life has no meaning. It is up to you to give meaning to your life. You do that by discovering your passions and living your dreams. You alone give meaning to your life by how you live your life, your values and your actions. The question, “What is the meaning of my life?" is truly a starter question that leads to many other questions that concern passion, purpose, values and dreams. When you begin to put all of these concepts together, you form the answer to the meaning of your life.
This all seems really heavy, doesn’t it? And, perhaps, to a degree it is, but it need only be as heavy as you choose to make it. When you begin the journey to discover the meaning of your life, the answers will begin to appear. You will be guided and led in such a way that what you need will be provided. The answer to the question actually can’t be found, it must be discovered through the process of living life.
Coach Rachelle Disbennett-Lee, PhD is a human potential expert who has supported thousands of people in becoming wealthier, healthier and happier by providing daily motivation, information and inspiration through her award winning e-zine, 365 Days of Coaching. For her free report, “How to create more Wealth, Health and Happiness by Tapping Into the Power of Daily Action" go to
http://www.365daysofcoaching.com/daily_action.htm
