6 Questions to Help You Find the Meaning of Life
Surely you have thought about this more than once: What is the meaning of life? While people say that there is still no answer that satisfies the demands of every human being, we can at least find “the point” to life and learn to enjoy this marvelous present that we receive daily.
In order to do so, we must reflect and ask ourselves significant questions. Thanks to these questions, we can reflect more concretely upon the reasons why we live every day.
First of all, why or for whom would you be willing to endure any suffering? That is to say, those people, things or ideals for which you wouldn’t mind sacrificing yourself for. And that doesn’t mean dying (because we’re looking for the meaning of or reason behind life), but rather it implies leaving it all behind, truly fighting, regardless of the consequences. It could be your children, your family, your religion or your ideologies.
The second question you can answer in order to find the meaning of life is: How do you picture yourself in five years?
Thinking about the future is an excellent way to notice certain reasons why life is worth living. Furthermore, we tend to be so submerged in our current problems that we don’t realize that the future is there, waiting for us.
Remember that the habits you have today will shape your tomorrow. Put in all of the effort possible and ask yourself what will become of you in five years. Will you be working in the same place? Will your family be bigger? Where will you live? Will you have accomplished your dreams? If you don’t know where you are headed, you will never reach your desired destination.
Thirdly, it would be good for you to analyze the following: What would you do, if you couldn’t feel fear?
That feeling that paralyzes you and doesn’t let you move forward is also what keeps us from finding sense to life itself. Spending too much time within your “comfort zone” (where we aren’t necessarily happy, but we don’t do anything to get out of) can show our fear. Many people don’t end up becoming what they would have liked to, because they are afraid of taking that big leap of faith. Imagine that nothing bad could happen to you. Then, what would you do?
From the previous question, this next one emerges hand in hand: What would you do if you were confident you weren’t going to fail? Many people never build up the courage to innovate or embark upon new things, because they think they will fail in their attempts. This can be due to fear, but it can also be due to the prejudice that we have as a society.
For example, if our family doesn’t approve of us being an actor or musician, surely we won’t have the confidence to triumph and be famous. If you truly want to know what the meaning of life is, then it’s time for you to eliminate the word “failure” from your vocabulary or your mental dictionary.
Did you know that the reason for living could also be the meeting point between your passion and what the world needs? From this premise, the fifth question emerges: What are your major talents?
You don’t need to be a doctor or volunteer at a town thousands of miles from your home. You can do something in your own neighborhood or community. From planting a tree to cleaning a public park on the weekends. If you like to sing, go make the children at a hospital happy. If dance is your thing, organize a show for the elderly that live in your local nursing home.
And closely tied to that last question is the next one: What job would you do over and over again without getting tired of it, although you wouldn’t receive any payment for it? First of all, we know that you need money to pay for food, rent or the mortgage. Let’s just be clear on the fact that this question refers to the activities you love to do, which you wouldn’t mind not receiving a salary for. For example, helping at a children’s soup kitchen. You might not do it on a daily basis, maybe just once a week. But if it still makes you feel satisfied and fulfilled, it is not a job.
If it fills you with pride and “completes you,” it means you are good at this task. It might be time to stop working overtime at the office to earn a little extra cash and start enjoying the good things that life has to offer, such as the smile of a child or a “thank you” accompanied by a big hug.
Start living if you want to learn the meaning of life! And all of these questions will soon have their answers.