Earlier this year, I was invited by Nicolae Tanase to contribute an article for his Online journal, Excellence Reporter, addressing the question: What is the meaning of life? What a wonderful question, I thought—and all the more meaningful because this occurred the day after I had begun work on my next book, confirming that a return to writing was the way to go.
Such a big question! If I had been asked to define the meaning of life even just a couple of years ago, I believe I would have been hard-pressed to provide a satisfactory answer—at least not satisfactory for my own understanding. I might have proposed that the meaning of life was to find joy, or to discover ways of experiencing fulfilment, or perhaps to share loving encounters with others or even to make a helpful contribution to the world. I can honestly say that I don’t think I truly understood the meaning of life, and like most people, I was probably far too busy trying to “make something” of my life to even stop and wonder about its true meaning.
You see, life shifts and changes with every moment—as it unfolds. In fact, life is forever unfolding regardless of our understanding or total lack thereof. As life unfolds our understanding shifts and grows and deepens, and if we were to attempt to define it today, tomorrow we might discover that our definition no longer applied. More importantly, if we were to cling to today’s definition, we might miss an opportunity to discover a brand new one tomorrow. So, what is the meaning of life?
It is only recently that I have come to appreciate that the meaning of life—Life, as I like to write it for the respect it deserves—is revealed as we open our hearts and simply let it in. Sometimes it is revealed in the smallest of glimpses, through seemingly insignificant circumstances—maybe a swarm of butterflies lifting off the sidewalk while out on a sunny Sunday morning walk reveals that Life is beauty, or perhaps the smile of a stranger met along the way reveals that Life is connection. At other times, the meaning of Life appears in more significant ways, at a crossroads that ultimately determines the direction our life takes.
You may ask, what is the meaning of my life? Very simply, the meaning of your life is revealed through you—as you allow the free expression of your Being. Meaning is inherent in Life, and it is revealed in the movement of Life, and the movement of your life is meaningful. The simplest way to recognize the meaning of your Life is not through intellectual understanding or study or analysis, but by how it feels. Life is an expression of Love, and Love always feels good. When meaning is revealed, understanding may arise, but understanding is not always needed. Meaning is complete because Love is complete and this is all that matters. Love will always give meaning to Life.
Every moment has Meaning, and every breath we take as we move forward into the unfolding of our life reveals its meaning, and so it is that Life reveals its meaning to us. As we are shown how we can contribute and participate in the most meaningful way, we know, in our heart, that we have a place in Creation and that our life has meaning. And as the meaning of our life is revealed, we gain a glimpse of the meaning of All Life—since our life is an integral part of All Life.
