A proverbial question?
"What is the Meaning of Life?"
I remember a day in high school. when my teacher asked the proverbial question.
The teacher was hoping to stimulate thought and debate. After 45 minutes of discussions and disagreements we were no closer to the truth.
Each of us can answer the question in our own voice; but there must be a common thread. Something that resonates beyond age, gender, race, and faith. Something that will outshine heartache and disappointment. Something that responds to the part of life in which there are no answers.
In nature all things are connected. The moon moves the oceans. The sun brings growth. death brings life. There is not any part of nature that doesn’t serve another part in nature. This delicate balance of life is as certain as gravity. Is this the common thread?
Humans are also a part of nature and are bound by the same connections. Yet we are separate; there is more to us - our souls, our conscience, our ability to think in abstracts and our ability to reason. Is this what makes the Quest For The Meaning of Life lie deeper inside us?
I remember the moment when I discovered the answer inside of me. It was simple and abundant. It was always around for me to notice but I was blind to its truth. It seems that the basic truths of life are simple.
Simple in wording, more challenging in their application. “I am not unique or special.” Many have known this and have spoken about it; and everyone has been exposed to it. I think many of us dismiss it because it is just too simple.
We seek complex answers to the complexity of our lives. We graze right over it and say “yeah, I know that, so that can’t be it” as we continue to search. That day at the beach was simply my day to stop searching and to start listening to my heart.The heart is the source of the greatest feelings we experience and the greatest depth of pain. Too often after a period of pain, we build walls to protect our heart. We keep what we have inside and guard against what is on the outside. But what we need to do is reach out from our hearts. Unfetter the light that flows from within. Share more, give more, become even more. Our heads tell us that we will be hurt again if we don’t go into protection mode.
Feelings do not exist in our head. Our head is designed to analyze and rationalize. Yet what is within our hearts cannot be rationalized. and when analyzed very often fails to make logical sense. Our head gives us the ability to understand polarity; this is a valuable tool but cannot be the law of the land. The head is to have input, not authority. We are emotional creatures.
The quality of your life is in direct proportion to the quality of your emotions. We must live from our hearts.
As I watched the waves crash on the beach, I noticed two young children playing together. They were laughing and smiling as they were chasing the waves. Then, they hugged each other. Over the oohh and ahhs of the parents watching I felt the answer even before my head analyzed the feeling. Could it be that simple?
I believe yes. It takes life to understand its depth and it takes a moment to understand its message. The message inspires us to live truly in the glory of the gift of life that was given to us. How will this message affect your life? Will you finish this article? Will you sit and ponder? Will you share this with someone you care about? Will it be the seed that nestles deep into the earth so that it can nurture and grow?
What I learned that day on the beach, was the answer to the teacher’s question; that suddenly I understood from my heart and now from my head. The meaning of life...to love and to be loved. Simple and abundant.
I wish you a month of love and and passion.
