It’s a simple question, but one that many people ask, then try to answer with religion. The problem is, if people are honest with themselves religion does not provide a satisfying answer. For this reason, I have seen many people floundering in the difficult moments of life, I know I have, looking for an answer to this question or one similar to it, even when they had previously known the answer.
As I said, it’s a simple question and, in the absence of all external factors including religion, it’s an easy one to answer. I am here to leave this world a better place than it would have been without me. Whatever I do, wherever I go, whoever I meet, my presence was meaningless if my actions don’t leave that place or those people at least slightly better for me having been there. Sometimes that “better” might just be that someone walked away from a conversation feeling like I really listened to them and showed them respect. Maybe it’s just a smile flashed at someone who needed something positive to happen. Whatever “better” means in the moment, to me it means I tried. I don’t always succeed. In fact I fail often, but I reflect on my mistakes, and keep trying.
As I said, it’s a simple question and, in the absence of all external factors including religion, it’s an easy one to answer. I am here to leave this world a better place than it would have been without me. Whatever I do, wherever I go, whoever I meet, my presence was meaningless if my actions don’t leave that place or those people at least slightly better for me having been there. Sometimes that “better” might just be that someone walked away from a conversation feeling like I really listened to them and showed them respect. Maybe it’s just a smile flashed at someone who needed something positive to happen. Whatever “better” means in the moment, to me it means I tried. I don’t always succeed. In fact I fail often, but I reflect on my mistakes, and keep trying.
One form of “better” that it is sometimes hard for people to understand is when standing for a cause puts you at opposition to strongly held belief(s) of others. However, if the cause is firmly rooted in factual evidence and reason, and humanity would be better for the change that could result, then it’s worth maintaining and expressing a dissenting opinion. Exposing yourself to dissent is most assuredly a means by which a better you can be found.
The point is this: I live for now. The path I leave behind will last a lot longer than my personal timeline on this Earth, and if I’m focused on my own death then my now is left lacking. My path and how I act as I walk it now are my legacy. Therefore it’s my moral obligation to make sure that I’m not living for personal glory after death, but for the betterment of those that happen to cross my path while I’m here.
Tags: #meaningoflife #life #questions #purpose #meaning #religion #atheism
