What Gives Life Meaning

I was recently asked, "What gives life meaning?"

This is a complicated answer to articulate. It sits on the tip of my tongue, it lives in the depth of my bones and is expressed through the energy that I feel every day. Some days, I feel it more distant than others, and sometimes it is easy to get lost in a world without meaning.

Having meaning in life is what moves us forward. It keeps us motivated to achieve and learn. This is a very personal journey.

The above desert flowers photograph was taken by me on a road trip with one of my best friends, Melanie. It was the beginning of Summer, last year. I had flown to Los Angeles where we began our rode-trip up the west coast. We drove along Highway 1, winding around the ocean's edge. We stopped at Big Sur, San Francisco, and some place called Weed, where we laughed 'til we cried in a Taco Bell parking lot.

This adventure with Melanie is easily ranked one of the greatest highlights of my life. It truly had allowed me to express my love for the earth, my joy in friendship and appreciation for life.

Does this mean that life is all about self-expression?

Is it in self-expression that we learn to appreciate life?

I think people often mistake objects for life-meaning. I believe objects do symbolize meaning but things are really just things, no matter their form. An expensive car, or a small gift from a friend. It is usually in the event of receiving these things that gives them meaning. I do not believe that un-living things can give our lives meaning...it's simply what they represent.

Life-purpose is different for everyone, because we are all unique. And in the end, there truly is nothing more personal than the realization of what gives our lives meaning.