Finding meaning in our lives

For a long time, I've embarked on a quest to unravel the multifaceted nature of meaning in our lives. This journey has taken me on unexpected detours, each enriching my understanding of meaning. Along the way, I've experienced a whirlwind of emotions: from humility to fear, stress to joy. Each trail I followed brought lessons, some highlighting what to embrace, others cautioning against pitfalls.

Defining "meaning" is a complex task, as each individual perceives it uniquely. But let me try: if tomorrow was my last day, what legacy would I leave behind? What singular aspect of my character would stand out the most? That, to me, is where meaning lies. It's about identifying that core essence and nurturing it fervently.

For instance, my essence revolves around courage and service to others. While not every task directly aligns with these values, everything I undertake feeds into upholding them. I aspire to be remembered as someone who consistently chose the moral high ground, regardless of the challenges faced.

Finding meaning is tough, and the entire world is going through a meaning crisis right now. If people or countries don't have money and resources, they end up fighting wars and other crimes, and if they have a good amount of resources, people end up doing drugs. Most developed countries are becoming a melting pot for drug abuse and mental health issues. These two are the biggest challenges we are facing in this century.

People of every age are suffering from the meaning crisis, especially the younger ones. They have been rendered crippled by all the choices and social media to find meaning in their lives. They keep chasing one thing after another, yet they have no success finding that calmness. People are losing the skill of patience and calmness in their lives and very quickly turning towards drug abuse.

But we must ask ourselves why this is happening and why now, before it is too late? It's not that people born before us were smarter; it was just that life's hardship automatically taught them valuable lessons to find meaning. But our lives are way too comfortable; for the first time in human history, we can sit at home and get food for the next 6 months without worrying about being killed, which is true in at least most parts of the world. This massive shift in how we conduct our lives has tremendously affected how we perceive the world around us and find meaning.

I look around me and see people running away from boredom, jobs, and responsibility, basically life itself. People have forgotten how to spend time with themselves. Take out the alcohol from the world, and half of them will go crazy; they have seriously nowhere to go except to drink their minds out every weekend (especially true in the Western world). The sense of service is disappearing, the ability to feel gratitude is diminishing, and the courage to stand with your friends is vanishing. All of this is becoming very pertinent with each passing year. I see so many people without friends; all they have are people with whom they go to parties and have fun, but no true friends. They don't have friends that stay connected for life, no matter where they go.

Divorce rates are skyrocketing, cheating is normalized, and every wrongdoing is justified in the name of diversity and inclusion. Despite all this freedom to act according to our desires, we feel increasingly miserable. We must pause and ask ourselves why all this freedom of choice is not leading to happiness and contentment in our lives? Most of us live our lives the way we want, yet we are so desperate and suffering that we try to hide it by engaging in exotic travel, alcohol, and parties.

Let's talk about the solution now, hoping the issue and need for meaning are clear. Meaning in life can't come without suffering; now I understand that our lives have become way too comfortable; thus, we need to suffer ideas to find meaning. Read great people and build perspective from different angles, otherwise, you will remain oblivious to the suffering around you, incapable of finding meaning in life. Finding meaning in life will not be a walk in the park but a journey filled with troubles and problems. It will often feel unsurmountable, but overcoming those challenges is the only way to find meaning in life.

Some of you might be like, I understand this philosophically, but what should I do to find meaning in my life? Let's look at some core concepts that make life meaningful. Before we proceed to the list, note that it might be slightly different for everyone, and not all the cases might be relevant for each of you.

Money: earn a good amount, not just to buy comfort but to create a safety net. A safety net that allows you to follow your passions. Also, earning a good amount of money without corruption is hard; this will take dedication and can be a great way to improve one's lifestyle. Most people don't earn the money they want because they don't know why they want that level of money in the first place. If you think about money as a way to fund your extravaganza lifestyle, you most likely won't make money. Stop looking at money from the point of self-indulgence but rather look at it as a way to discipline your life and give a safety net to pursue other meaningful things in your life.

Health: Many of us don't understand this at all, even those who go to the gym regularly. Firstly, health should be viewed holistically, not as a way to attract girls or build bigger muscle. Most of us don't need massive bodies; we only need decent mobility, cardio, and strength. If you spend too much time in the gym, you are most likely taking that time out of something else. And then there is the other breed that doesn't exercise at all. A healthy mind can't stay in an unhealthy body. Exercise is a great way to rebalance your hormonal levels. One key thing in health is Sleep; if you don't want to have random mood swings, fix your sleep. Many of our brain circuits are circadian, meaning aligned with the sun, sleep being one of them. Studying nutrition is equally important to keep your health up holistically. Exercise, sleep, and nutrition are the key factors for a healthy body. If you don't fix these, there is a high chance you will not achieve a balanced life, which is mandatory for long-term happiness.

I understand there might be a few months where you are trying to do or learn something crazy hard but get back to your health as quickly as possible. Understanding your body is one of the best things one can do in life; it gives immense control over one's self-desire.

Discipline: following a good routine is key to keeping your mind stable and not going up and down. Saying no to late-night parties and alcohol can do wonders in your life. But it doesn't stop here; discipline in work is equally important. Don't try to fool people and escape from your work. Accept that this is your life, and you should embrace it with all the love. Do whatever is necessary to like your work; most people don't like it because they are not disciplined. Let me explain this: I really love my work, but why? Because I'm disciplined in my work and learning. I have never stopped learning in my field; I study every week and almost every day about my field. this does a few things: put me in a place where I'm better than most and thus more valued wherever I go and create a bigger impact. Secondly, it gives me more money, which is a good enabler of happiness (because of a stronger safety net). And lastly, if you are good at what you do, you will automatically start seeing the beauty in your work. Most people never fall in love with their work because they have never given enough hours and dedication. Now, some of you might be working really long hours and still hate your work, but ask yourselves honestly, how much would you work if you didn't have a boss or the concept of salary. Until your relationship with your work is transactional, you will never find inspiration or love in your work. it's not just work; it's every fucking thing; most people never learn guitar because they lack the discipline to practice it every day. Practicing is not fun, and it shouldn't be fun; it is work and should be treated like that. Work is not meant for fun; it is meant to be hard, and you can only have fun once you have completely understood the mechanics of work and can twist and make it work for you, just like in a guitar. Unless you have spent hundreds of hours practicing, you will never reach the stage where you produce the music that you fall in love with; the same is true for your work. The day you start creating impact with your work, you will fall in love with your work. If not, you will live your life only on weekends, which is desperate.

Who the fuck parties (working people) till morning on a Wednesday evening? All it tells me is about the sad life that person has.

Relationships, relationships are not only about fun. I'm positive it was more of a responsibility than fun for our parents to raise us. You will have fun moments, but that can't be the basis. I see so many couples together for fun or to escape boredom; what do you expect from that kind of relationship? I know or hear stories where they are troubled because they have changed 4 partners in a year or someone has slept with 20 different partners. Please ask yourself how any of this can bring meaning to life; all this hedonistic lifestyle brings is a bit of pleasure and fuck ton of baggage. All the unnecessary drama, fights, and complications. Relationships without responsibility are dumping ground for all your previous relationship baggage. Combine this with alcohol and parties, and you go on a spree of wrong decisions. Alcohol and bad decisions go hand in hand. Another big culprit is social media and dating apps. Why do you want to know who is super hot? Ask yourself, why would anyone care deeply about you when they have hundreds of other options. Seek people who stand with you in the long run, not the ones who are there for just good times. This advice is not only for couples but even for friends. Make some effort to appreciate your friends and show gratitude. All the success is useless without someone to share it with. Success is not only about proving that you are better than others but also about building character and showing gratitude towards people who helped you reach there.

But the most important relationship one can have is with the loneliness. Discover the joy of being alone; being able to keep yourself happy with your own company is a true skill everyone should strive for. Do not neglect either of the relationships. Most people have a terrible relationship with themselves; they live all their lives in pretense and thus are desperate to show something else to the world. a terrible relationship. Accepting your faults and shortcomings is the key to forming a great relationship with yourself. If you don't like your company, you are probably very boring. First, make your life interesting, and then go out and seek relationships outside.

Artistic pursuits: I fully understand that not everyone is born with artistic touch. But this is something quite often overlooked. Art is not just about music or drawing; it is much more than that. Everything I learn, not to make money, is art for me. Art offers a great way to adapt your mind to new possibilities and allows you to think out of the box. Even though I do both music and drawing, there are still other arts with which I'm equally fascinated, martial arts being one of them. Every kind of intellectual pursuit is a form of art for me. Most people I meet have no understanding of art. Art is a gateway to escape your everyday reality and get lost in something deep that awakens the child within you. Art makes you feel the awe and wonder you used to feel as a child. Some might say they watch YouTube or Reels and get lost in that. Sorry to disappoint you; that's not art. In real artistic pursuit, you will get better with time; you will start peeling layers of the subject matter and relating it to different parts and experiences of your life. Most YouTube videos and Reels are just a way to get rid of boredom, not a way to understand the divine and appreciate the beauty of the universe. Please read books, especially from the people who endured hardships and changed the world. It gives an idea of what it takes to find meaning in life. It is never easy to find meaning.

Learning to play guitar has been one of the most rewarding pursuits I have taken in my life. I have spent more time with my guitar than anyone else in the last few years. It is there when no one is.

God, keep denying the existence of a higher reality, and you will never find peace in your life. Now, you may be an atheist who doesn't believe in a personal god or a god with form. But everyone should get behind the idea of a higher being than you. God is the way to eliminate your ego; only the true ego death can enlighten you. Getting rid of ego is key to happiness and meaning. Whenever I talk to people, I see a lot of ego, including me. All the pretenses to satisfy your ego, ohhh, I need to dress up this way; otherwise, what will people think about me? How can I marry someone who is earning this much? I'm the boss, my junior should follow my every order, how can my student question my authority and many more such scenarios. All of this just to satisfy your ego; well, let me break the news to you; no one gives a damn about you, they might judge you at the moment, but no one remembers it after a few weeks. All the pretenses I've seen and heard about, someone not being able to look herself in the mirror because she got a pimple, people asking me to change my dress because they are embarrassed about how I'm dressed up to go to a fucking mall. The list of ego trips is endless. Start working on something more important than your own as time progresses.

Praying and servitude are very important to keep your ego in check. Now, you can show this servitude to a god, a concept, or your work. Start convincing yourself that you are not the center of the universe. The quicker you do it, the faster you find the path to happiness nad meaning.

"The only skill there is to learn is how to think properly" ~Unkown.