The Meaning of Life

​“We do not see things as they are. We see them as we are.”
 ~Anais Nin

This week’s quote makes an interesting observation. We're all searching for meaning in the world, as if the truth about life is hidden somewhere out there, waiting to be uncovered. But this quote suggests a different perspective: that meaning isn’t found in the world, it’s found in you. Life may exist on its own, independent of any purpose, but the meaning of life only arises when a conscious mind is able to experience it.

In the same way, we are the ones that make the world a beautiful place. Take a flower, for example. It might be in bloom for weeks in an empty field, unseen by anyone. The flower doesn’t know that it’s beautiful, it just grows steadily towards the light. It doesn’t become beautiful until someone notices it. As the saying goes, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. While beauty can certainly be found out there in the natural world, ultimately, beauty exists within you.

By appreciating the world around you, what you are really appreciating is yourself. As Alan Watts once said, “The external world is as much you as your own body.” This comes from the idea that you are not separate from the world you observe, rather you are an expression of it. Whatever the universe is, whatever life is, that’s what you are as well.

So, what is the meaning of life? Good question. Reality may be a shared experience, but the meaning of life is personal. Everyone experiences life from their own unique perspective. When it comes to meaning, we're all just making it up as we go along. Maybe meaning isn't something that we discover. Maybe it’s something we create, moment by moment, simply by being alive.