How's life? A phrase that is used everyday, when you meet an old acquaintance or when you run out of questions to ask. Inquiring as to how people's lives are is commonly confined to people whom you are acquainted with. One doesn't simply go around asking people whom they do not know, "how's life?"
Life is peachy, life is c#%p, life's a b!@ch, life sucks, we've heard them all.
What is the meaning of life? According to Dictionary.com, life is "The property or quality that distinguishes living organisms from dead organisms and inanimate matter, manifested in functions such as metabolism, growth, reproduction, and response to stimuli or adaptation to the environment originating from within the organism." Whatever that means. I myself cannot give an answer to all the queries pertaining to life. All I can offer is a broader perspective on the subject that has been debated and discussed over since the days of yore.
Our lives are run by our wants and our needs. Our level of contentment, our focus in life and our perspective are also main factors.
Needs. We need food, shelter, clothing, all the basic necessities in life, but these basic necessities break down into complex groups and categories that intertwine with our wants.
For example, currently, for our needs, we require money, so we work. Now we have money, but we aren't satisfied, we want more. We want to eat good food everyday, settle in a lush home, wear fashionable clothing. So we work some more.
Enter focus. Some people focus on building their careers or making more money, others focus on their personal lives and family, yet others still will have, well, no focus at all. One thing for sure is that our point of focus will always be shifting from one thing to another. Why? To get what we want.
But I have to ask, do we really need what we want? Can we live without most of the things we strived so hard for? This is where perspective and philosophy comes into play. One's mindset on life substantiates and sets the benchmark of one's level of contentment and satisfaction, which correlates with one's quality of life.
It doesn't really matter if the question of life is answered or not. What matters most is how we live it. If we live our lives without wants, will we be reduced to just another creature on the face of this earth? Sometimes, wanting is a good thing. It can broaden one's intellect and also bring out the best in us. But there are pro's, and there are con's. Excessive wanting can also be one's downfall. The lesson here? Moderation. Life is too short to focus on shortcomings, but it's long enough for us to fulfill our longings.
Ever heard the adage, "Life is a journey, not a destination"? If some thought is to be given to this phrase, it does ring true. Everyday of our lives, we see new things and experience new sensations. Time doesn't stand still. It moves, and so do we. Since space = time, and distance = space, aren't we traveling everyday?
Life is not just a mere "thing". Words don't seem to be able to even describe it. Can anything ever compare to it? Life is intangible. You cannot see it, you cannot hear it, you cannot touch it (all in the literal sense) but you still experience it, by living it.
Back to the question on the meaning of life. I still cannot provide an answer, but all I can say is this. Point your focus on the things in life that really matters, put your wants and needs into proper perspective, and be contented. Your life won't have any meaning, unless you yourself give it some.
So, how's life?
Copyright ©2004 Asfi K
Just sharing my thoughts. people. What do you think about life?
