The Meaning of Life

[Dolores]

I'm slipping away into the grips of depression and I'm not sure why, there is no logical reason (though stress at work plays a very big part). Then tonight I came across this video and, I hope, it helps me put things in perspective. So I wanted to share it all of you as maybe it will help someone else.

The Meaning of Life, explained by 3rd Graders

It's sad how life get's so complicated by the little details that we are made to think are so very important. Hard to come to grips with the problems we each have to deal with on a daily basis. It takes a 3rd grader to point out what is truly important in life. Someone not caught up in "all the fluff".

Many hugs to all here on CWE for helping me through those times when life seems utterly impossible to handle. Dolores

 

[MrE]

Well based on the belief system you live by "The Meaning of Life" is going to mean something completely different to each and every one of us...for example...here is something I wrote (typed)...these types of things are always "popping into my mind"...but anyways...

"When we look at spirituality from a psychological perspective we realize that it is a belief system that dictates how we live our lives and effects us on multiple levels...from how we think to how we feel...but really a much more complex and broader spectrum...the only thing we must ascertain is that if our belief system is reality based and that is determined by how we balance a conflicting duality...in this case bad or good...destructive or constructive"

and even when multiple people follow the same belief system the end result will always be determined by the conscious individual and not the collective subconscious...

 

[BIGMAN131307]

“You will never be happy if you continue to search for what happiness consists of. You will never live if you are looking for the meaning of life.”
― Albert Camus

“Life has no meaning. Each of us has meaning and we bring it to life. It is a waste to be asking the question when you are the answer.”
― Joseph Campbell

“It does not matter how long you are spending on the earth, how much money you have gathered or how much attention you have received.
It is the amount of positive vibration you have radiated in life that matters,”
― Amit Ray

“Beyond work and love, I would add two other ingredients that give meaning to life. First, to fulfill whatever talents we are born with. However
blessed we are by fate with different abilities and strengths, we should try to develop them to the fullest, rather than allow them to atrophy and
decay. We all know individuals who did not fulfill the promise they showed in childhood. Many of them became haunted by the image of what they
might have become. Instead of blaming fate, I think we should accept ourselves as we are and try to fulfill whatever dreams are within our capability.

Second, we should try to leave the world a better place than when we entered it. As individuals, we can make a difference, whether it is to probe the
secrets of Nature, to clean up the environment and work for peace and social justice, or to nurture the inquisitive, vibrant spirit of the young by being a mentor and a guide.”
― Michio Kaku

"The meaning of life is that it is to be lived, and is not to be traded and conceptualized and squeezed into a pattern of systems." - Bruce Lee

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^-----^-----^

They all sound right to me.


Enjoy you life by sharing your gifts with the world. Making it better for yourself and the others around you. Makes sense to me.

 

[arnie]

Thanks for sharing the video, Dolores. It's very inspiring and a great encouragement not to waste the short time we have here. I especially like the part that says "when people say realism, it's often an excuse for pessimism."
As for the depression you are slipping into, please find a good counselor to talk with about it. Looking for a reason for it isn't necessarily helpful, and even if you find a reason, it won't necessarily help you get rid of the depression. A simple analogy is when someone comes into my shop with a flat tire on their bike. I take the tire and tube off, look for a hole in the tube and try to find some sort of sharp object in the tire. I will often (but not always) find the hole in the tube, but many times I will find no reason for it to have gotten there. In any case, finding the reason does no good if I don't make the necessary changes so the tube doesn't leak any more. Even then, it may not be a permanent fix. It won't always be smooth sailing, but recognizing the problem (even if not the reason) and knowing that you can deal with it takes away a lot of the power it has over you.
Onward!

 

[Dolores]

Arnie, I have never had any luck with counselors, they never seem to "get" my lifestyle and want to fit me into a mold that I just don't fit into. I'm not saying they are all useless but how does one go about finding a counselor who is really going to "get" you, understand where you are coming from and where you are headed especially if it is not the normal life track? So I keep looking into myself, at what is important and what isn't and "why the hell am I allowing what isn't important to take over?" In the end, I feel that I'm the only one who can answer those questions. Or a close friend (unfortunately I've lost all of them).

Today I finally did something that might provide help (but it might not, have to wait and see on that one). And I rediscovered a truth about what is so very important in my life and realized how even that can bring on depression.

Many thanks for your concern. {{{Hugs}}} Dolores

 

[arnie]

Finding a good counselor can be very difficult. Many people go into helping professions, (including being a therapist or counselor) to attempt to deal with issues in their own lives. Those people may, unconsciously, use their clients to work on their own issues, or will project those issues onto the clients. A good counselor will be able to get an understanding of where you are, what's going on with you, what's working for you and what's not. Most of us have deeply held notions of what is "right", but those beliefs may come from an unhealthy place or unhealthy role models, in which case they have to be looked at through a different lens, so to speak, and discarded or modified to help you leave behind beliefs and behaviors that are not helping you. The counselor has to have a lot of insight and a fair amount of emotional strength and confidence, because people are very reluctant to let go of old beliefs and habits, or even recognize that those beliefs may not be in their best interest. In my opinion it is very difficult to do that work by yourself, because it's virtually impossible to change something that you don't think needs to be changed. Anyhow, keep on keepin' on!