A couple of years ago, a friend asked me what the meaning of life was. Although I was not 100 percent sure, I decided to answer with a quick remark: “Life is like a roller coaster, filled with several twists and turns.” Right after I said this, she turned around and gave me a questionable look. She knew I had made something up on the fly, but that was what I had to do to satisfy her. Yet, as I am typing today, I still don’t know the answer to this question.
The fact is nobody knows what the purpose of life is; not your preacher, sister, father, brother, mother or best friend. When you ask them something along the lines of what my friend asked me, I am sure they’ll give you an answer like mine. The answer I gave my friend was simple and exactly what she and I needed to hear. Life is not fun all the time; sometimes it is pretty bad. There are days when I want to crawl in a corner and get away from everything around me. Then there are times when I want to go out of my confront zone and explore the world around me.
Although I am not much of a religious person, I do feel that each of us was put on this planet to do something for someone. Whether it be help them take in the groceries, teach them a new skill, talk to them when they’re in need or just something as simple as making sure they’re okay. Yet, to this day, I am not sure if I’ve accomplished what I was put on this earth to do. Granted, I am still young, but the truth is, I do a lot to please the ones around me. Whether it includes picking them up from work, helping with them with their homework or giving them a set of eyes when in need. Despite all my doings, I ponder the ‘what is life’ question daily.
Sometimes one of the things I do is question why I’ve come into contact with the people around me. Whether I keep in contact with them while I am away from them or not is another story. But, I’ve grown up believing everyone you come into contact with has two sides: The side you see and the side they hide. And this, my friends, is true. A lot of people around you may be hiding something because they’re not sure how to bring up the situation. You may be one of these people. Despite what you’re hiding, the questions pertaining to what is this life all about will never dwindle. Every day you come across something new and exciting. Whether you intended to come across the finding, never run away from the situation at hand. Grasp the situation, and don’t let go until you’ve completed the task you’re being given. Sometimes life can be difficult, but the fact is if we were not confronted with challenges, life would be kind of dull.
When my friend asked me the question pertaining to what this life is all about, I didn’t understand why she did. However, after thinking about it for a while maybe it was because she wanted to see if I was sure. In her eyes she asked me the question because she was in need of advice. Yet, today I can thank her for asking me the question because it has made me realize that we never know what will happen. As the quote says, “Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, today is a gift; that’s why it’s called a present”. This quote relates back to my main point by simply stating, although you may not understand your soul purpose yet, you shouldn’t hide from adventure. Make the most of your life. Don’t go out without a sound; go out with a bang so that everyone remembers who you were and how you changed the world for the better.
