NaNoWriNO Day 19
Topic: The meaning of life
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Credit: youthvoices.net
An anonymous person e-mailed me, and the only thing the e-mail said was, “For your blog challenge you need to figure out the meaning of life.” Oh, is that all? Sounds like a piece of cake.
I’m not sure what this person is looking for. Spiritual guidance? Answers for a research paper? Stuff that can be used to impress someone he/she is trying to woo. If so, this is the wrong place for that.
Still, I kind of like the challenge. This is like the time someone said I couldn’t drink a bottle of tequila and finish an entire large pizza by myself. I rocked the dare, and completed it in less than an hour. This will be just like that, but with a lot less vomiting afterwards.
So what is the meaning of life? I started thinking about how love is obviously at the center of life. No, it’s hope. Maybe happiness? Truth. Free will. Mindfulness. Morality.
Well, damn.
Then I started thinking about my life, and what gives it meaning. I realized it’s not one thing, it’s a multitude of things. It’s deeply personal. It’s about my values and desires. It’s about about living every day in a way that would make me proud of the life I’ve lived if I died tomorrow.
Here’s how I choose to live my life:
Being a good person. Smiling at strangers. Using my manners. Tipping my waiter. Allowing the car in the lane next to me to merge. When things are on sale and I stock up, I leave one thing on the shelf so someone else can get it on sale too.
Acts of service. Helping a friend move. Buying a coworker lunch just because. Cooking my friend her favorite meal. Offering to watch a friend’s kid so she and her husband can have alone time. Doing the dishes even though it’s not my turn.
Laughter. Watching the same funny movies over and over. Doing my valley girl and southern accent impersonations because it makes my friend laugh. Threatening my teenage sister that I’ll do the tootsie roll at her next high school dance.
Giving back. Donating money as often as I’m able to. Buying the stranger in the car behind me a coffee at a Starbucks drive-thru. Carrying around quarters and giving them to homeless people. Adopting a family during the holidays.
Experiencing nature. Going for a hike. Visiting a waterfall I’ve only seen in magazines. Standing outside in the rain. Literally stopping and smelling the roses. Dipping my toe into the Columbia River. Kayaking on lakes.
Being a big sister. Holding it together when they need me to be strong for them. Listening when they are going through tough times. Offering advice from experience. Not taking sides when they’re in a fight.
Creating. Finding and attempting new DIY projects. Making art instead of buying it. Writing on this blog. Trying my hand at new recipes. Dressing in a way that’s unique to me.
Self-sufficiency. Working hard so I don’t have to depend on anyone else to take care of me. Thinking out the problem instead of immediately running to someone else for the answer. My independent spirit.
Being myself. Living my life according to my own plan. Never being afraid to admit that I listen to Britney Spears, or watch reality television. Dancing in the middle of the grocery store because it’s fun. Authenticity in my actions.
What’s the meaning of your life?
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Thanks to the mystery (wo)man who suggested this topic. Perhaps your goal was to get me to think about my own life, and to get others thinking about theirs? Much appreciated.
Sips of Jen and Tonic 
My meaning of life is making it a little better before I leave it. Oh, and eating lots of french fries.
You mean Freedom Fries.
I loved this post Jen. You really are a wonderful woman. xo
Thanks, Wendy. I keep good company 😉
Great piece today; I think your Blogtober’s going a lot better than mine is.
As for the meaning of my life…
…damned if I know; and that’s by design!
Seriously, a life that is known, laid out, all the pieces on the board able to be seen from above, that’s a life in danger of ennui, threatened by heat death and collapse in on itself, its passing lost in the background blather. I’d rather take a chance, try something different, be willing to go somewhere not gone before.
And knowing the meaning of it all sort of defeats the whole purpose; part of the process is figuring it out, discovering what works, what makes sense. And in the process, being ready to get smacked upside the head with a new lesson.
Sure, you can have a few general guidelines, but deep meaning out of any of that? You may as well look for great literature in the pages of a coloring book…
Wait, wait…you’re still participating?! WordPress hasn’t been notifying me. I’m going to unsub and resub you.
I love what you said about us not needing to know the meaning because we’re on a constant discovery of it. You’re absolutely right. One of the things I’ve loved is being able to look back (blogging is great for that) and see where I’ve been.
Also, 1000000+ points for not taking the path of least resistance.
WordPress stopped informing on me? The swine…
i like you.
my life plans:
1. drinking beer just because… and good wine. and the occasional tequila.
2. making everyone laugh. sometimes strangers, sometimes good friends.
3. selling a story of value (i’ll let you know when that happens)
4. loving my wifesy
5. loving my dog
6. loving my friends
7. and i want to try that starbux thing, just because… i think anonymous kindness goes a long way…
excellent post. glad i suggested it to you. okay, i didn’t. yes, i did. no, i didn’t. yes… well, you’ll have to decide. loooool. xo, sm
#2 you do regularly. Seriously, the fact that you’ve written quality material every single day amazes me. You WILL be selling a story someday.
And do try the Starbucks thing. It really puts a little pep in your step.
Oh, and I KNEW IT WAS YOU!
loooooooool. have you done the starbux thing for reals? because i honestly think that makes you more amazeballs then i already thought you were. and i had you up there pretty high… and thanks for the sweet words. i hear them. i promise, i do. xoxo, sm
I really do, about once a month. I usually do it at a drive-thru, but occasionally I’ll just point the person behind me and say, “I want to buy him/her a coffee or treat.”
Jen, I’ve nominated you for the Liebster award. You can check it out on my blog.
I don’t know how to add links to comments so you’re going to have to do the whole copy/paste thing
http://storkhunting.com/2012/11/20/oooh-look-shiny/
Ah, it hyperlinked on its own. Thank you so much!! I’ll make sure to do this once this NaNoWhyTheHellDidISignUpForThis ends.
I like the coffee thing too. And threatening your sister with the Tootsie Roll dance. For me, the meaning of life has to do with trying to find something good out of every day. Like today, I didn’t have to make dinner. Yeah!
What good is it being a big sister if you can’t embarrass your much younger sibling sometimes? Now I know why parents love to do it to their kids.
YAY for not having to make dinner. That is definitely a reason to smile.
This is a great post. You are a great person. I’m glad to know you.
Likewise, sir. Likewise.
My meaning of life is being able to look in the mirror and say to myself “you did good today.” I do that by:
1. trying to remain positive
2. smiling at strangers
3. using my brains as well as my emotions
4. letting my son play with water because he loves it even though I know I will have a flood to clean up after
5. being honest with myself and others.
I love this post and I love that you wrote it. I also love that you buy the people behind you coffee. That is just awesome.
You’re absolutely right. If you can look at yourself every day and can honestly say you gave it your best shot, you’ve lived the best life you could have.
My life has meaning because I share it with other people.
I think I speak for a lot of other people when I say we’re glad you do.
🙂
The meaning of life huh! However dark i is, always leave a little space open for the sunshine to creep in, make sure to smile every day, buy my children a treat sometimes just because.
This is a great post, glad I found you
That last bit reminded me of my mom. She’d go to the grocery store or drug store, and just buy us a little something. It wasn’t the gifting, it was that she was thinking of us. I love that.
Also, big props to you for managing to keep a sliver of happiness in the dark times. It really is a hard thing to do.
I love that you buy people behind you coffee. That’s so cool.
True story: I was having the worst day about 4 years ago. I was out of work, feeling badly about myself, got into a fight with my boyfriend, etc. I went to Starbucks to get out of the house and treat myself to something. When I got up to the drive-thru window, the cashier told me that someone had paid for me. It made me feel so much better. My hope is that I can one day buy coffee for someone who *really* needs that pick me up. If not, then I just made someone’s smile brighter. Always a win.
That’s a very cool story.
This made me think for sure. I think the meaning of my life is love. I was meant to give it and inspire hope in others. Great post, Jen.
I love how openhearted you are. Your desire to give and get love is something I really admire. I’m working on it (I love people, but it’s hard for me to accept it in return) and hope to get to the point you’re at one day.
Oh fabulous Jen. I totally agree with you. All of the little things that make us who we are is the real meaning of our existence. We have to share our spirit with the world, and try to make it a little better while we’re here.
Your post is truly inspiring, awesome, and quirky just like you my dearest Jen!
This is just it! You have to share it with the world. I spent so many years being shy and quiet and afraid of being the real me that I wonder how my life would have turned out if I had spread the “Jen Crazy” everywhere.
You do a GREAT job of spreading the happy everywhere. It’s one of the biggest reasons I like you so much.
That is one of the reasons I admire you too! You are just fantastic to me. You are like a big ball of good energy. And the world totally needs that. We’re Tina & Amy-ing it up for the internet set.
Let’s get some mozzarella sticks!!!
That is one of my favorite fried cheese concoctions. I’m game. 😉
Well I love everything you said Jen. I especially subscribe to living your life in a manner that would not have regrets if it ended tomorrow. Love is the only thing that transcends this… we can’t go wrong when we love. 🙂
Love does have the power to uplift us, doesn’t it? It has been a hard journey learning how to love other people, and love myself as well. It’s totally worth it.
You’re a good egg, Jen.
I’m glad I’m not a rotten one. They smell like farts.
I realized a little while ago that every decision I’ve made for the last 17 years has centered around my children, being available for them and helping them to grow into caring, productive adults.
It seems like that may have surprised you? I hope you’re proud of that discovery. It’s not easy to raise children, especially ones that are caring and productive.
Another great post, Jen. I’m going to be sad when November is over, because you’ve made me think about the world in a different way every day this month.
Thanks so much! One of my good friends (and a follower of this blog) is trying to push me to write every day during December as well. The holidays will be tough, but I promise I’ll be writing more regularly. This challenge has proved to me that I can.
“Authenticity in my actions” sums it up for me! We should all strive to be more authentic in all we do. Not only would we be happier, but we would make others around us happier as well. Great post!
You’re exactly right. Our actions don’t just impact us, they impact others as well. I also find that the more true to yourself you are, the more like-minded people you attract. You just perpetuate more goodness in your life.
Approaching it from an angle of what is the meaning of YOUR life was a nice touch. WHICH MADE THE WHOLE POST EVEN MORE RELATABLE!
You’ve been soul searching as well? Do all roads lead back to markers and photoshop because I imagine you being the mad scientist of artists.
I think that a lot of your points, and a lot of mine fall into the same sub-header: Be a Good Person. As a tangent to that, one of the guiding points I try to live by is one of being cool about the big stuff. I’m bitchy about small things, like leggings as pants or the twilight books being the worst thing ever written, but I don’t care if you’re gay or straight, where you’re from, what you do to live, etc., I just try to be understanding and cool.
And even from my short time in following you, it seems like you do a good job of living according to your principles, which is something I respect.
We’re kind of the same person. I should be scared (can the world handle two of us?) but instead I think it’s just plain awesome.
And yeah, I’ve thrown fits when I find out my favorite pair of socks has a hole in them, but when I got into an accident several years back I was like, “No problem, bro.”
There may be three of us. I have a friend who is quite literally twenty minutes younger than me, alarmingly similar in personality and interests, and is married to my ex boyfriend. They’re sleeping in my guest room as we speak. Together, the three of us will make the world more awesome.
LEGGINGS ARE NOT PANTS people. Sorry, but that really needed to be capitalized. Carry on.
That is perhaps one of the more frequently used tags on my blog alongside “what in the actual fuck were you thinking?”
You, my friend, are an extremely good person. If we had been in the Donner Party together and I outlived you, I would have eaten you last.
I don’t know if there is a higher compliment than that. *Cue Brokeback Mountain scenery* “I can’t eat you”
Cookies. C is for Cookie, that’s good enough for me. I’m incredibly philosophical this morning.
NOM NOM NOM *cookie pieces fall everywhere*
Getting up early some days has it’s advantages. Like being able to comment before the sun comes up. Not used to that, but here goes. I used to believe I knew exactly what the meaning of life was… until I didn’t anymore. Then, after an appropriate period of mourning, I realized that the meaning of life starts by leaving your heart open just enough to let love in. Because if you do, love has a way of seeking its own… and finding you.
That’s all I got.
That’s just enough Bill. 🙂
Always full of wisdom, Mr. Friday. And sometimes, if you’re lucky, someone comes along with a blow dryer and melts the ice around your heart.
Lovely post today, Jen.
The older I get, the more the meaning of life (or the way to live it) becomes clear.
1. Live your life with honesty
2. Be kind to others
3. Follow your dreams
4. Share yourself with the people that matter
5. Challenge yourself beyond your fears
6. Keep close to people or things that inspire you; and avoid, as best you can, the thoughts that don’t
7. Stand up to injustice
8. Ask the question: Do I really need this or do I want it?
9. I agree with you: Smile – it helps
10. Allow some moments to be alone – it’s rejuvenating.
AH! That’s a good list. #10 is so so so so so so important. I think a little solitude is good for the soul.
This post made me smile. It’s probably going to make me smile all day. You are truly a wonderful, wonderful person 🙂
I hope it did! Smiles make the world a better place.