I am actually veeeery tired of people asking (and wasting time on trying to find) the “meaning of life.”
To me, it’s “living your life the way you fucking want to.” Nothing less. Nothing more. In other words, there is no unique calling. You have the power to decide what your purpose is going to be, and what’s truly meaningful to you.
You are in charge.
Never forget that.
And yet, there might be someone wiser, more qualified to talk about this…
Ever heard of Viktor Frankl?
Well, Frankl was an Austrian Holocaust survivor. Besides that he also worked as a neurologist/psychiatrist; but the real question is this. How did he survive several Nazi concentration camps? I mean, c’mon.
The answer?
Meaning. (Frankl’s answer in his book Man’s Search for Meaning.)
To live a meaningful life, here’re the three components covered in the book:
The Meaning of life always changes, […] we can discover this meaning in life in three different ways: (1) by creating a work or doing a deed; (2) by experiencing something or encountering someone; and (3) by the attitude we take toward unavoidable suffering.
The last one is heavy, right?
It’s not what life is meant to be. It’s about what you give and contribute to the world; to life itself. And how you deal with hardship.
These are words from a man who did not only studied the neurological pathways of the brain, but also spent years in concentration camps losing his whole family in the process. (All in greater detail in his book.)
Think about that for a moment. Just think about how lucky and grateful we can be—no matter where you (and I) are at the moment. We’re good.
Quick recap (on meaningful living):
- What you do (your work/mission/contribution)
- What you experience (fulfilling relationships/great memories)
- How we deal with suffering (also knows as, “honor the struggle” as Brendon Burchard likes to say or what I like to say: “attitude is everything”… you can quote me on that one, cheers)
Got it? Great!
Now let’s get out and make things happen.
–Mario
P. S. Remember: First step is always the hardest. So take one small action today.
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