Coming to terms with a meaningless existence isn’t easy, and really, I think the best way is to both accept there is no cosmic purpose, and to create your own purpose. Which means you can also change it at any time. That kind of freedom can be difficult to accept, and even reconcile. What if you find out at 50 that the thing you’ve devoted your entire life to, is not really your thing?
Do you still pursue the old thing?
Or try for the new thing so much later in life?
How do you even find out what your thing is?
Well, I probably can’t help you find your thing, but I can help you find a thing.
A meaningful life means doing something that you, yourself, admire and perceive to be meaningful. This sounds obvious, I’m sure, and probably a few things pop up immediately like nurses, firefighters, and the cashier at the grocery store.
These are all meaningful pursuits that help people, even save people, but are they your meaningful?
Step one is to consider the people you admire, in life, and in fiction. Not just the people you like – I like General Hux and Grand Moff Tarkin of Star Wars, but do I admire them? Oh no, if they were real, I’d want to punch them in the face. I admire Qui-Gon Jinn. I admire Maecenas.
Step two, once you have a list, begin to compare and contrast them. Pick out the traits, or the reasons, you admire them. I loved Maecenas’s support of the arts. I enjoyed Qui-Gon Jinn doing what he felt was right, even if it was going to cost him positions and power (he could have been a Jedi Master, but…).
Step three, possibly not for everyone – if most of those you admire are fictional, consider the authors behind them and/or actors. You may find your purpose in media, in spreading messages and knowledge, and that’s what you should be looking at.
Step four, or step three for those without a lot of fictional people – now that you know what’s in common, and you’ve determined whether or not media/cultural messages are in your ballpark, use those commonalities to determine your purpose. This may not determine a job immediately, but it could be a guiding light.
Perhaps all of those you admire are kind – so you can find ways to be kinder in your own life, that could lead to being a part of, or creating, a non-profit.
Perhaps they’re all teachers, so you could look in to teaching something, in some way. There are so many tools now for that outside of Academia (youtube, blogs, podcasts, etc), that you can get your message out there.
There is something in the people you admire, that you can foster in yourself to create a meaningful life. I’ve been slowly finding mine, and working on pursuing it. This blog is a major help, as I know I’ve always admired those in the pursuit of knowledge, who also try to offer it, and I like to think writing is somehow a part of this, because of my voracious reading appetite, as well as my love of how fictional worlds can really spread messages in a way we may not otherwise “get”.
I wish you all the best in making meaning.
