Finding Meaning in Life is Hard
No, you aren't crazy. Our society has dissolved all paths towards being fulfilled spiritually for a worship of material goods.
Life is a constant navigational quandary between hidden traps, mine fields, endless chasms, potential battles, failures or success, and simply struggling to exist in the universe with other beings.
We have coalesced around a system of governance, neo-liberal capitalism, which glorifies the desires of the individual and suppresses the needs of the masses. Individualism is more important to sell widgets than collectivism.
It wasn’t meant to be this way.
Before you get all hot and bothered thinking that this will be some Marxist screed about dialectical materialism, please understand it is quite the opposite. While capitalism plays a key role in shaping the way we interact with one another, it is not the only reason why we find life lacking meaning.
Furthermore, this is not some self-help piece full of platitudes and snarky sayings to try and sell you on a course that will revolutionize your life. Tony Robbins I am not. I don’t want your money, unless you really want to pay me for my words (subscribe for only $5 a month to get exclusive content).
I do care about your essence - what we commonly refer to as a soul.
An obsession with atheist materialism is part of what is driving this wedge between us as homo sapiens and the planet we live on. A lack of belief in anything not made out of matter is contributing to the mass psychosis of narcissism, depression, and anxiety.
But that is only part of the story.
I don’t hate atheists. You are free to believe or not believe all you like. Free choice is the backbone of being a human being. I just wish there were more agnostics - people willing to admit they don’t know the truth of the universe.
That said, an obsession with objects is unhealthy for spiritual growth and transformation. It breeds a scorn for anything esoteric, but the metaphysical exists whether you believe in it or not.
My personal opinion is that the current growth in new atheists is more of a rejection of Abrahamic religions - Judaism, Christianity, and Islam - than an actual belief in nothing greater than evolutionary biology and randomness existing in the universe.
The way that those religions define God is wrong. Add in all the hypocrisies in their texts, and rejecting them is natural for an intellectual. Yet, believing in something greater than yourself does provide some psychic comfort.
It is more acceptable to pick a side - atheist or theist - as that is where you find a shared community. I fault no one for choosing to belong to a tribe.
Symbiosis with the world, both seen and unseen, has been lost due to an intentional misdirection shrouding humanity.
Who pulled the veil over our eyes is complicated, but we have not ended up here - lonely, isolated, and searching for meaning that can’t be found in consumerism - by mistake.
The cruel joke of reality is that we are only awakened enough to be aware of our own selfishness. Sadly, we are unable to break free from the instincts driving us.
We make our journey forward in time, forever guided by a carnal self-preservation that resides at the core of every decision we make.
Our leaders have curated our desire to consume and destroy. It helps enshrine their positions of power. As long as everyone is out there trying to collect more things than their neighbor, the status quo hierarchy remains unchallenged.
Now that the causal reader has left, let’s get down to brass tacts:
How can you begin to find meaning in such a chaotic world?
First off, you need to reacquaint yourself with that which binds us all together. In modern science we know this as quantum entanglement - spooky action at a distance. The indeterministic nature of all things.
In Eastern religions and ancient times it was known as the ether - an invisible web connecting all living things together. We are all part of a cyclical journey through time and space.
Becoming a spiritual or religious person is not necessary to live a fulfilled life. The dogma of religions distracts us from the true goal - enlightenment (knowledge). Even Buddhism fails by providing too many dictates on how to live your life. (Trust me, I lived in Cambodia, the most Buddhist country in the world, and learned that they worship similar to organized Christianity.)
There are truths that can be found in all of the religious texts, but there are also lies and distractions. I am not here to tell you to stop worshiping your chosen deity, but parsing through these texts is too much for most.
Modern religions are comparable to the current iteration of mainstream news - they tell you a factual story but twist it in a way that benefits their benefactor.
Global corporations are another good corollary to major religious institutions - they are run by craven men (sorry ladies, the patriarchy still won’t let go of the levers of power) who use them to enrich themselves. All the leaders of both want is more control and power.
Religions have become as materialistic as new atheism. While opposite sides of the spectrum, they mimic one another in an obsession with controlling the thoughts and actions of others. The only difference is what items they want you to purchase or what thoughts they believe are acceptable.
What you need to do is start listening to yourself - your heart, your gut, or your intuition - more often. Stop looking for answers outside and turn the query inwards. If you reach out to the universe looking for direction, don’t be shocked when it answers back.
Be advised: I prefer to use “the universe” over “God” as it’s less stigmatized. Let me be clear, the semantics are immaterial. Language is only for communication and I choose to use words that appeal to the majority.
First course of action: Cut the negativity out of your life.
In order to improve your mental state you must first cleanse it of toxicity. Your mind is an organ that filters through positive and negative thoughts. The more it is overwhelmed with negativity, the harder it will be to find serenity.
Conversely, the more you overload your mind with positivity the less apt you will be to respond to a crisis. A balance between both is necessary.
Social media can be useful, but it can also distract and tear you down. What you need to do is regain control over what you ingest. Feed your mind positive stimulation just as you would feed your body healthy food to physically feel better.
Don’t just ignore the bad stuff in the world. Being informed of the positives and negatives that surround you help keep an accurate outlook.
You don’t need to quit social media, that’s not my suggestion. I do highly recommend that you remove the most tempting apps off of your phone though (alternatively, you could disable notifications).
What this does it retrains your mind to seek out the social out of the social media sites instead of them programming you for a small dopamine hit with each push notification. Direct your media consumption.
Doom scrolling is not healthy.
Every app tries to maximize your time on it to show you more advertisements. They are intentionally manipulating your emotions via well proven psychological methods. Take back control from the soul sucking algorithms that orchestrate our existence.
If something is free, that means that you are the product (they extract your data, your eyes/attention, your time, and your emotions).
Along with controlling your digital intake, ensure that your interactions with others are not draining you emotionally as well. You don’t have to cut people out of your life, but you do need to begin to recognize what each person you interact with on a daily/weekly/monthly basis does to your mental well being.
Obviously, if it’s your immediate boss tearing you down, there’s not much you can do (besides trying to find a new job, a pain in the ass). We are forced by the way in which the world is constructed to absorb the negativity from others all the time.
The first step to healing is recognizing what is harming you. Become more aware of how your interactions with others - online or in person - are affecting your mood. If you can pay attention to the cause and effect, you are already ahead of the masses out there struggling to survive the rat race.
What tangible and positive steps can you take to find purpose?
Meditation is the easiest way to find out who you are, what is the point of life, and how to find meaning. There are many ways to meditate, and some of them can be done during normal activities - walking, showering, etc.
Whatever form of meditation you choose: To chant, go on a guided journey, focus on breathing (my favorite), yoga, or just simply try to still your thoughts is a personal choice. Keeping your eyes closed or open is up to you as well.
The intent is what matters, not the method.
There are plenty of other methods of meditation out there as well. Experiment. Find out what works for you. One thing they all share is a concentration on something specific to blot out the myriad of external and internal signals we are subjected to at any given time.
Be warned: Sometimes the answers you receive in mediation are scary and challenging. Don’t fall for the commercialized woo-woo version of deep introspection. Digging deep into your psyche can unearth some scarring thoughts and emotions.
Life is not all sunshine and rainbows. A darkness coexists alongside the light. When you tap into the greater consciousness of the universe, sometimes that darkness reaches out. Learn from it, but don’t be afraid.
Furthermore, you don’t need to get into the lotus position to meditate. The only requirement is that you keep your spine straight. Lying down on a bed without a pillow under your head or sitting on a chair works just as well.
What makes the lotus position so useful for transcendental meditation is that it is uncomfortable and forces you to still your screaming agitation and focus.
The next step you can make to improve your mental wellbeing comes with recognizing what is valuable in life. I break this down into three categories and insist that you must find two of the three to focus on increasing a connection within your life:
Nature - Plants, rocks, water, weather, and everything contained on Earth.
Animals - any living thing, but don’t think mosquitos will provide you Zen.
Humans - yes, us annoying homo sapiens.
Notice that I didn’t mention any physical possessions? Stop using things as a gateway to happiness. They are tools to improve your life or the lives of those around you.
What you own can be useful as cultural signifiers of your beliefs. A piece of art can provide you with satisfaction and peace of mind, but it isn’t a gateway to a better understanding of the cosmos.
Once again, everyone will have two of the three above that they gravitate towards. Lean into whatever is natural for you.
Listening to Nature
We, as a species, have lost what binds us to the world around us. The way we live isolates us from that which is alive.
Modern homes are built to seal us off from the elements, our cars are designed to shield us from our motion through space, our cities are laid with inorganic materials, and our shoes cut us off from the energy pulsating from Earth’s core.
One of the easiest ways to ground yourself is to simply take off your shoes and stand on the ground - soil, grass, or any other organic material. It sounds corny, but energy is exchanged between your body and the earth below.
We are bioelectrical organisms who have forgotten how to live in symbiosis with the world around us. Occasionally grounding yourself like you would a battery helps keep your spirit in balance.
A walk in the woods, a trip to the beach, standing in the sun and feeling the breeze blow, or tending a garden can drastically improve your mind state. There are ways to keep yourself grounded in nature no matter where you live.
You don’t need to disconnect from the grid and live like a hermit out in the wilderness to reconnect with nature. All you need to do is be conscious about including it in your weekly routine.
Pick up that rock that catches your fancy and roll it around in your hand. Sit under that tree that you are drawn to. Stop and listen to the wonderful dance of life in the world around and tune out the din of human distractions.
Bonding with Animals
This is the easiest one to explain. Most of us have pets or have had pets in the past that became part of our family. It doesn’t matter whether you are a cat, dog, or reptile person. Taking care of an animal not only teaches responsibility but it also is mentally rewarding.
Having a pet is not the only way to bond with animals. We are given opportunities all the time to interact with them in the wild. No, I’m not saying you should try and pet the bear or cougar, they can and will eat you.
Let that bug land on you without shooing it off. Watch it crawl on you and simply enjoy the unique weirdness each creature has evolved into. Pause your self-directed itinerary for a moment when it is offered up.
Additionally, don’t be afraid to speak to the creatures you encounter (not just other people’s pets). While they can’t understand human languages, when you speak you are sending intentions out into the world that they can interpret.
Yeah, some people might think you are crazy if you’re talking to the cricket chirping in the grass. Who cares! I used to have long conversations with the geckos that lived on my balcony in Cambodia every night. Be weird!
Have you ever heard someone speaking in a foreign language you can’t understand but somehow you got the gist of what they were saying? Speaking is projecting vibrations out into space. Living things can understand the emotions behind words whether they comprehend them or not.
We have trained ourselves to only listen to the enunciation of speech and lost the ability to feel the intent. If you practice with random creatures in the wild, you will begin to rebuild your mental acuity.
This is how certain people can always tell when someone is lying, feeling a certain way, or a threat. Some of us are more in tuned with the underlying intentions more than others, but it is a skill that everyone can learn.
Above all else, respect the boundaries of every living thing. Not everything can be pet or held. Let the animals come to you and don’t feel the need to take a picture of everything. Simply watching bees or ants go about their business can be therapeutic.
Live in the moment and stop trying to show off to others.
Human Connections
Last but not least is human to human bonding. This one is the most difficult as not everyone out there is looking to maintain or gain relationships. A vast majority of the population is just keeping their heads above water.
Being constantly anxious - stuck in a permanent fight or flight response - is commonplace. Don’t stress yourself out because someone you wish to communicate with is not willing. We all walk our own path.
That doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t try. Be nice to strangers because it’s the right thing to do. It isn’t hard, it just takes a willingness to put in the effort.
You don’t have to talk to interact with others: Hold open the door for someone, let someone go in front of you at the store, and simply smiling are forms of communication. Exude the energy you want to receive.
That said, you can be the positive change you want to see in the world. Complement someone on their shirt or shoes. Wish the cashier a good day. Simple little spurts of kindness go a long way.
Nowadays, people live in bubbles and don’t like it when someone outside of their bubble reminds them that they aren’t the only sentient being existing. Don’t expect people to reciprocate the positivity, but it can be infectious.
Who knows, you might actually make a new friend by exposing yourself to the flow of the universe. Be willing to be vulnerable.
Call that friend you lost touch with out of the blue. Don’t be upset if they don’t answer or call back. We’re all busy little bees trying to squeeze thirty hours into twelve each and every day.
Talk to your neighbors. We used to know everyone who lived around us, but now we prefer limiting our interactions. Knowing who lives around you - who to ask for help or who to avoid - can help you navigate your proximity.
Only interacting with people who share a common interest (related to us, a shared hobby, or similar innate characteristics) is not making us stronger, it makes us weaker as a whole. Interact with people who you don’t naturally gravitate towards (by the algorithms or your own volition).
You aren’t the only one out there feeling abandoned by modernity. We are all experiencing a disconnect from one another at the same time. Admitting you need others in your life is hard, but it might help you find contentment.
Final Words of Wisdom
The true unanswered riddle is this: How can we be fully cognizant of our plight and yet find happiness?
Is true enlightenment possessed by the unknowingly ignorant through their diminished comprehension of existence?
No. Ignorance is not bliss. It’s a refusal to evolve into a better human being.
Truth is a force that can wreck even the strongest of characters, but denial is easy to live with. The fantasy we construct in our mind about reality allows us to go about our days with less anxiety and grief.
Existing should not be a mechanical experience.
In life, the balance between positive and negative must be maintained to properly facilitate the workings of the universe.
Keeping a bright outlook on the future is the only wise course to take if you want to survive the abundant trials and tribulations encountered as a mortal on this planet we call Earth.