The Purpose and Meaning of Life

My favorite thing to do on Saturday mornings is drinking my white Americano on a terrace at a cafe and catching up on messages, writing, and reading a bit. As I’m sitting at my local cafe last Saturday morning, I see a man with his little daughter on his neck walking by. His daughter is covering his eyes with her little hands. He is playing along as if he’s blind. They both laugh. They seem happy. Immersed in the moment.

My mind started wandering… to the question that has kept me busy the last two months in particular.

I have been searching and researching everywhere to find answers to a big life question I thought I had already found answers for a couple of times in my life ; what is the purpose and meaning of life? 

As I saw these two human beings spending time together I had this sudden thought, or maybe insight, “is the purpose of life maybe this simple.”? 

Is the purpose of life entangled in the everyday experiences we live?

My eyes teared up. From this thought alone.
Is the purpose of life maybe much simpler than I have made it to be?

The same evening I had dinner with a friend. Someone who practices self-awareness and is a genuine sparring partner for me. I ask him what his purpose is. 
He says “I deliberately want to live purposelessly.” 

As a Yale graduate, writer, and businessman, I wasn’t expecting his answer. 

It also made me feel véry uncomfortable. 

Within a split second, I ask him “And how does that feel?”. 

He answers “Well, the ice cream we are eating is pretty damn good. The company is great. The evening is beautiful.”

“Yes.” I replied. “Indeed...”

…

My mind wanted to find an answer that it probably never would be satisfied with. Because once my purpose was fulfilled it would need a new purpose. After having set so many goals in the past years, chasing to find and/or fulfill my purpose, and whilst being in the best place I’ve ever been in my life right now, I was hesitant this year to set another goal. Something didn’t feel right about living like that any longer; chasing the next and the next and the next thing.

…

I asked my friend how he did business with this purposeless mindset. He said “I do make goals but I am not so hung up on them. Sure it’s nice to reach them, and I do what I can to do so. But if I don’t, I’m fine with that too.”

I took a spoon of ice cream as I contemplated on his answers and insights and felt this inner peace emerging. 

I had nowhere else to go, nowhere to strive for, nothing to prove, nothing to achieve, other than enjoying this very moment I was sharing with my friend on the couch, eating ice cream.

I felt like the father and daughter must have felt this morning. But very conscious of it. 

Fulfilled. Joyful. Careless.

The purpose of life is caught in the daily experiences. In the mundane. And… in love. 

Surely we can set goals. Surely we can change careers in pursuit of more meaning in our daily lives. Surely we can make plans for the future. Surely we can strive to become better.

Yet, what I discovered is this…

The meaning of life is what we give meaning to. It can be from washing the dishes to picking up garbage. Staring at a star-filled night sky is as meaningful as is being involved in a humanitarian organization.

And the purpose of life is … well… 
the purpose of life is to live it.
And as much as possible… 
to live it from the heart.

Now. 

And now. 

… And now.