The Meaning of Life by Gary Hopkins
November, 2008
I was working with a client the other day and the discussion turned towards philosophy and the esoteric - as it does often with me in sessions. During the conversation this woman asked me “what is the meaning of life?’ I paused for a moment and said, “before I answer, please tell me what it means to you”. Like so many that I encounter, she had no answer or even felt confident on having an opinion of what it might be. So I answered the following:
In my opinion, the meaning of life is based on individual experience, and not on the collective expectation of society, or any other smaller groups within it that dictate “proper behavior” by their standards.
I believe that the answer can be as meaningful, as meaningless, as difficult or as easy as anyone cares to make it. If your first inclination is that the meaning of life should include learning lessons, then it will - (even if those lessons are harsh and uncomfortable). If it includes expanding your awareness, then that will happen. If you believe life should be hard and difficult only to receive a reward for your endurance of faith when you die, then that is what it shall be.
The point is that you are in control of how you experience your time here. So many that I meet are wandering aimlessly, waiting for something to happen to them in order to react “appropriately”. I recognize this because I did this myself for quite some time, all the way through early adulthood. We are taught to behave this way and to not explore our true nature from birth. I do not believe that it is some evil plan to keep us at bay, but rather a debilitating habit that we have acquired and continue to foster in our everyday lives. The bottom line is that life does not happen to us, it happens because of us.
I do not believe that there is an all-encompassing answer to this question for everyone. Our individual answers may be similar and some even identical, however they should remain our own and come from our hearts. Because once you have answered this question for yourself, it will become clear to you why you do not want anyone to answer it for you.
My answer to this question is to simply live from moment to moment and help anyone I can along the way. Living this way has enriched me in ways I can’t even begin to describe and for me it has been an improvement overall in comparison to my past. For me it works, for you it may not. This is why it is important for everyone to make that determination on their own. So, now I ask you “What is the Meaning of Life?”
November, 2008
I was working with a client the other day and the discussion turned towards philosophy and the esoteric - as it does often with me in sessions. During the conversation this woman asked me “what is the meaning of life?’ I paused for a moment and said, “before I answer, please tell me what it means to you”. Like so many that I encounter, she had no answer or even felt confident on having an opinion of what it might be. So I answered the following:
In my opinion, the meaning of life is based on individual experience, and not on the collective expectation of society, or any other smaller groups within it that dictate “proper behavior” by their standards.
I believe that the answer can be as meaningful, as meaningless, as difficult or as easy as anyone cares to make it. If your first inclination is that the meaning of life should include learning lessons, then it will - (even if those lessons are harsh and uncomfortable). If it includes expanding your awareness, then that will happen. If you believe life should be hard and difficult only to receive a reward for your endurance of faith when you die, then that is what it shall be.
The point is that you are in control of how you experience your time here. So many that I meet are wandering aimlessly, waiting for something to happen to them in order to react “appropriately”. I recognize this because I did this myself for quite some time, all the way through early adulthood. We are taught to behave this way and to not explore our true nature from birth. I do not believe that it is some evil plan to keep us at bay, but rather a debilitating habit that we have acquired and continue to foster in our everyday lives. The bottom line is that life does not happen to us, it happens because of us.
I do not believe that there is an all-encompassing answer to this question for everyone. Our individual answers may be similar and some even identical, however they should remain our own and come from our hearts. Because once you have answered this question for yourself, it will become clear to you why you do not want anyone to answer it for you.
My answer to this question is to simply live from moment to moment and help anyone I can along the way. Living this way has enriched me in ways I can’t even begin to describe and for me it has been an improvement overall in comparison to my past. For me it works, for you it may not. This is why it is important for everyone to make that determination on their own. So, now I ask you “What is the Meaning of Life?”
