Countless philosophers, teachers, clerics and just Joe Schmoes like me have grappled with this question. Not being shy to tackle a question like this, I thought I would give it a try. The scientist in me generally looks at questions like this from a different angle, so here it goes. Maybe the real question should be, what is the purpose of life? What’s the point? Does anyone benefit from our existence? Would anyone care if we were to just vanish in some cosmic cataclysmic event?
Wow, now that is a downer if I ever wrote one. It is pretty obvious that due to the immense size of the universe that our place here is rather tenuous at best. If a huge meteor were to strike the earth and turn it into space debris, I am pretty sure the rest of the universe would move on, probably totally oblivious to our demise. You do realize that life on earth has been through 5 MASS EXTINCTIONS since its beginning? In some of these extinction events, 95% of life was extinguished in a relatively short period of time. The last one is estimated to have caused the demise of 76% of all life on earth, just 65 million years ago!
So, what’s the point? Our very short time on earth is of no consequence to the universe. We go about our lives with little concern about our place in the cosmos. I have a theory that I would like to share with you. Maybe it is more like a philosophy. Here we go…
To start with, lets eliminate all the things that have absolutely nothing to do with your enjoyment of life. First on this list are things! Yes, nice cars, beautiful home and fabulous vacations add a little spice to the mix but I’m not sure they create true happiness if you start out unhappy. No matter how well the car handles, how fast it goes or how sleek it looks, the thrill will only last a short time. Jobs are another source of pretend happiness. If you are lucky enough to get a job you thoroughly enjoy, congratulations, you are among a small group of people! In our society, jobs provide the means to support our needs as well as the people we love. The cycle is pretty simple, consume-make money. This cycle is eternal, and each step is totally reliant on the other step. If you want to consume more, make more money. If you make more money than you can consume more, round and round we go. This is where the confusion lies. We have been programed to consume and make more money. We have been told from the beginning that to be happy, you must be part of this cycle. We have been taught to get pleasure from this cycle! The USA, one of the most consumer-based societies on earth ranks 23rd on the world happiness scale. Finland has been number one for the last 7 years.
So, what is the secret to enjoying your short stay on earth? Why are we here? I think the answer is fairly simple. The answer is in us! We are the directors of our movie. We decide if we want to enjoy ourselves or not. We make decisions on a moment-to-moment basis that determines our happiness. The one and only thing we have that provides large amounts of happiness is the people around us. Of course there are some that you may wish to avoid, that is understandable, but there are millions out there that are in search of the same thing everyone else is, happiness. There is no better joy than making a person’s day better or making a sad person laugh. Opening a door for a stranger or helping someone with their groceries at the store are all great ways to make people’s lives better. So, in summary, enjoy the people around you! Your house is not a castle with moats around it, it is a home where you meet with your family and friends as often as you can.
Happy Easter
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