The Meaning of Life

The summer begins to wane, and I have spent it - more busy than I had originally anticipated or expected - but at the same time, it has afforded me space for deep reflection...

This morning I read the following quote, which touched me profoundly. I asked myself - how true is this for me?

"The meaning of life,
is to give life meaning."
~ Ken Hudgins

If I review the events in my life and that of many others thus far this year - and indeed - if I review the course of my life in general, I would have to say this is true - in every conceivable way...

There are times, I have sought the meaning of life elsewhere - in the thoughts and prose - and the teaching of others - valuing the nuggets of wisdom contained therein, more than those that are born of my own internal musings. But as I wrote to a friend today, the days of endless study with others, is essentially over for me - at least for now. Instead, I will drawn upon the vast wealth of insights, knowledge, and intuition that resides within...

Just yesterday, I marveled at how much lighter I felt in spirit and how I also have such an incredible sense of freedom. This is the true aftermath of all the upheaval that the earlier part of the year brought me and others who were part of a community we belonged to. And while that community no longer exists as it once was - permutations and different variations of it have arisen to take it's place.

"The secret of happiness is freedom,
and the secret of freedom is courage."

So wrote Thucydides, an ancient Greek historian and author of The History of the Peloponnesian War.

I've reflected on such things as what community is - what it means - and what it is not. I've also dissected my understanding of what happiness is - and what it is not...

I very much believe, like Thucydides, that the secret of happiness is freedom. We come to know this freedom when we have the courage to trust all the resources that lie within us. We embody this freedom when we accept that everything we need is already within us, and that we are always, in every moment, a reflection of the Divine. We must trust in who we are - in our greatness. As Marianne Williamson has asserted:

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others."

And so, I look forward to the fall season, which invites us to go more deeply within, as I continue to trust in, and share the treasures that I have inside. I look forward to living the life that is now unfolding, curious as to where it will all eventually lead...

"There are some who bring
a light SO great to the world
that even after they have gone,
the light remains."

Go out there - and shine your own light! Be your own lightening bug!

The Secret of Life
James Taylor

The secret of life is enjoying the passage of time
Any fool can do it
There ain't nothing to it
Nobody knows how we got to
The top of the hill
But since we're on our way down
We might as well enjoy the ride

The secret of love is in opening up your heart
It's okay to feel afraid
But don't let that stand in your way
'cause anyone knows that love is the only road
And since we're only here for a while
Might as well show some style
Give us a smile

Isn't it a lovely ride
Sliding down
Gliding down
Try not to try too hard
It's just a lovely ride

Now the thing about time is that time
Isn't really real
It's just your point of view
How does it feel for you
Einstein said he could never understand it all
Planets spinning through space
The smile upon your face
Welcome to the human race

Some kind of lovely ride
I'll be sliding down
I'll be gliding down
Try not to try too hard
It's just a lovely ride

Isn't it a lovely ride
Sliding down
Gliding down
Try not to try too hard
It's just a lovely ride

Now the secret of life is enjoying the passage of time