secret to happiness

Do you want to know what the secret to happiness is?

Well, I'll tell you... all you need is meaning/ a purpose in your life. That's it. That's what it takes.

I think that is one of the reasons that religion is so popular. It's the idea that we were specifically/purposefully put here by some higher power and that automatically gives our lives meaning. If there is no god and we just evolved from single cell organisms, then what is the point? Why are we here? What are we doing? Why do we bother?

The idea that there is no meaning to us being here is terrifying. And so we've come up with the idea that God put us here. We still don't know why. We just figure that it is a hidden meaning that only God knows, but still, that there is, in fact, a meaning.

But on a less cosmic scale, we need meaning/a purpose in our individual lives. It doesn't have to be some grand thing. Sure, we can all agree that curing cancer gives your life meaning and makes you feel like you have a purpose. Does that mean that everyone who is not doing that is wasting their life? That everyone else is going to be unhappy?

No, you just need to find something that is meaningful to you. Maybe you find meaning in raising your children to be good people. Maybe you find meaning in helping your company run smoothly so that you can provide some sort of service to the public. Maybe you find meaning in being a janitor so that children have a clean, healthy place to learn. It can be anything, as long as you find meaning in it. Maybe you don't even like your job, but you can still find meaning in the fact that you are providing for your family.

So what's your purpose? Where do you find meaning?

On a lighter note-

Q) Why was the dolphin so sad?

A) He had no porpoise in life!