Meaning of Life (through another's eyes)

Hello ATS, I hope I have the correct thread if not please move. This thread will have a lot to do with what I've grown up and experienced thorough out my life up to this point. I am a very curious person and I'm constantly pondering the question of "What is the meaning of life?"

To begin to answer this question we must think on what 'life' means to each of us individually. I believe every soul in this world has a different meaning. To me life is the most beautiful gift you could be given and it is up to you to do the most you can with it while you are here. I believe the actions you take and the consequences you reap have a lot to do with shaping what your personal meaning is. For me, I still haven't quite figured that out.. There's so many things I'm incredibly passionate about. When I make my stamp on the world I want it to be for the better of humanity as a whole. There is so much hate and negativity in this life and why? Is it because there is a lack of understanding for one another? A kid who gets bullied sometimes turns and becomes the bully himself. What if the hate was gone and someone had stepped in to this Hilda life before they became the bully and spread light into their soul and now instead of becoming the perpetrator they turn around and spread the love to someone else. I think it's also how people are brought up, they learn most of their social characteristics from early childhood up until the teen years. If instead of inciting anger when one comes at us with negativity and we have them understanding could it change the world? Would it have a domino effect? Who knows realistically it wouldn't change the world, but if enough people changed enough lives maybe it would spread. This is one mission that I have in my lifetime is to spread love to everyone..

Call me a dreamer, call me crazy, call me whatever you want but it doesn't change the fact that I firmly believe that the fact that we are conscious beings with living souls WE HAVE THE POWER together to change the world. All it takes is belief and positive reinforcements throughout ones life.

I'm going to share something very personal with you all and I hope you appreciate it and take it for what it is. We all learn from each other... I learned from my dad. Growing up we didn't have the best relationship at all- there was such a lack of communication and understanding. It took years upon years to build what is now the best relationship I believe you could have with another person. I feel as if I truly understand his soul core. He is very difficult and it's so easy to get frustrated with him but someone people are so set in their ways it's hard for then to change. They need love and understanding to break then of their habits. My dad is getting older and I know that one day were all going to die. I accept it and try to make the most of every day with him that I can. As he's getting older I have never felt so helpless in being able to help him feel better ( he has a lot of medical issues ). One thing that comforts me when he eventually passes is that when its his time I will have accepted his soul as it is and he will forever live inside of me as a memory of what is capable in every living soul.

What happens when we die? I have a few theories, they're kind of out there but like I said this is based off of years of me growing up and wondering, also experiencing things on my own. Be it paranormal, spiritual, emotional, or physical. Another thing I am not religious in any way shape or form but I do believe there is a heaven and a hell but I think we make it ourselves. Where we decide we want to go when we die is where our souls will travel. Evil souls will forever be on this earth plagued by never being allowed to 'move on' to whatever is next. I do not believe that death is final. It's final in the terms of our physical body but I feel that our soul can never die and we move on based in what we searched for in this life. One thing that's always struck me is the stars. They're absolutely the most pure beautiful thing you can see. ( in my opinion of course ) and there is so many...everywhere and beyond our realm we experience. When we die do some of our souls move on to become one with the stars?? I hope that when that day comes that my parents are no longer with me I can look to the stars and feel their awe and beauty in my presence and they're there even after I pass, allowing the world to grace in its beauty. Who know what happens I could be completely wrong.

I am interested in hearing your personal life stories and I would encourage you to take this moment out of your day to write about your own personal 'meaning of life'. Thank you and may the force be with you all.

For myself, the meaning of life is to live it in each second that you are given.

One of the eye-opener's that I experienced at a young age was my grampa passing. At the time, I couldn't understand why everyone seemed so sad in the ceremony, but so joyous at the reception - it was then that it was explained that when someone dies, the first part of the ceremony in the church is to let out all the sadness and prevent it from being built up - the reception was meant to express the joy that the person has given you, and that you yourself are still alive.

What I learned from this is that my grampa didn't really do this - He spent a lot of his time away from my Dad, aunts and uncles; It made me aware at just how short our physical life is. Since then, I've also reminded myself at every birthday that it's a blessing to be able to experience life another second more, even when life throws you a curveball (at the same time, I don't lament I'm one year closer to the grave; as I can't wait to be on my next adventure ).

As for a perception change, my other favorite memory was when I went to Detroit for an interview. Me coming from a farm-based community, before the interview Detroit was not a place that we were supposed to go. When I went down there, I was very apprehensive, being in the minority so to speak. Needless to say, I got lost after parking my car, and was left to wander the streets, looking for where I was supposed to be.

As I was searching downtown Detroit for my interview spot, I noticed there was a typical "thug" watching me (I look back now and smack my past self for thinking that) - he was dressed in a dark muscle tee shirt, tattoos all over the exposed parts, and a menacing scowl on his face. He asked if I was lost, to which I meekly affirmed. I told him the name of the building I was looking for, and in a normal voice, he gave me the directions to get there. - Learned a life lesson that day: Gold doesn't need to be shiny to be gold.

-fossilera

PS: To change the world, you need to make sure everyone can ditch their egos and understand why another person acts the way they do. Very few "bad" people will come out and go "Mwwwhahahaha, I am the most evil bad-butt that existed on the face of the earth!!!" - Most believe that they are doing some form of "good" which is perceived as "evil" by another person. If they stopped for one moment, and actually thought about how the others felt about their actions, maybe there would be a bit less hate in the world. Short example: I remember hearing my grandparents tell stories about how in one of the World Wars, German & American troops did a kind of "ceasefire" so that both could celebrate Christmas. The American side sent over coffee to the Germans, and the Germans sent over sausage to the American side. This was one of the times where the other side (the enemy) actually realized that the people they are fighting are on the same "side": They are fighting for their country, and didn't actually "hate" one another. If more people had that kind of mentality, that we are both fighting for the same cause (shame our politicians in the US can't realize that), then maybe progress as a whole could be made.