I don’t believe in the phrase, “the meaning of life” or that we should search for the meaning of our lives. It’s all very cliche to me. It suggests that there is one purpose in our lives and in order to be happy, we have to find out what that purpose is.  I don’t agree with that. I don’t agree that we all have a set purpose in our lives. I personally think it puts way too much pressure on us to “be something” and not just anything but the right thing that will give us the most success in life. But, to be honest, as long as you are happy with the way your life is, who’s to say you are not successful. 

I’ve come to understand there is no one thing that makes our lives meaningful or gives it purpose. Our lives are not based on some binary success or failure. What really makes our lives meaningful is the way we live every moment we are presented with. The good moments and the bad ones; the small and the bigger ones. 

One of my new favorite movies, Soul, just recently came out on Disney+. It highlights this exact topic. the movie follows the main character Joe, who spent his entire life trying to fulfill his life’s “purpose,” which to him, he thought was his music career. He invests all of his time trying to become a successful musician, not even realizing he has left no time for himself to enjoy anything else in life. After one fatal incident, Joe “dies.” And to his dismay, he finds himself in limbo waiting to pass on to the afterlife left wondering what went wrong and that he is not ready to die because he has fulfilled his “purpose” yet.

Throughout the course of the movie, Joe discovers that not only his life doesn’t have a single purpose, but, equally, no one’s life does. He wasted his life chasing after inconsequential things that he thought would bring him purpose, yet, in the end, never truly made him happy. 

This movie had such a great message that really resonated with me and hopefully, you as well. I think the movie really emphasizes that life is what you make it. To me, for my life to be meaningful I just want to live the life I want that ultimately makes me happiest. I want to live my life for me and no one else. In society, we put too much emphasis on trying to be successful and having the best career, that’ll make you the most money. However, as long as you’re doing what you are interested in and makes you happy, who’s to say you aren’t successful.

So the meaning of life is that there is no meaning of life. There are no set purposes that you must seek to fulfill. Making your life meaningful is based on how you choose to live it. 

If you haven’t watched the movie, Soul yet, I highly recommend it. https://movies.disney.com/soul