What is the meaning of life??

Okay, now I know this is a big question and I don’t propose to be able to answer it for you, but I think if I keep asking I will find teachers coming across my path to teach me the lesson I need to learn. I think it was Wayne Dyer who said in one of his books that everyone we meet is our teacher, and the gifts that bring may be badly wrapped. Is it possible that from the people who wronged us, the events of our lives we would rather not ever think about again, can there be a gift, a lesson we needed to learn?? At first glance it would be a resounding “NO”, how could there be a gift in abuse, violence, abandonment, betrayal, and all the other things one can be exposed to and forced to endure along life’s journey? A wise person once suggest that when we decided to enter into this world we signed a sacred contract with those who bore us, with those who came in and out of our life to bring us their gifts, however badly wrapped. The sacred contract we signed stated that we wanted to be resilient like steel, we wished to be compassionate, to be intuitive, to be empathic, to be courageous. The many people and events we encountered during our travels came to honor that contract, for if we did not endure what life threw at us who would we be now? If the trials of life did not present themselves who would we be today? Would we be as compassionate, empathic, and courageous? The answer is likely no. As uncomfortable as life can get, and as bad it has been, these gifts will culture your spirit and soul into someone who has the courage to get back each day and try again. These gifts have given you the compassion to have an open heart for others who suffer, to be a shoulder they can lean upon. These gifts have forged your soul in the fires of adversity and it has made you stronger and more resilient, like the immense pressure that turns coal into diamond, life has made you the amazing person you are today. The meaning of life?? I am still not sure that there is a singular meaning, but I do know that the meaning we give it is what it means. I walked my path in order to be here today, writing what I write, connecting with those who share my view of the world, and perhaps offer a bit of comfort to those just finding their way out of the woods. Your life’s meaning is your decision, and that decision is not written in stone, but in wisdom you have gleaned along the way so you can offer to the next weary traveler you meet. I think that is our purpose.

C. David Gilks Your Fellow Traveler