Meaning To Life

Often it is easy to just wallow in ones sorrow; feel sorry for oneself and wonder why things don't go the way they were supposed to. Especially in these trying economic times, I'm sure I'm not the only one who has posed the "Why me?" question more often, and wondered when my knight in shining armor is coming to save me.  

But lets face it.  My life is my responsibility, and my choices, good or bad, are the deciding factors of my happiness.  Having had parents who mistakenly thought I was smart enough to make good decisions about my future as a teenager, I have often said, "if they would have just pushed me more, my life would have turned out very different." However, bottom line is that because of the choices I made, I have had great experiences, met wonderful people, seen some beautiful places, and feel like I really have lived.  

Could I have done things differently?  Of course. Financially it would probably have been smarter to buy the house we had saved for instead of using the down payment on an awesome vacation.  But I wouldn't have gotten to see all the places I did, nor meet some of the people that later have become really close friends. And all the great memories will live with me forever.

Career wise, I definitely should have stayed in school when I got married, rather than taking a lower paying job instead of living on student loans for a couple of years.  But by doing so I learned a new trade, got trained by the best, and excelled in a line of work I never would have pictured myself in.  

Photo by Simon Howden/FreeDigitialPhotos.net

In hindsight I can find many examples of things I could have done differently, situations I should have handled better etc., but every choice I made, every experience I have had, every person I have met, and every place I have visited have all been part of defining my life. Being at the halfway point of my life, I have to say I have had a good life so far. Point is, it is far from over, and I have far from defined the rest of my life.

I read this great saying today:  "You don't go to find meaning in life, you bring meaning to your life. Meaning isn't something out there waiting for you to discover. The meaning of your life is what you infuse it with - beauty or ugliness, happiness or sadness. It is totally your choice."

 So there it is.  Make your life be exactly what you want it to be.  It is your choice.  While weathering a few storms, I still choose to be happy, surround myself with great friends and positive people, and continuously look forward to new opportunities. 

When times are tough and it's hard to see how life will ever improve, surround yourself with good friends, because "friends are angles who lift us to our feet when our wings have trouble remembering how to fly". 

Wishing you all a great week!