TO GIVE LIFE MEANING

By Dihen Udumalagala
In recent years, with the world beginning to retard, as the result of a global pandemic and everyone being propelled into a worldwide lockdown, I’ve had a lot of time to reflect on life and times, really thinking about what I believe the purpose of life is, and after months of contemplation and multiple existential crises, I was finally able to come to the conclusion that, the meaning of life is simple. The meaning of life is to give life meaning. 

As humans we are always searching for our own purpose in life. All of us, are trying to find meaning and understanding in this world of chaos and confusion. Yet, what we fail to understand is that purpose is not something that we find in life, but rather it is something that we give to life. Whether it be through our goals, our passions, our beliefs, everything in life exists to give it meaning and purpose. 

Pondering about this thought at just fifteen years of age, knowing that I have a lot more to do and learn throughout the rest of my life was revolutionary. And, as I began to ponder more, I began to understand the importance of certain aspects of life, such as our values. Our values provide intrinsic purpose to our life, as it is through our values that we are able to fulfil our own purpose in life, as our values often influence the way we act, and how we go about trying to achieve certain things in life. 

Now, my end goal and the purpose I have set out for myself in life, is to live beyond death, to have an impact on the world that lives beyond myself. Whether it be a scientific breakthrough that changes our understanding of the world or a technological advancement that revolutionizes people’s day to day lives, I want to ensure that my existence is not in vain, and that I leave this world, that so graciously accepted me, with something positive and impactful. In achieving this goal, it is my values that guide and allow me to remain on the correct path throughout my journey. One of the most important values that I’ve inculcated into my life, is perseverance through failure. I have often failed throughout my life, whether it be in academics, sport or in not being able to achieve any other goal that I have set out for myself. However, the fact I hold the value of persevering in through total failure so close to myself, I have always been able to emerge victorious on my second attempt, or my third attempt or however many attempts it would take for me to finally succeed. It is the feeling of pure joy when you are finally been to achieve something that you have been striving to achieve for so long that drives me, motivates me, and empowers me to carry on, to push forward even when I believe when there is little hope, to have trust in the process even when it seems as though there is no point in providing that trust. 

It is this drive and sense of empowerment that provides meaning to my life, that provides me with a reason to wake up in the morning feeling eager about the day that is to come, excited as to what the future has in store for me, not fearing the unknown, but embracing it and finding familiarity within it. This is how our values, however insignificant or unimpactful they may seem can provide us with so much clarity and purpose in our own lives.