The time has come to choose a university course, to end a relationship you’ve had for years or to leave your country in search of other opportunities… These and other situations can shake the foundations of our lives and make us doubt our deepest convictions, so it is not strange that we wonder what we are going to do with our lives from that moment on. In these moments of transition or division, it is normal for us to ask ourselves some questions about the meaning of life.
The meaning of life: The compass that guides us
Finding the meaning of life is not always easy. There are people who go through an existential crisis before finding it, and others who have never even considered this question and simply live by inertia. However, the meaning of life is what motivates and drives us, what fulfills us and makes us happier.
Having a purpose in life helps us overcome obstacles and allows us to understand what things are truly important and what are trivial things that only serve to steal our time and energy. Therefore, in the long run, having a purpose in life allows us to be more effective, to face problems from a more mature perspective and, of course, to be happier.
Fortunately, or unfortunately, the meaning of life is not a magic formula or a goal that can be transferred from one person to another; it must be an answer that comes from within you and that satisfies only you. However, some questions can help you find the true meaning of life. And before you answer them, keep in mind Voltaire’s famous phrase: “A man is not judged by his answers but by his questions.”
Questions about the meaning of life that we all must ask ourselves at some point
- What would you be willing to suffer for? The first step is not to look for the things that make you happy or that please you, that would be too easy and even banal. Instead, ask yourself what things you would be willing to sacrifice for, those are the truly important things in your life, for which you would be willing to give up everything and for which it is truly worth fighting.
- How do you imagine your life in 5 years? We are often so immersed in our daily routine that we do not realize that we need to plan for our future. If you do not, today’s habits will decide your life tomorrow. Therefore, make an effort of imagination and think about what you would like your life to be like in 5 or 10 years. Recreate everything in the smallest detail and when you return from your dream, ask yourself if the life you lead today is leading you to that ideal life or, on the contrary, taking you away from it. Remember that if you do not know where you are going, you will never get there.
- What would you do if you weren’t afraid? Fear is an immobilizing mechanism that forces you to stay in your comfort zone, without taking risks. There are people who waste their entire lives because of fear, without ever daring to take that step that could have made a difference. Therefore, imagine what you would do if you didn’t experience fear and then plan practical tasks that will allow you to achieve that state, little by little.
- What would you do if you were sure you wouldn’t fail? The fear of failure and social criticism also paralyzes us. We often have great ideas that we never put into practice because we convince ourselves they are crazy. Then we see that someone else has done them and succeeded and we feel like failures. If you want to give your life a new meaning, it is important to eliminate the variable “failure” from the equation.
- What are your 3 greatest talents? The meaning of your life is the intersection between your greatest passions and the needs of the world. Discover what your true talents are and learn to exploit them so that you can live off of them. Because it is not enough to be passionate about something, you must also show that you can carry out a plan to achieve something.
- What job would you be willing to do, even for free? Money is important because it satisfies some of our needs, but it is not the only thing that counts. When you are truly passionate about a job, you can earn less and still feel satisfied because it is not really a job, it is something you dedicate yourself to with your heart and soul and you are proud of it, it is something that fulfills you.
- When was the last time you felt alive? Try to remember those moments when an energy ran through you and you felt truly alive, energetic, capable of taking on the world. That is one of your passions and you should not let it go because it is one of the keys to your happiness. Try to make these feelings more frequent in your life and not something that happens rarely.
- What are the 3 things you would miss most in the world? Imagine you are on a deserted, wild island where there is no trace of modern life. What things would you find difficult to do without? What would you miss terribly? With this exercise, many people claim that they would need books, but surprisingly, in their daily lives, due to stress and lack of time, books are relegated to oblivion. So, whatever you choose, make sure you have these things close by every day because they are a great source of satisfaction for you.
- If you only had one hour left to live, how would you spend it? Certainly not on social media and texting on your phone. So why fill your day with things that aren’t that important to you? Life is shorter than we imagine, but we still have time to change our habits and make room for those moments that really count.
- Who do you admire most in the world? Even if they are not role models in the strictest sense of the word, we all have someone who inspires us with their behavior and decisions. Think about your role model and try to be a little more like them every day.
