At the beach. The sun has set. Lots of people still around. It’s a perfect summer night here on the boardwalk. Wife and kids are just up ahead. I’ve waved them on so I may take a break to speak to the ocean, see if it has any idea where I may have misplaced my sanity. It seems to be missing. For quite some time actually. Possibly a casualty to the mounds of building stress. Or maybe it’s heredity. Either way, I ask the ocean, silently, for help.
I watch the waves coming and going. My blood pressure begins to settle down. Lower. Lower. Then… it strikes me. Hard, like a wave slapping me. Until this point, all the turmoil/stress/disappointment of the last 2 years had clouded my vision. I see now, for some strange reason, now of all times, and after all this time, I see now what I’ve always been searching for. The answer.
The meaning. Which meaning, you ask. THE meaning. The ‘Why are we here’ meaning. The ‘What’s the meaning of life’ meaning. I’ve got it. No more wondering.
A sensation fills me. Not a tingling. Not happiness. Just a feeling. Indescribable.
I’ll tell you what it is. But be forewarned, you may be disappointed. This quest that man has been on for, well, forever, is not something easily completed. Especially by some unknown blogger. It can’t be that simple, you’ll say. And for that reason, you’ll be disappointed. But think about it before you pass judgment.
Here it is. The meaning of life is…
To be surrounded by people you love… to be happy.
To watch a child singing to himself when he thinks he’s alone… to be happy.
To free your mind of all the nonsense… to be happy.
To chase after what’s important, not just necessary… to be happy.
To accept who, and what, you are… to be happy.
To love someone more than you could ever love yourself… to be happy.
To be happy.
The meaning of life is simple. It’s… to be happy.
But do you know what real happiness is? May seem like an easy question. But I bet, to more than a few of you, it’s the toughest question you’ve ever been asked. Because, in order to answer a question, you must first understand the question. And for many people, the ones who are searching for happiness in all the wrong places, understanding real happiness may prove quite elusive.
So think about it.
