What brings meaning to your life ?

aquafireaquafire
Posted:
in General Discussion edited January 2014
I have seen enough of lifes' ups and downs to know that what brings "meaning:" into my life.

For me more than anything it is Art. ( and to a close degree I should add music & writing ).



I have had some really hard times and been through some really tough shit, enough so to be grateful for whatever kindness or good has come my way, whether by chance or by intention.



Anyway, I just think that beyond dollars & cents, my whole life has gained a deeper meaning as a result of my choosing to be an artist ( painter ).



I wonder if any of you folk have something that makes you feel more alive, more focussed & appreciative of your life beyond the day to day workaday world.



For me, painting led me out of some truly dark experiences for which I will be forever grateful.



I truly wonder what brings light into your lives?



I hope you will share it with me. Thanx
«13

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 54
    der kopfder kopf Posts: 2,275member
    Life has no meaning. But that was not your question. Anyway.
  • Reply 2 of 54
    aquafireaquafire Posts: 2,758member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by der Kopf

    Life has no meaning. But that was not your question. Anyway.



    Really?

    I want you to go into a park. Find someone's dog. Get down on your knees and tell that dog, that " Life has no meaning " Ok !

    If it doesn't bark, lick your face, wag its tail, then your right..Otherwise..take an asprin.



    Good God, Der Kopf, I am beginning to wonder if your OK? Seriously man, you sound more & more depressed, not the fiesty, ( well the equivilant of Belgian Fiesty ), that you used to be.



    Didn't the job interview go down well ?



    Hope your OK...Ok !



    Maybe paint some flowers...whatever ...
  • Reply 3 of 54
    fellowshipfellowship Posts: 5,038member
    Nice thread



    I can relate to your opening post in many many many ways. I too paint and have been through bad times. I find meaning through art as well. I find meaning in the Bible and teachings of Jesus. I love photography as well.



    Check it out:



    Photo set 01



    Photo set 02



    Photo set 03



    God Bless



    Fellows
  • Reply 4 of 54
    alcimedesalcimedes Posts: 5,486member
    see this thread here for the answer.
  • Reply 5 of 54
    shetlineshetline Posts: 4,695member
    Power Macs with dual IBM PowerPC 970 processors, running at 1.8 GHz at the very least.



    Without these, life will have no meaning.
  • Reply 6 of 54
    superkarate monkeydeathcarsuperkarate monkeydeathcar Posts: 2,407member
    a dictionary
  • Reply 7 of 54
    bungebunge Posts: 7,329member
    Personally I like helping people. I've seen and done a lot already, been near dead a few times, and can be happy anywhere and anytime. I enjoy helping someone else figure out how to be happy anywhere, anytime regardless.
  • Reply 8 of 54
    happy camperhappy camper Posts: 24member
    My daughter.



    She has turned my life upside-down and inside out and given me the focus and drive that I lacked before I had her.
  • Reply 9 of 54
    agent302agent302 Posts: 974member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by der Kopf

    Life has no meaning. But that was not your question. Anyway.



    I have a completely different response than der Kopf's (although it could actually be the same answer if you think about it).



    Nothing brings 'meaning' into my life. My life has meaning unto itself. The act of perceiving myself to be alive is enough to say that my life has meaning. It's kind've a Cartesian way to look at it; I only know of my own existence truly, but that's enough to satisfy.



    My answer is the same as der Kopf's in the sense that I didn't answer aquafire's real question, which was, what externalities give your life some purpose. And my answer is none. Life's only meaning comes from within. (and der kopf, if that isn't at all what you meant, I apologize for my misinterpretation).
  • Reply 10 of 54
    shetlineshetline Posts: 4,695member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by shetline

    Power Macs with dual IBM PowerPC 970 processors, running at 1.8 GHz at the very least.



    Without these, life will have no meaning.



    As it turns out, life is even more meaningful than I'd hoped for!
  • Reply 11 of 54
    agent302agent302 Posts: 974member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by shetline

    As it turns out, life is even more meaningful than I'd hoped for!



    I guess it's true that good things come to those who wait!
  • Reply 12 of 54
    aquafireaquafire Posts: 2,758member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by FellowshipChurch iBook

    Nice thread



    I can relate to your opening post in many many many ways. I too paint and have been through bad times. I find meaning through art as well. I find meaning in the Bible and teachings of Jesus. I love photography as well. Fellows



    Pretty much sums up my life..Ditto to all that.



    As regards der Kopf, I was reading Paul Davies' book, " The last three minutes " A potted astro-physists explanation of how the universe is expected to end various scenarious are explored.

    Interestingly he refers to Bertrand Russell the English Philosopher who argued that their was no point to the universe because at the time ( 1950' & 60 ) the reigning argumant was that it would all end in a big crunch.

    In consequence, he resigned himself to a sort of introspective existentialist based nihilism..which robbed life of an future or of any hope.



    Consequently, I wonder if der Koph is also going through a sort of materialisticaly based existentialist depression..and angst if you will...?



    The man seems to not want to communicate with me anymore..Oh well..( the door is still open Der Koph ).



    Ps Fellows,



    Try as I might, I could not get your photo-album to open up. Pity as I am sure you'd have some good shots to show.\
  • Reply 13 of 54
    der kopfder kopf Posts: 2,275member
    I thank you very much, aquafire, for your concern. You are right in your internet diagnosis of my state. But what about it. I may claim, or, you may hear me claim that dabbling in this kind of state is no good. Flaunting your darkest moments seems rather pubescent, and should, on those grounds alone, be left to those who are pubescent. (yes yes, insanely elitist). Taking life and shoving it someplace nice is always the better alternative. All this said, darker possibly than before for me, but I realise I have a lot of stretch in me still. I have health, a few people I could turn to, food, that kind of stuff. When these start going away, I'll have to take another step down. Disinterested nihilism for now. Better stuff on the horizon, maybe.

    On the other hand, agent302 brings up a very good point. A point I had forgotten completely. The simple lack of meaning in life is no reason to start drifting rudderless across the seas of one's existence:



    Quote:

    Originally posted by agent302

    Nothing brings 'meaning' into my life. My life has meaning unto itself. The act of perceiving myself to be alive is enough to say that my life has meaning. It's kind've a Cartesian way to look at it; I only know of my own existence truly, but that's enough to satisfy.



    It's amazing to read this, and see how closely it resembles a philosophical breakthrough (mind you, a breakthrough merely in my own shallow little life) I experienced some months ago. Should I paraphrase it? I think you word it well. Still. The fact that my consciousness, that speck of being that is I, the fact that this 'exists' is meaning enough in itself. For what is the alternative. Non-existence of that speck. The fact that I can touch something, smell something, see it and hear it should make every living second, millisecond, pure heaven. The simple reason being that I'm able to hear, see, ... at all, the simple reason being that the contrary is nothing at all. If I were radical enough, I'm quite sure this stance could brace me against the most horrid of pains and torture. But I am not (yet).

    This is, as I said, something I realised before, a foggy night in March actually. It enabled me to stretch out to my full height for a couple of days, before being beaten back into submission by life itself, or the absence thereof, and forgetting all that's worth remembering in the process.

    In any case, your concern, aquafire, is pretty much appreciated.
  • Reply 14 of 54
    fangornfangorn Posts: 323member
    My faith gives my life meaning: To glorify God and enjoy Him forever. And it is a very real presence in my life. Miracles are not just something I've heard about from other people.



    After that, it's my husband and my kids and reading. I love to read and pick up oddball tidbits of information along the way.



    And arguing is NOT one of my favorite pasttimes.
  • Reply 15 of 54
    shadygshadyg Posts: 64member
  • Reply 16 of 54
    billybobskybillybobsky Posts: 1,914member
    oh my god... what is that? its eyes ablaze, its mouth ready to consume...



    ShadyG has given me new meaning -- fearing that which is pictured above... jk
  • Reply 17 of 54
    fellowshipfellowship Posts: 5,038member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by ShadyG





    What a sweety sweety sweety



    So Cute



    Fellowship
  • Reply 18 of 54
    aquafireaquafire Posts: 2,758member
    You lucky guy ShadyG.



    .Hmm I shoud rub your head to bring me good luck..( just joking )...May God continue to bless..



    Ps She is smiling because someone said the magic words G5......
  • Reply 19 of 54
    aquafireaquafire Posts: 2,758member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by der Kopf

    I thank you very much, aquafire, for your concern. You are right in your internet diagnosis of my state. But what about it. In any case, your concern, aquafire, is pretty much appreciated.



    Hey Der Kopf,



    Nice to hear from you finally. For what it is worth, I think of you as a friend..( challenging at times ) but at least someone with a voice of reason.



    And I am glad that your not so much an existential nihilist but an experiential phenomenoligist... Yes I studied Philosophy & along with Psych back int the olde days \\\ .



    Your words remind me a little of Jean Paul Satre.. Maybe there's a career in writing for you ?



    PS : I am just glad to hear your musings were not the outcome of depression...cheers
  • Reply 20 of 54
    der kopfder kopf Posts: 2,275member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by aquafire

    PS : I am just glad to hear your musings were not the outcome of depression...cheers



    That I am not too sure about. I've been pubescent enough to muse about calling it quits these past few days/weeks. But then again, that same Sartre is there, whispering into my ear that it's not the jump that's an act of cowardice, but the slow fall. So I beat myself up about that one. All that badness, and on top of that, I'm a coward.

    And yes, I've promised myself to publish at least one novel before I leave this world, and a good one at that. One novel, take home the Nobel prize and then call it quits. I'm a widowmaker in my own language.

    And you flatter me by calling me friend. I'm flattered. I'll have a hard time coming in to disturb your threads.



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