Heavenly Messengers

So lets start with the small stuff today, why are we here, and what is our purpose? Yeah, right. But isn't that what we are all looking for, some direction to follow in which we give meaning to our seemingly painful, and mundane lives? We seem to strive for that moment when everything will fit together, the climax of our lives that will make everything easier and more worthwhile. Only that moment will never come. Life isn't about reaching a climax, it's a series of events, one after another, and no more meaning than you give it.

One of my dearest friends had expressed to me that they had a fear of being irrelevant, of not mattering. I think most of us can relate to this. We all want to feel like we are worthy of love, appreciation, and having a meaningful existence. I believe the fear itself is really a beautiful thing because it represents the desire to transcend into being more than we are and living a life with purpose.

The Buddha spoke of the "Heavenly Messengers," which consist of the basic truths of the human experience: we are all born, we will all get sick, we will all lose everything we love, we will all age, and we will all eventually die. Pretty sobering truths. However, I see these truths as a great hope. You see, these messengers are here to create the framework of our existence, it's what we do within that framework that gives our lives meaning. If we could grasp the magnitude of these messengers, we would be capable of seeing past the myopia of our own minds and lives and see the greater picture of what unites all of us together.There is such a huge opportunity for compassion, forgiveness, and love because there is so much loss. Life is hard, for all of us, so what can we do in our short lives that will matter? I guarantee it won't involve working more hours, or spending less time with those you love. 

I too want to live a meaningful life, I want to matter, and I want to be relevant. What I am realizing is this: to live with meaning, we must give it one; to matter, others must matter to us; and to be relevant, is to be congruent with the person you are and the person you want to be. So here's what I'm trying: work less, play more, love always.