One of the greatest features that humans possess is the ability to reason and think critically about things. We can discover and innovate and share our knowledge with other humans and constantly build up our empire as a species. We are always looking to explain everything in our lives with concrete evidence and there is a lot of controversy and arguments circulated around topics that cannot currently be proven with concrete evidence.
There are many things that exist to us that cannot be grasped in a physical manner. From things as common as emotions and belief all the way to individual molecules, distant planets and stars, and and the spiritual realm. All of these things can be quite daunting and often push humans into existential crisis. The biggest question of them all is probably a multitude of questions like:
What is life?
What is our purpose?
What is the meaning of life?
Why were we chosen to experience life this way?
These questions sound so simple but seem to be the most difficult of questions to answer.
I'm afraid Google can't help us with these questions nor can the most advanced science and technology. I feel that these questions are beyond words and the physical world. They seem like the kind of questions whose answers lie within yourself and things we aren't currently capable of explaining sufficiently.
Obviously we can use science to answer what life itself is. We have a planet sitting in the perfect range of temperature and distance from the sun. We've got the right molecules to form gases and liquids to support life in its most basic understanding and through time life has snowballed into present day. So in terms of explaining life and things that are alive is easy to do but explaining the "why" is where it gets hard. You have a large community pointing at the big bang theory to say THIS is what started everything and our present day is the result of that ignition. Another large community points at religion or God more specifically and say God(or Gods depending on how many they worship) is responsible for giving everything life. For me personally, I believe both to be true. I am a firm believer in the spiritual and the scientific. Both have their own flaws I'm sure but there is too much fact and evidence to disregard science and there are too many religions and Gods to ignore a presence of some kind. So rather than picking sides, I choose harmony. I accept both fields of explanation. I believe in science and God. And perhaps God is science. And perhaps science is a tool God gave us to explain his work. But let's move on shall we?
Purpose is a tough one. What is our purpose? As humans? Well, much like any other species the purpose is to survive right? But what about our own individual existence as the self. What is your purpose? What is mine? Are we meant to stand in a single file line and execute certain duties to serve a higher purpose or is our purpose to wander the earth and find our own structure, balance, and purpose? These questions are hard to answer. We have free will in the US so purpose is completely subjective but generally I'd say the human purpose in a functional society is to be self-serving and also serving of the society to promote and stimulate the society and the reward of providing for society is free time, money, and whatever makes you happy. But how can one find their true calling, their true purpose? Does it specifically lie in how you are raised and what social status you have? Or maybe its your skill and aptitude in the work field and how you are educated. Perhaps it is your geographical location or the economical demand. There are so many outlets to find a purpose or your purpose. So which one is right? Can there be more than one? Is it strictly based on what makes you happy or what is most convenient for you/society? I don't think there is a definitive answer for this and all the research in the word probably cannot truly answer it. I think it's 100% subjective. You can probably use science to guide yourself to what is best suited for your lifestyle and personality and you can probably use religion to seek guidance and inspiration to carry out your deity's will etc... but it's not like you are given a sheet at birth that says "Timmy is going to be a mechanical engineer. He'll probably work at Pizza Hut during high school and college but after 3 break ups and some traveling to 'find' himself, he will realize he wants to go to school for engineering and that's what he'll do."
There is no blueprint to where our lives will go and even if we map out a plan for ourselves, I can honestly say right now that where I am in my life is not at all how I intended for my life to go. It is not what I have dreamed and I am not satisfied. I yearn for more and something different but at the same time, I am also content. I have no idea what I want to do with my life and I have no idea what my purpose is or what is best suited for me as a member of society, or my family, or myself.
The meaning of life isn't so concrete either. Why were we chosen to be given this opportunity? Does life exist elsewhere? Will we ever come to know other life forms who are advanced enough to communicate with us. Will they be more or less advanced? These are the questions that we are chasing. We are dumping trillions of dollars to explore other planets and outer space so that we can one day maybe answer these questions and build relationships and discover new worlds that can support life to branch out our existence.
So with all of these things swirling in my brain and not having any real answers for them. I've come to understand one thing at least. Life is what you make it. No matter how good or bad your circumstances are, you are in control of how you perceive them and how you deal with them. You have choices. For example, right now you can continue your path or start a new one. Of course starting a new one could either be better for you or worse for you and that is a risk/gamble one may take. But the point is that life is not concrete. Your path is not guaranteed or set in stone. It could be given to you or striped away from you at any given moment. A lot of us live in comfort with who we are and what we're doing. Some people plan for the future and others live day to day.
I think the life is much like a performance. I was inspired to write this blog by watching a Miley Cyrus performance. It wasn't the song or the lyrics that touched me, but it was her and how I've watched her career and persona develop over the last two decades. It made me further realize that we are not caged into who we are or who we want to be. We can be what we want to be at any given moment and change it in another instant. We are not necessarily contracted into our careers or our lifestyles. It is personal will and agenda to take the steps necessary to make those kinds of changes. Some are very easy to do and others require a lot of hard work, time, and money invested. Miley went from the country singing Disney star to a pop princess and rebel to a party animal adult experimenting with the world we were told to be wary of and is now humble and mature. She received a lot of backlash for her wild behavior but honestly, we all have been there and done that at some point. There's a point in your life when you're tired of being a goodie-two-shoes. We all have that urge to just smash something. To break the rules. To give the finger to authority and do what we wanna do. Some people express that in their music and fashion style and other people express it in their actions and lifestyle. Sometimes it's good and sometimes it's bad. But we all have to experience the good and bad to grow and move forward. Miley Cyrus and Lady Gaga have both taught me that you can mold yourself to express different attributes to your personality. You will always be you, but an older version of you. And you can start and stop your style, your choice of words, your actions, at any given time if it's something you choose to do.
Life truly is a performance. We are all putting on a show for our own entertainment and for each other. We have an idea of what we want and we go after it. And we experience that internally and others experience it externally through observing our lives and being a part of it.
So if you're ever feeling like me and you feel that your life has gone no where and that you have no value or worth. We do. We do have value and worth and we need to move forward and try new things and find a calling. Take the things that make you happy that motivate you and squeeze the juice out of them to keep going one step forward. Whether you take one day at a time or you are building your foundation now for the future, it all takes a step forward each moment. Be who you want to be and who you want to be right now doesn't have to be who you want to be tomorrow or 10 years from now. Show the world what you want the world the see through your style, through your voice, through your actions, through your art, through your career, through your life. You don't have to be a celebrity to make a difference. The people who see you day in and day out will be majorly impacted by how you treat them, how you've inspired them, and what you've shown them in your life. Think about the movie reel that will play when your life has expired. Do the things you remember about your life make you smile? If not, find things that will. I want to live my life without too many regrets and so I think it's important to chase after the things that I want that will make me happy so that I can sit back and say I did them. And who knows, part of finding yourself is realizing that the things you wanted so badly are things you don't want at all. But you'll never know what works and what doesn't if you never try.
So put on your boots, get on the stage of life, and let the show go on!