I have shared some readers' comments and reflections for the past few weeks, and it is the final episode on the 'What Is Life' topic. I apologize for not sharing all of the comments from dedicated readers on this subject; please continue to share your insights and ideas with me. Again, this blog is for all of those interested in finding the truths about the universe, our selves, life, and inner powers.
Life is living simply with a daily routine. If you are a businessperson, you wake up in the morning, do your morning rituals, water your flowers if you have plants, take a shower, pick up the news on your cellphone, check messages and emails, have a healthy breakfast, get ready to work, and so on. For the afternoon, you brainstorm with your team members, discuss strategies with advisors, deal with accounting issues, call your lawyer to review a contract, prepare your keynote speech for the next day, take an afternoon nap, etcetera. In the evening, you might go to a club for a drink with friends or business associates, have dinner at a local restaurant, or be at home with your loved ones. You may take a warm bath, reply to messages, make a few private phone calls, relax as you listen to music, and go to sleep. Everyone has a daily routine; that is life. Life is about finding the truth of who you are and why you are here through simple daily activities. The life task is to live simply by enjoying every moment without disappointment, resentment, or self-denial.
Life is about standing up again and again without giving up. All of us may feel a little incomplete or imperfect occasionally in our lives. When we are not happy we often ask why. Sometimes we have a broken feeling. It is alright to feel sad sometimes because the incompleteness allows us to grow and develop. Imperfection gives us the space to receive love and care from cherished ones and teaches us lessons from our mistakes to gain awareness and wisdom. It is the state of consciousness that helps us to heal gradually from those unwanted memories in life. Let's look at a river as a metaphor: a tiny ripple of pain or happiness in our lives keeps us going a long way. In other words, life is not about 'winning" or 'losing,' but observing and enjoying the various experiences, love, relationship, friendship, sadness, and happiness. As humans, we do not like the uncertainty of the path ahead, and we want to know everything with all the answers. That is why we get angry and uncomfortable when we can’t predict the future. In life, the best experiences are usually out of our comfort zone; most people get it wrong the whole time. After all, life is not only a journey for betterment but a journey for growth and enlightenment.
Howard: For me, life is about being of service, being helpful, and leaving this life without regret. My father is an example of living a terrible life with nothing but hate from others. He left my mother and me for another woman when I was only thirteen years old. I had not received one birthday phone call or present from him until his second wife divorced him and took his money away with her secret lover. My father asked for my forgiveness and my support to pay his rent and living expenses. I did as he asked, but I had no feelings towards him. Last year, he died of a stroke, but nobody showed up at his funeral besides my wife and I. "Can you call me 'father' one more time, son? Can you say 'I forgive you, dad'," begged my father. I did not call him 'father" since the day he left me, and I could not forgive my father until today.
Lucy: For me, life is about being of service, helpful, and leaving things better than I found them. It's about appreciating what you have but not holding on to it too tightly. It's about working hard to achieve the things you value and playing hard to keep a balance. Life is about having a wide variety of experiences, discovering who you are, finding a way to become a better you, and enabling others to do the same. It's about finding significant problems to solve, caring deeply for the people in your life, and demonstrating that love through action. It is about winning and losing with grace. It is about not taking life too seriously because none of us get out alive.
Joling: Well, life is all about creating happiness in your preferred surroundings and on your terms. Inspirational authors and spiritual masters always tell us that material success does not last because real success is happiness with friends, family, and loved ones besides a healthy body and a conscious mind. Two years ago, after paying off my college loan, I decided to follow my dreams by preserving the best aspect of my life without losing hope due to challenges or issues. I used to give up quickly under the ups and downs of life without patience nor faith in myself. Now, I see life from multiple perspectives with passion and dedication to my life journey. I asked my game-designer friend, "What is the best game in your opinion?" He replied: "One in which the solution to the central problem of the game was present and available at the very beginning, but it needs the character's entire journey throughout the play to recognize it as the solution." There are many different solutions to the game of life, but each will be the product of every character's current journey.