Opportunities are everywhere, and so are soul sucking distractions.
It’s easy to pass time scrolling IG, TikTok, or whatever our brain-rot flavour of the month is.
But I believe we’re just falling into these traps because we’ve got nothing better to do.
Our brains are seeking novelty and entertainment in lieu of what we actually crave:
Meaning.
We want something to make us jump out of bed in the morning, excited to start the day.
We need something that makes us feel valued, important, appreciated and necessary - the justification of our own existence.
This is the essence of meaning - the belief that our contributions matter.
Some way, somehow, to someone.
We want to know that there is some point, some greater meaning in the things that we do.
Now, I have some thoughts on creating an overarching life’s meaning, but today we’re focusing on the fastest path to meaning.
I believe that suffering hold many secrets to life - suffering being unmet needs, covering the entire spectrum of human experience, from hunger to loss to loneliness.
It is only through suffering that we can demonstrate care & love.
Think about it - if nobody wanted or needed for anything, what could we possibly do to contribute to their wellbeing?
Nothing, they’d already be perfectly satisfied.
It is through caring for others that we demonstrate our humanity.
So if there was no suffering, there would be no need for care - and thus, no opportunity to be human.
I’m not saying suffering is a good thing - it’s not.
It’s our desire to alleviate it that makes us human.
But in order to be human, we must want to alleviate suffering - and in order to alleviate suffering, it must exist.
So, our own humanity requires the presence of suffering.
Just as fire needs fuel and air, our humanity needs care and suffering.
One cannot exist without the other.
This is why suffering holds the secrets to life.
The closer to our humanity we are, the more purpose and meaning we feel.
You’ve probably been through some shitty stuff in your life, right?
Remember how dark, crushing and hopeless it felt?
What if you could help alleviate that for someone else?
What if you could make it a little easier for them than it was for you?
What if you could give them a map to carry through the darkness, so they could get out faster and have some confidence in their path?
That would ease some of their suffering, right?
That would bring you both closer to your humanity, don’t you think?
This is where true meaning is found - in turning our own pain into someone else’s guiding light.
Whether that’s giving our children a better childhood than we had, helping a friend through a traumatic experience, or just lending an empathetic ear to a stranger.
There are opportunities every day to help people, to show them a glimmer of hope in the darkness.
The fastest path to meaning, is to turn around and pull people from the hole you just escaped.
When I’m feeling down, I try to help someone else - they feel better, and I feel a spark of meaning.
What’s a hole you’ve escaped—and how could you turn it into someone else’s map?