What is the Meaning of Life?

What Is This All For?

The WISDOM podcast  Season 2  Episode 42

with Dorothy Ratusny

 

A little disclaimer as we begin… What I am sharing is a belief that I hold and I share it to offer you something to consider. As you take in my answer, notice how it resonates with you. I hope that in listening, what I share can help you to arrive at your own best decisions and the outpouring of your inner wisdom.

      

This is the question that many of you have asked yourself others; perhaps a spiritual teacher, god, or what deity you believe in and pray to.

In asking these questions about life, I believe we all may arrive at an answer that reflects a mutually beneficial perspective that includes kindness, generosity, compassion and love.

I AM someone that has asked these questions: “What is the Meaning of Life?” and “What are we all here for?” I would contemplate further at varying times in my ongoing journey of seeking meaning and purpose. I listen and perceive if the answers that come through are different.

I take notice; and I aim to live in the best possible way according to the ideals of being good and honorable, of treating others with kindness and care and as how I would like to be treated. Some days I do all of this amazingly; in other moments I falter. I am reminded of my humanness and I seek to make the corrections that are needed for living as my highest self. This is a perpetual goal that inspires a beautiful life.

But there is more; the meaning of life – your life – has to come through you.

If you are someone who has pondered this question, if you have decided what is important to you; maybe that is to be an engineer, to live and work on a ranch, to teach children, to be a dog groomer, a lawyer, a musician, an artist; then you have already decided some of what life will be for you.

Here in this episode, my hope is to help you have even more clarity of the greater landscape – of what it is all for.

The greater meaning of life is to live as the fullest expression of who and what you are. You are both physical and nonphysical; life force energy embodied in form.

You live as the fullest expression of yourself as you know yourself best and as you choose a path and a vocation that allows you to live this expression through what you do (each day) and in how you choose to share who and what you are as a manifestation of the divine.

It’s not only in what you do for a vocation that allows you to live as your highest self; but can you imagine (and many of you have done so) to choose an occupation, a job, a livelihood that you love and that enables you to live in a state of joy as you also earn a living and as you are of service to others.

The most perfect expression of your nonphysical nature, actualized in physical form, is to be love. You can be love in any and all moments.

You can also live the truest expression of yourself as you choose a job or vocation that allows you to live impassioned and inspired and in the ever constant experience of what you love; as you simultaneously give back to the world through your inherent (or ‘god given’) gifts and talents, and in acts of service, kindness, and grace (disposition to or an act or instance of kindness, courtesy, or clemency).

 

You experience enlightenment whenever you choose to live as your highest self.

Enlightenment because you are awake; aware of the knowledge that you are both physical and nonphysical and that through your free will choice, you live empowered as you seek out and enjoy all of your desired experiences and all of the sacred moments of life that imprint upon you what is magical, beautiful, and perfect in this moment. To live as your highest self is your innate capacity as love.

Life is meant to be lived in the full expression of what you are; to be love in action – deliberately; and to do so you need to be consciously aware – and awake to all that you are capable of. This comes from knowing yourself well and choosing deliberately all that you want for your life, as much as possible. This includes the experiences of what you seek to do for a living and also who you are; your character, your values, your morals and all of the ways in which you show kindness and love in all moments.

The other stuff; the daily grind that some experience; the stresses of life that you – that all of us navigate, albeit to different degrees; can be best managed and resolved by choosing a perspective that allows you to remember what is infinitely important; that we are all meant to enjoy life; it is not meant to be a struggle nor a cause of your suffering.

If you seek to enjoy your life – you will.

The occasional bumps in the road, the relationship challenges, the experiences of loss, injury, illness; carefully woven into the rich tapestry of your life experiences; and also your personal efforts to live of your utmost character; are all important elements of growth that add the richness of life’s experiences should you continue to seek expansion and your inherent ability to be and become more.

Yes, you will have experiences that are difficult and painful; but even these are governed by your perspective and what you believe. For those who choose to believe this, death is not the ending point; and while we deeply miss our loved ones; it remains our free will choice whether we hold acceptance (in the face of our loss), or if we remain mired in our suffering as a consequence of how we will continue to live life.

Please remember that this episode is for you to contemplate; it is an opportunity for me to share some of the spiritual teachings that I hold and for you to consider what you believe. Perhaps you will find research and scientific evidence to better define your perspective and what you hold to be intrinsically sound for you. The message herein is to consider what the meaning of life is for you so that you may live in the full acceptance of this.

This is also a beautiful aspect to think about; that we all may evolve; to raise our collective consciousness and to dismiss the limiting beliefs that we were once taught, in order to embrace the possibility of so much more.

To ask the questions, ‘What is this all for?’ and ‘What is the purpose of life; and my life in particular?’ is a sign of your awakening; of not accepting what others believe at face value; rather to think about what you believe to be true based on your inner wisdom – the wisdom that you have access to each time you go within and into the heart of truth; to ask and then receive the answers from your highest self. This is also a spiritual practice.

Your highest self is what describes your most pure and infinite goodness. Think of it as what you are as divine oneness; the part of you that is eternal and the same substance as the god source. To live as your highest self is the epitome of living as ‘your best self’.

As you seek these answers from within; guided by what intuitively feels right, and as you read and learn more about what information you gather, you arrive at your own beliefs guided by your inner wisdom and your intuitive knowing together with what is already here in the world as answers and wisdom.

As you seek the knowledge and wisdom that help shape your answers and beliefs, you find this most readily when you are in the quiet solitude of contemplation, prayer, meditation, and of the present moment.

To experience the meaning of life, is to live as your highest self as much as possible – in all moments. This is also you being of love and loving-kindness in the world. To live in a state of loving-kindness allows you to feel the most pure and resilient inner peace and joy; joy for the expression that you may live and feel happiness even when you have the seemingly mundane chores of daily life before you; and even when something happens that momentarily takes you out of a state of loving kindness. You can always find your way back into happiness, peace, and calm – by choice.

You do need to know how to access your inner wisdom. It’s something that I dive into in more detail in a separate video that I will provide a link for, here in the description. Please do have a look after you listen here.

But let’s take a moment now to give you the main details. The most deliberate and effective way to access your inner wisdom is through your heart chakra.

You do this by placing one or both hands onto your chest as you close your eyes to eliminate distractions. You want to remain aware and awake and yet focused on the energy of your heart centre. The best way to gently focus your mind is to give it a task of importance such as focusing on your breath; and perhaps the sensations of feeling your lungs expand with each in-breath; and then the feeling of relaxation; of ease and release each time you breathe out (and as you let go of any tension in the face, and in the muscles of the body.) With me, give yourself this experience for a few moments here as I guide you into the expression of witnessing your inner wisdom; and of connecting with it.

As you feel the warmth of where your hands contact the area of your heart, just be right here; in this experience.

Soften into this.

Begin with a question that you have that you seek insight and truth and direct this question into your heart centre. Not as fortune telling but as deeper wisdom that guides and directs your attention and choices.

Ask and be still. Hold your mind still and open your heart as you allow spiritual wisdom and guidance to be received. Sometimes these impressions will be in the form of words, or images, or as inner felt sensations such as calm or relief.

With practice, you deepen the connection and the communication with this deeper wisdom; and you realize all of the ways that your nonphysical self is always in communication with you.

The best possible way to navigate the world and your life, is to be in constant communication with your inner wisdom; to allow it to guide your choices and the decisions that you make, as you seek a path and a life that is most fulfilling and of meaning; inspired by the innermost desires of your nonphysical nature as energy.

So if you have a burning desire to take horseback riding lessons, to write a novel, to design kitchens, to sew, to act in theatre, to write music, to be a carpenter, think of it as divine inspiration. Sometimes we have no idea from where we feel a compelling desire or yearning or as an seemingly random idea that comes to mind. We cannot even make sense of it except that we feel a calling to do or experience something. This innate desire is, I believe driven by your nonphysical or spiritual self; to have this experience and you – the part of you that is mind and body may either choose or ignore this desire. The experiences of your life that are most enjoyed become the areas in which you pursue more.

Some of these experiences will become the rich and beautiful means by which you earn a living; or of which you feel impassioned to do often as a hobby in and around the moments of time in which you have your 9-5 job and something that brings you much joy, satisfaction and fulfillment. This may become a way in which you live of purpose – and to create and bring forth into the world what is of interest initiated by your heart’s desire.

If you notice what allows you to feel happiest is also what you enjoy and feel most compelled to do. This is also what serves your highest good. Follow a path of what you enjoy most. This will lead you to your life’s purpose.

*How to choose a life’s purpose is yet another topic that I will dive into in a different episode so please look out for it! There is so much that I look forward to sharing with you!

Most of the time, we complicate our lives to the point where we induce stress by comprehending situations that have occurred – only in the mind; yet our body reacts to everything we think and believe.

With the free will choice that we all hold, you can notice when you are reacting to something that is a creation of your mind and then hold a perspective that is more helpful and conducive to a positive and enlightened state of being; and a perspective that is of truth and accuracy.

We are meant to live in a state of happiness perpetually – even though this is an ever present work in progress for us all. Living happy is really about refraining from the obstacles we put in our way; that shift us out of our inherent state of happiness. I call this the authentic happiness that is always present beneath the layers of critical self-talk, doubt, judgment, and the like that abolishes a state of calm, peace and inner contentment that we might otherwise feel.

You can easily return to a state of inner happiness, contentment, peace, and the calm and comfort that you are able to feel through the conscious decisions of how you think. I will also leave a link in the description for you, of the best practices for how to live consciously aware – mindful, and with the ability to change your thoughts easily. This link will bring you to another important and helpful read in The WISDOM BLOG.

So how do you live more in a state of perpetual happiness – by choice? I’m glad you asked.

First, allow your interests, hobbies and all that you yearn to experience, be what you allow yourself to seek in the everyday moments of your life.

Second, enjoy and appreciate as much as possible each moment. Embody the practice of mindfulness as inspiration to witness more of the beauty of life all around you.

For example, notice a bird soaring in flight overhead as you walk rather than be distracted by worry or as you scroll through emails on your phone. Observe the clouds change shape and form as you look out the window, smell the air that you breathe each time that you open the door. Take in all of what you notice with appreciation.

Third, do your best to do one thing at a time and to the fullest expression. Life is meant to be experienced and enjoyed. Fourth, the meaning of life is wholly unified with your desire to be happy; something that we all are on a journey in search of; our behaviours and choices are always influenced by our yearning to feel our innate happiness.

Think about your choices and what you seek as examples of this. Whether in enjoying a favourite food, seeking time with the people you love and whose company you enjoy, or any other number of pleasurable activities; all of these have at their core, a desire for enjoying life, and to feel contentment and happiness easily. When you recognize the ease to which happiness exists when you live of the present moment, its like another world has opened to you and perhaps now everything makes more sense.

Happiness is only available in the here and now. You can plan for the experiences that you believe will make you happy but one can never be sure of the future. Live in the certainty of experiencing life here and of the present moment as a cure for unhappiness and many other states of being that we have all at times, fallen into.

I also have a video for you that explains the simplest ways that you can experience your innate happiness. It will be waiting for you in the description.

Life’s meaning and your ability to feel inherent happiness (by choice) is related to discovering your life’s purpose. It is through the daily experiences of what you enjoy (and love) that gives your life greater meaning and purpose; and contributes to your sense of well being and happiness.

If you are right now in an occupation where you are not satisfied, even if you have not yet committed to change anything, you may still enjoy the many blessings of life; that bring a smile to your face, andthat allow you to feel pure joy and the expression of innate happiness. You can also find ways to change your mindset; for example to be grateful for all that allows you to do and have what is important and needed; and to always seek more.

The meaning of life is also experienced in the act of living a life of purpose. This means that if your self-acclaimed purpose is to teach others, you can do this as a profession; you can also teach as a part time soccer coach, or volunteer, teaching English in a foreign country, or as a parent – as you are also a teacher to your children in many different ways.

There are always multiple facets for how you can live your purpose; you first need to recognize your many skills and what you enjoy most and feel impassioned to do and live. As you make the areas of your life that you are most excited by, prominent; and in pursuing these fully, you automatically feel fulfilled and of purpose.

The meaning of life may also be illuminated in what happens ‘to us’; in the best of moments, and in the challenges that we are called to rise above.

I’d like to share a story from my life….as this came to mind as I was writing this episode. If I may share just a few hours of my life at that time; it is replete with many examples to illustrate more of what I share here.

I remember many aspects related to the experience of being in a severe car crash several years ago. You can find examples from your everyday life that serves to remind you of how some people live life embracing all of their potential, as they seek to do their best; and to live in the expression of all that they can be.

You see and feel in them their desire to go beyond what is required of them, and to live life in the expression of kindness, compassion, care and love. We all have met or interacted with people who embody happiness and character and love. You want to be around them; their energy and vitality of life is palpable in its feel good vibe that you can’t help but feel positively impacted by.

I found the treatment and care that I rec’d at the hospital when I was first brought in by ambulance to be prophetic to what we experience all around us. I witnessed the incredible kindness of a nurse who attended my arrival and who stayed close by through my emergency surgery; who was caring, attentive, gentle and reassuring; and a surgeon who had to reconnect my face and the gash that opened me to the bone from the corner of my eye to the bottom and underneath of my chin.

I felt the best care that I could have needed in those moments that mattered so greatly.

Some time after I wrote two letters. One to the surgeon, and one to the nurse both postmarked and sent directly to the hospital. My love and appreciation poured out in gratitude for what care I experienced beyond the medical attention that was preeminent.

It was their kindness and care palpable; and their ability to see and treat me as one of their own – a daughter, a sister, a friend; not a number or a body. My gratitude for them in living in the full expression of who they are in that moment and in the professions that they had chosen will always live within me.

I share this because we all face moments each and every day in which to decide; will I use my life for good? Will my actions today be of purpose? Will my kindness be felt by another? Will others think of me with happiness in their heart?

You decide. You have that free will choice to decide what your life and your every action – will be for. You don’t have to be a surgeon or an ER nurse to make a difference.

You can be in a leading profession and ‘not care’. You can have any job or vocation and see the importance of your work beyond making a paycheck; because you are simply doing your best at whatever you are doing because you can, and because whatever your best is will be just perfect.

You can see the meaning of life as I do; that it is to be of service in the world. For whatever you choose you will always have pivotal moments in which your actions, your words, and your kindness make a difference to another – forever.

What is the meaning of life? Said differently, what is this all for? It is I believe to live in the most conscious and deliberate way fueled by your heart; your goodness, your desire to be of service and to do your best for yourself and for others.

Your desire to follow a path that impresses upon you what is most important and what you enjoy most will lead you to a calling or a vocation that if you look deeper still, will reveal the intricate skills and tools that make what you do – special – in your own unique way; and that which can give greater meaning to what you do in your life and with it as you live your life’s purpose.

All that is needed to live a life’s purpose is the willingness to follow your heart, and to not take for granted your gifts and what positive impact you have ability to offer; as well as some fact finding and intuitive guidance, together with the practical wisdom that comes from knowing yourself best.

The meaning of life is to spread kindness and care and love. It is to live in peace; to embody the authenticity of truth and to be love as you walk the planet, and in all that you do. Life is about choosing and honing your talents, abilities and inherent gifts to thrive; to do this for yourself first; and to feel the gratitude of enjoying what you do because it is what you love.

If your day job right now, is an opportunity for you to earn a living on your way to something more, you can still do your best because doing your best is how you make a difference – in your life, and in the lives of others.

Choose to leave a positive impression – no matter what. This version of the meaning of life suggests that we all may help each other, we all benefit from doing so. This is also how we live heaven on earth right here and now.

I have a part two to this question already lined up for you. Please look for it in a future episode of The WISDOM podcast.

I’d love to hear where you are on your path, of living much more of the time in a state of happiness, positivism, joy, contentment, and peace.

And did this episode shed some further ideas and thoughts for you on your answer to the questions: “What is it all for? “ and “What is the meaning of life?” I hope so.

Please share your answers to my questions and any other comments as I always love hearing from you.

 

 

Episode References and Resources:

 

https://dorothyzennuriyejuno.com/podcast/kindness-first-the-wisdom-podcast-season-2-episode-39/