The Meaning of Life

I grew up in the south in 1960. Married when I was 18 and joined the Army when I was 23. I traveled in Germany before returning to the United States where I lived in Connecticut for a while 'and then Tennessee for 10 years. I am now living in Maine.

Of all the trips I made in my life I heard people asking one question constantly. No matter if you are religious or not. We all want to know "What is the meaning of life?" I myself have asked this question a thousand times.

Socrates and Plato, and a thousand other deep thinkers throughout history have sought to define or explain the meaning of life. Each with its perception and understanding and most times a very complicated explanation.

It was not until I took up hiking in the mountains of Tennessee that I had time to reflect the complexity of this age old question. Being a Christian I was raised to believe certain things and look at life in a certain way. But I got older and started studying and searching for myself I began to realize that what I was taught as a child was not as complicated as some would have believed that I had.

I always wondered why God would put it here only to suffer in this life. After all that we love and that I have no doubt. So why then? I studied and meditated and reflected in deep thought, just like many before me, and like them, to no avail.

Then one day while hiking the Appalachian Trail in Tennessee I came to a clearing overlooking a valley. It 'was a clear day with the sun shining bright. As I looked out across the valley I saw an eagle soaring in the wind. And as usual the thought crossed my mind that it would be really nice to be able to fly well. Then I thought, not eagles watching us and want to be like us?

That's when something inside me clicked. It was more like an explosion or an awakening of sorts. The meaning of life was so simple that I had looked right past it thinking that some great discovery of some kind. Any words of wisdom that would make me look like a genius. Instead, three words kept going through my brain. Thundering, as if God Himself was speaking directly to them in my thoughts.

We spend our whole life from the moment we take our first breath until our final is out trying to be something they are not. Whether you are trying to find a job to seem more experienced or trying to win someones heart by becoming the person they are looking for. We act differently in different situations. Why?

E 'in our nature I suppose or at least the type of meat. But the nature of God is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. And since we are striving to be more "God-like," I used to think meant trying to be perfect, then the meaning of life is simply to "only you!"

Yes, it's that simple. Be yourself no matter what happens or where you are or who you are or what you are trying to achieve. If you can do this is something that most people will never be. Good, bad or indifferent will be only you.