What is the meaning of life?
That is one deep and philosophical question. There is no clearly defined answer, and we can only speculate as to what the meaning of life actually is. I have always been interested in answering these sorts of questions, and this interest only amplified when I took a few classes of philosophy in my first year of college.
Someday, I really want to write a long, detailed, thought-provoking essay/post on what I believe the meaning of life is. I believe that the answer is simple, but obviously it is only my interpretation. However, that long essay is not for today! For now, I just want to touch on the subject, by using a quote from my favourite book of all time, The Alchemist:
This word “destiny” is thrown around a lot. But what does it really mean?
I believe that everyone is born with their destiny already defined, and it may be naive of me, but I believe everybody has a spectacular destiny. You may not know what your destiny is, but if you keep doing the right things, giving 100% effort everyday, and follow your heart, you will arrive at your destiny, eventually!
The problem is some people get sidetracked from reaching their destiny. They start taking the easy way out, by staying in their comfort zone and ceasing to grow. They start settling for the life they have found themselves in, and stop dreaming and pursuing their ambitions.
I believe that a big factor in the meaning of life is never settling. Never settle for what you have. Always strive for improvement in all aspects of your life. No matter how perfect you think you are, you can always be better. It’s not about being greedy, it’s making the most of the life you have been given. We get one chance in life to do whatever we are going to do and leave our legacy. At the end of my days, I want to have no regrets. I want to know that I gave my all each and every day to make the most of the life that was given to me. Not everybody will like you, and I certainly won’t like everybody, but I want to end my days on a level of mutual respect.
So what is life about? I believe it is about constantly trying to improve your own life and the lives of those around you. It is about setting goals, achieving those goals, then setting new ones. Without goals in life, you are ambling along in second gear; doing enough to get by, but not necessarily pushing your boundaries. You are living every day in your comfort zone, where the chance of risk is minimal. Living life in second gear is my idea of a wasted life.
I prefer to attack life in sixth gear. Every day you are pushing your limits, seeing what new boundaries you can find. You are outside of your comfort zone, and there is an extremely high chance of failure. But so what if you fail? You get back up and try again. This is how you grow and learn. This is my idea of a life worth living. Have goals, and strive to achieve those goals. When you take your last breath in this world, so what if you have not reached your dream or destiny? At least you will have tried, and there will be zero regrets raging around inside your head.
The meaning of life is about growth and improvement, and leaving a positive impact on the world. But more importantly, it is about being at peace with yourself at the end of your days.
This has been a very deep post, I know! If you are reading this and your life is in second gear, I dare you to make a change. Start living life in third gear, then fourth, then fifth…
Start setting goals for yourself and stepping outside of your comfort zone. Don’t let the days pass by. Make a promise to yourself to start making the most of the life that you are fortunate enough to have.
Make it your ambition in life to make your dreams come true 
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