Meaning In Life

I used to think no matter what I do there is no meaning to it.

I could make a lot of money and buy a lot of stuff but sooner or later I will die and can't enjoy them anymore.

I could help other people by directly giving them assistance or through money donations. However these people will eventually pass away, no matter how much help I provide.

I could invent something, either a physical object or an abstract theorem that people can use or invoke for generations to come. In the end though I suspect the human race might die out so maybe my invention or discovery will be forgotten.

That was the old thinking, and it was wrong. I assumed an action I undertake must have repercussions in the infinite future for it to have meaning. This is far too restrictive.

If an action can make me happy now or at any time during my life, it should be meaningful enough for me to carry out the action. This is not a remarkable discovery; a typical person might even think I am crazy to be so narrow-minded in the first place.

Whatever others might think, this realisation have turned my life around. Things I previously deemed pointless are now worthy of my time and attention. Helping people does not seem like such a lost cause. Getting a "normal" job like everyone does is becoming a sensible rather than meaningless idea, although I won't completely rule out the possibility of doing something highly unusual.

Life looks a bit brighter now. Just a bit. Like by one tiny light bulb. That's a lot if you used to be in complete darkness.