You are making me think about heavy things this morning...The Meaning of Life...now that is a big one. I can relate to all that you've listed but I need to give thought to what is MY meaning to my life. I read Sadhgruru's opinion last week and he says to focus on yourself and not others and "do what the hell you want". I'm not sure about that. I don't think we should do what we want without thinking of how it will affect others. Maybe I've been taught incorrectly but it feels like the right thing to do but I must admit there are times I would like to do what others might disagree with it's only when I'm sure that I'm correct.
I will give this more thought and come up with my own reasons to live this life.
haha... I am so sorry. I didn't mean to tax you or stressed you out about the meaning of life early in the morning.
What is the meaning of life? What is the meaning of your life?
These might seem like simple questions, but rest assured, no one can confidently think about it for a couple of minutes and give you an answer. Whoever does that has been thinking about it his or her whole life.
It is not a mathematical formula where a+b = c, whereby if you know the value of a and b you will know the answer = c. It doesn't work like that.
At the end of the day, the 'meaning of your life' is nothing more than how you live your life. I think we are all unconsciously giving meanings to our lives. All that is needed now is that we be more 'aware' of what we are doing and 'value-add', where possible.
It is well for people to say, "It's your life. Do whatever you want.' Yes, we can do that to a certain extend. Any more than that, there might be serious consequences. You can do what you want, but can you live with the consequences of your actions - say, years later. Are you going to live your life in old age regretting the things you did or didn't do.
So, go with your feel. If you think intrinsically that it is the right thing to do, then by all means do it. If you are unsure, then perhaps it is better to wait for another time and day. If you do that, there won't be regrets later on.
By being a matured and responsible being, living our lives responsibly, respectfully, lovingly... by being kind and compassionate, we are also giving meaning to our lives.
I hope what I said made sense to you. If not, just ignore it. It's not as if I know better. I am also, still finding my way around, looking for meaning of my life in this existence. And, my apologies for going on and on...