Does Life Have a Meaning?

For those who sit down and reflect, and I do this a lot, the question must have come up at a time or the other after some peculiar events. And for some, the question is the driving force behind their pursuit for religion and philosophy.

Does life have a meaning?
And if it does, what is the meaning? Why are we here toiling and working? Why are we born? For what purpose do we live? Why do we die when we seem to have achieved something? Or why do we leave this earth when we are still struggling to achieve? Why do some "attain success" while some seem never to be able to reach anywhere in spite of struggling and much efforts?

These and many more questions come up in my mind. But then, maybe I worry myself too much and life doesn't even want us to bother about all these things I worry about. But at the bottom of it all, does this our existence have a meaningful purpose?

I ask all these because I don't want answers from anyone claiming to know by "special revelation" or through a "holy book" etc. We have these kind of people and all they have boils down to one thing - religion. Or a system of faith, which to my inquiring mind, does not give satisfactory answers. I don't want a faith or a belief. I want to know for sure. But the more I dig, the more I come up with more unanswered questions.

Can we have answers to these questions? I do not know. But I have come to one basic conclusion after all these years of trying to know. The conclusion is - there is no meaning to life. Rather, life offer us a chance to add meaning to it. We need to do what will add meaning to our life, we need to do that which will add meaning to the society in which we live. This I consider the true meaning of life. Think about it. Life becomes meaningful when we extend a hand of fellowship. When we take hold of the weak and lift him up. When we are lifted by others higher than us. When love forms the basis of our life and actions. That is when the meaning of life becomes a reality to our existence.

Think about these words.