It Takes Time And Patience To Find Meaning In Life

You do not always find meaning in life by falling in love or by following your passion… sometimes it comes, and other times it goes away. What will help you really appreciate all the treasures around you is a  calm heart and inner peace.

One thing many philosophers and specialized psychologists (especially speech therapists) say is that it is very difficult to find your purpose in life when you are so preoccupied with your culture. You are stimulated so much from so many teams at once that it becomes difficult to filter everything. It makes it very difficult to hear your own voice and the sound of your real self.

Adam Steltzner is the NASA scientist who designed the Curiosity rover and got it safely up to Mars. He said that when he was younger he would never have thought that he would dedicate his life to such a project. In fact, he really wanted to be a rock artist. He had his own band, he played concerts, and he was not even interested in going to college like his friends did.

All that changed one night. He went home alone after band rehearsal and the sky could not be clearer. Silence and peace. That was when he looked up, and the stars mesmerized him. Or more specifically, it was Orion’s belt. He stood there; surprised, for more than half an hour. And there he stood, a man accustomed to sounds, music, and loud noise,  who suddenly found meaning in life through silence.

A few months later, he started college to become a physicist. His adventure had just begun…

To see, to think and to speak calmly: Nietzsche’s theory of finding meaning in life

There are times when you feel like a  leaf just flying with the wind. You barely have enough time to enjoy the things around you. You do not let a cool wind lift you for a few seconds so you can get a better view of everything around you. It can be the things that make you excited, the things that you find scary or things that do not matter.

Our culture and our education always push us into the things that lock us in: our habits. Some of us have even become addicted to things that give us instant gratification and brief pleasure. We want everything, but still we feel empty. We want to be unique and special, but at the same time we get rid of what makes us who we really are.

It is not easy to find meaning in life in the midst of all that thoughtlessness, and an unsatisfactory lifestyle. It is worth mentioning what Friedrich Nietzsche said about this problem: To find the meaning of life, you must be able to  see, think and speak calmly.

In “Twilight of the Idols”, Nietzsche wrote how all teachers should have one goal: to lay the foundation for what he called an “aristocratic culture”. He did not talk about upper classes, he wanted to give the younger generations a more refined and stricter way of thinking. He wanted everyone to turn their lives into a real work of art. 

Nietzsche and aristocratic culture

He recommended three very specific things that teachers should focus on.

• To learn and see what is around you in a non-anxious way, without rushing off. At least not before you’ve seen.
• To learn, speak and write in the same way  that your eyes become accustomed to looking at things calmly, you must also do so with your writing and speaking: calmly, and from the heart.
• Not to act out of instinct.  To do that, you need to be a balanced and – not least – thorough thinker.

Anyone who embraces these abilities; everyone who is able to see, think and speak calmly and with patience will sooner or later find meaning in life. It is what will define them, what will best be identified with them.

Finding meaning in life does not mean that you have to wear out your shoes

You do not have to travel to Tibet to find meaning in life. You do not have to travel around the world with a backpack on your back. You will gain a lot of experience, that is for sure, but  you will probably not find the answers you need.

Hakiun, a 12th-century Japanese poet, said that when you do not know where the truth is, you will make the mistake of looking for it as far away as possible. But the fact is that you can find the secret of all doubts  within yourself.

Therefore, you do not have to wear out your shoes to find a meaning in your life. It’s just a matter of creating a little mental space where you can reflect on things. How? These points can help.

To reflect

• Take it easy
• Make a list of things you prioritize in your life and things you do not prioritize. Or a list of things that make you feel good and things that do not.
• Spend more time for yourself. Try to set aside some time each day where you can be quiet and calm.
• Find the ability to be surprised. Be the person who allows himself to look up at the stars at night. Let yourself appreciate all the unusual things that are happening in your city; the hidden magic of your daily life.
• Pay attention to the things that give you joy, the  things that make you feel good and inspire your curiosity. This is where you find what gives you meaning, the things that define you.

Finally, we would like to remind you that the goals in life change over time. This is perfectly normal, and probably the best, because it shows that you are not stuck. It shows that you grow as you reach new heights and discover things, create new hopes and new goals.

Ultimately, life means you are on the move, and if you know how to listen to your inner voice with the calm it deserves,  you will always find the answers you need.