Every single one of us would like to have a life worth living. A life of value. And we are all seeking happiness. But for many these aspirations come far too infrequently. They are enjoyed on occasion, but most of the time these people are left with a hollow, void feeling inside.
Others feel happiness more often, but they too ask themselves if their lives really do have meaning. It is a rarity when we encounter a person that is full of life, vibrant and for the most part is happy.
What Are People So Miserable?
It seems that more and more these days people are looking inward for happiness. They’ll take their selfies to post on Instagram, send out a meme on Facebook to get a like or try to find someone to converse with to talk about – oneself.
We live in an age where even the poor would be considered rich in just about any other age. We have more things than at any other time in history and technology makes our lives more “convenient” at an astonishingly fast pace.
In the age of instant electronic communication and social media people have become more self-centered and more narcissistic than ever before in history.
And people are more miserable than ever before.
The more people turn inward, the sadder they become.
What is the Meaning of Life and How Can We Be Happy?
From a certain perspective life only has the meaning each individual places on it. Put when a person decides that he or she is the center of the universe and looks inward for the meaning of life and tries to find happiness on the inside, that person really gets the opposite of what was searched for.
You see, the answer does not lie inside us, but outside us. Instead of trying to find meaning and happiness for ourselves we should be trying to help others find meaning and happiness.
By helping other people in some way you instantly give your own life meaning, and you immediately feel better about yourself. When we look at what we can do for others, rather than ourselves, our perspective becomes clear. We no longer put the cart before the horse, and we begin to realize that when we turn things inward those things become dark and ugly. But when we put them out into the world they can shine bright and that gets reflected back to us.
So the question becomes not “How can I be happy?” But “How can I make others happy?”
Answer that question and then set out right away to do it. Use your unique abilities and talents to take your own individual happiness out into the world.
The Holy Bible has given us the formula for happiness for thousands of years:
Psalm 41:1
Blessed is he that considereth the poor: the LORD will deliver him in time of trouble.
Luke 11:41
But rather give alms of such things as ye have; and, behold, all things are clean unto you.
Matthew 6:4
That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly.
Matthew 25:34-40
34 Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:
35 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:
36 Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.
37 Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?
38 When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?
39 Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?
40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.