When you think of survival, do you ever consider how much easier we have it than our ancestors? Part of the comfort I take in being poor is that I know I can survive for a decent amount of time with very little. I also am somewhat knowledgeable about what plants I can eat, and I suspect I could survive quite a while by foraging.
Thankfully, I have not had to test this theory, and I have led a comparatively comfortable life. Despite my level of comfort, needs must be met in order to move onto higher levels of "life". Without food, water, air, and shelter, nothing else can be achieved. Think Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs.
Is the meaning of life to achieve transcendence or peak experiences? Does the meaning of your life depend on the circumstance in which you live? Can each of us choose our circumstances and create our own meaning?
The answers lie within each of us. For myself, I often felt like my circumstances dictated my meaning, but as I age and reflect, I find that is incorrect. In many cases, if I had allowed myself to flow with my environment, I would have saved myself much agony. When you are in agony, meaning does not seem to exist. I tried so hard to control my circumstances that they actually became more out of control.
Control and consumerism were my life. The more I owned, the better I would feel, the more power I would have over my circumstances, and the more meaningful my life would be. It always felt wrong, but I kept doing it. Until one day, I couldn't. I broke.
I broke physically, and I broke mentally. Following this, I reflected on my life. I established my values and priorities. I have tried many new paths, and have learned new things non-stop. I will never achieve financial wealth because it is not something I seek. I am rich and successful in other ways.
I decided that caring for myself is important. I want to create rather than consume. I want to flow rather than control. I want to radiate love and light, and to care for our earth and its children like a true mother.
While I have charity as an item on my budget, there are other ways to help that are just as, if not more, beneficial. My time, talents, and skills are ways I can give back. In doing so, my peak experiences will be realized.
Our circumstances reveal us to ourselves. Each of the lighted circles in this picture are our circumstances. The writing allows them through, but it is changed where the words meet the circles. In the same way, life will change you. Let it. Learn from it. Seek your meaning.