“Life’s but a walking shadow, a poor player/That struts and frets his hour upon the stage/And then is heard no more; it is a tale/Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,/Signifying nothing.” (Shakespeare, Macbeth)
What is the meaning of life? There is no answer. That is to say, there is no one answer. My answer to “what is the meaning of life?” is to find it; that every person on this Earth spends their lifetime finding the answer that had already been with them their entire life. Goals, ambitions, dreams, these do not define a meaning. To truly find the meaning is to achieve a mastery of nature and science, to understand the world in the way one envisions it. Nearing seven billion people, every individual is forged in the line of fire called life. Time is as continuous as it is infinite. Every waking second of every waking minute, decisions are made that influence the road of life. Arduous as it is, the journey is made nonetheless, and no complaints can be made. Ultimately, I stand at eternal crossroads, indecisive of my path. I weigh both options and never decide, choosing where the wind takes me. Although, it is plausible to say that that itself is a decision. Times change and decisions are made, but I never progress. I stand and watch as my influence guided others down their own paths until I could no longer see them on the horizon. I am the sagacious advisor who plans and coordinates, but never acts. I stand at the crossroads of life and shepherd those who walk with a wavering stride. I stand unable to part my sea of thoughts in order to proceed to salvation. Immersed in thinking forever, condemned, but safe. I have not found my meaning of life, and I doubt I ever will, but to know that I have helped others to their meaning will suffice.