THE FOUR QUESTIONS
Many of you have searched and are still searching for the purpose and meaning of life. Modern society has us looking for answers in many different places, for many different things. Money, power, fame, consumerism, intellectualism, science, and religion are the most common pursuits. In a rapidly expanding world filled with an increasing amount of conflict, we need answers now. Here, you will find the answers you have been looking for, and understand why relationships are your pathway to knowing the purpose and meaning of life.
I have been called know-it-all, among other expletives. In my younger academic days, I was the guy who was always asking questions. It was my nature to dig deeply, to understand any topic I found relevant. I would often say, while others sat quietly, “That doesn’t make sense to me,” or “Please indulge me for a second.” This was an annoying trait, but my persistence is to your benefit because it allowed me to unlock the ultimate truth, which I will now share with you.
Many of you have struggled with the question: What is my purpose? Is your purpose a cryptic secret locked away for eternity? Is this a world where only a few enlightened masters have access to these secrets? Are you meant to go through life without knowing its true meaning? My persistent nature questions this, and says “That doesn’t make sense to me.”
In 2001, I attended an immensely popular self-help seminar that promised to answer these questions. The final lesson culminated with, “What is the meaning and purpose of life?” After an annoying and protracted prologue, the instructor said, “Life is empty and meaningless, and it is empty and meaningless that it is empty and meaningless.” These words fell flat on my ears. They evoked a profound sense of disappointment. I ruminated on this for a while, and even repeated it at cocktail parties in a feeble attempt to sound enlightened. The statement never felt right. I continued my search.
