Why am I here?
It’s normal to take care of yourself, right? We eat each day, we sleep when tired, and we enjoy spending time with friends and loved ones. Sometimes we play games, swim, or do other things we find pleasurable—all reflecting a healthy, balanced interest in ourselves.
Self-Interest Aligns With Divine Wisdom
Such self-interest harmonises with what God moved Solomon to write:
“With a man there is nothing better than that he should eat and indeed drink and cause his soul to see good because of his hard work. This too I have seen, even I, that this is from the hand of the true God. For who eats and who drinks better than I do?”
—Ecclesiastes 2:24, 25.
The Unanswerable Questions of Life
Yet life is more than eating, drinking, sleeping, and occasional good deeds. We face pains, disappointments, and worries—often too busy to ponder life’s deeper meaning. Is that not true for you?
Vermont Royster, former editor of The Wall Street Journal, observed that despite our growing knowledge and skills –
“Here is a curious thing. In the contemplation of man himself, of his dilemmas, of his place in this universe, we are little further along than when time began. We are still left with questions of who we are and why we are and where we are going.”
Vermont Royster, former editor of The Wall Street Journal,
Why These Questions Matter
How would you answer – who are we? Why are we here? Where are we going? Last July, Mr Royster passed away. Had he found satisfying answers by then? More importantly, is there a way you can find them? And how could this lead to a happier, more meaningful life? Let us explore.
Is a Happy Life Even Possible?
Let’s be real. Life takes cheap shots—bad jobs, family dust-ups, getting sick, and then, bam, there goes your mood. Even when you’ve got food, a roof, and a few mates, happiness sometimes feels like a disappearing act.
Why Meaning Matters
You can eat well, dodge the rain, and even have a good laugh, but if life feels empty, you’ll still come up short. S. M. Jourard said when people lose purpose, they start withering from the inside. People want to matter—not just clock in, cash out, and fade away.
Money Can’t Buy You Out of Misery
Rich folks eat better and live longer, but they still wonder, is that all there is? Life without meaning drags on. The old know it. The young feel it too—according to a Daito Bunka Uni study, half the girls and over a third of the boys had thought life was pointless.
Chasing Happy, Catching Headaches
Even kings tried everything: big families, feasts, projects—and ended up calling it pointless. Hard work can land you in the weeds, not on cloud nine. Getting older doesn’t help—falling apart and then dying isn’t much of a prize.
The Big Questions Won’t Leave You Alone
Sure, you can distract yourself. But burying the big questions—Who are you? Why are you here? Where are you headed?—never works for long. Vermont Royster once said, with all we’ve learned, we’re still lost on the basics.
Is There an Answer?
If there’s a God, that could change everything. Maybe there’s a point to this mess—or at least a way to deal with pain and find real happiness. So, does God exist? That’s the question that might actually lead to an answer.