Why are You Here?

Here’s something that seems appropriate for a long weekend post: When the question “why are you here?” enters your thoughts, do you give it serious consideration?

What’s your first answer? To be happy; to help others; to make a difference; to get rich and prosper; to be a good father, mother, son, daughter, brother, sister, husband, wife, cousin, uncle, aunt, grandfather, grandmother, friend, colleague or partner; to love. . .

Are you the kind of person who fluffs this question off, saying to yourself that you do not want to tax your brain too much, that it is a waste of energy to think about this question? Are you the kind of person who follows someone or something else’s manifestation of who you should be, by adhering to various religious decrees, for example? Or, do you have your own religion that you discovered over a lifetime?

Do you see those who are much less fortunate than you are? Do you avoid thinking about those who are less fortunate than you are? Do you seek what makes you feel good as often as possible? Are you political? Are you apathetic? What really makes you tic? What’s your passion? Do you like to share your knowledge?

Do you like to shop? Do you enjoy material things? Is it important to have nice clothes, a big house, a great automobile, nice furniture, etc.? Is pleasing and entertaining yourself all that really matters?

Do you want to pick up as much knowledge as you can, or do you get tired when you have to study something that challenges your thinking and decide not to pursue learning because it is too much of an effort and you’d rather watch TV or do nothing significant?

Do you just be?

Are you here because you have a very specific purpose? Are you here simply because fate put you here and you have no control of the future? Are you seeking a destination or is the journey enough? Is everything random, including you? Are we just a biological brain that fires off electrical charges, or is there some spiritual essence that creates our consciousness?

Of course why you are here is a very old philosophical question.

What’s really important to you? Is the answer to that question enough to explain why you are here, or is there something more?

I think there is something more, but I don’t profess to know what it is. What do you think?