Short answer: there isn’t one universal meaning—people and traditions arrive at different, often compatible answers. A few major lenses:

- Religious/spiritual: Love and serve God or the sacred; awaken from suffering (e.g., Buddhism); become a force for compassion.
- Virtue and character (Aristotle, Stoicism): Live with wisdom, courage, justice, and self‑control; flourish by becoming excellent at being human.
- Existentialist/absurdist (Sartre, Camus): The universe is silent; meaning is made by your choices—live with authenticity, freedom, and responsibility, and embrace the absurd with dignity.
- Humanist/psychological: Create a life that’s coherent and prosocial—deep relationships, contribution, growth, and gratitude correlate with a sense of meaning.
- Naturalistic: There may be no built‑in cosmic purpose; we can still craft purposes worth pursuing.

Practically, most people find meaning in:
- Relationships and love
- Contributing to something larger than themselves
- Learning, mastery, and creativity
- Living their values with integrity
- Experiences of awe and play
- Caring for place, future generations, or a craft

A quick exercise:
1) List your top 5 values. 
2) Write one sentence on how you’ll express each this week.
3) Ask: If life were a story, what arc would I be proud to inhabit?

If you’d like, tell me which lens resonates—or your situation—and I can help you shape a personal meaning statement or next steps.
