What to do on a Sunday afternoon

"Millions long for immortality, who don't know what to do with themselves on a rainy Sunday afternoon."

-Susan Ertz

"Hey bro, what is the meaning of life?"

People go way too deeply into this question. Its really not that deep of a question at all. In fact its a nonsensical question if you don’t put a context around it. What is the meaning of weather? What’s the meaning a car? What’s the meaning of Tina Turner? Unless you are trying to define a term, those questions sound silly.

But lets put it in a context that can make sense. What is the meaning of life...for a tree?

An individualist can say a tree's purpose is to grow to the best of nature's ability and produce more awesome trees. Or a collectivist may say the tree's purpose is to serve the ecosystem by providing fruit and shelter for all the jungle critters. Either way, the meaning of life for one tree is basically the same as the meaning of life for any other tree of that species. “Self-actualization” for a tree is universal. The way one can benefit the world is also the same across the species. This is true for almost all living things.

Humans are little more complex. We are conscious, kind of. At least conscious enough to ask “Hey bro, what’s the meaning of life?” More consciousness, more problems.

Humans were able to grow flourishing societies due to specialization. Initially every cave-person had to hunt for themselves. Once agriculture became cool, an agriculturally-gifted caveman could make enough food for the whole village, another caveman could make enough baseball caps for everyone, and suddenly the other 43 cavemen had nothing to do. These idle cavemen could now pursue interests that may or may not benefit the other cavemen. One cavewoman loved singing so she learned to sing beautifully and the other cavemen loved it. She became a singer. Another caveman learned how to throw a mean fastball. They made him the pitcher on the caveman travel team.

We were all designed to be able to do something. Your caveman genes wouldn't have made it this far if you didn't have the ability to specialize in something awesome. Your genes definitely didn't adapt so you could do something boring or frustrating for the next 40 years.

What would you do if all your food, housing, and security needs were taken care of?

If you live in a first world country that shouldn’t be too hard of a question to ask. The major constraint for most people are bills and other man-made obligations. But in the complete story of your life, whats more important, your cell phone bill or your self-worth? To feel fulfilled, you must do what interests you. To get paid, you must do something that gives value to others. There is no reason why they can't be the same thing.

There is something you can be good at. Something you love to do, and would love to do for a living. Be a good human. Find your muse.