Do you ever lie awake at night, staring at the ceiling, pondering the purpose of everything? What am I doing with my life? What is the meaning of, well, life itself?
If so, congratulations! You’re human.
John W. Gardner, a renowned public thinker, spoke about the universal human struggle for meaning in a moving speech towards the end of his impactful career. His words about finding meaning in life took on a heartbreaking significance when he received a letter from a father mourning the loss of his daughter.
The father’s 20-year-old daughter had tragically died in a car accident, and when her belongings were returned to the family, they discovered she had been carrying a paragraph from one of Gardner’s speeches in her wallet. The father reached out to Gardner to express his gratitude, as the treasured excerpt provided insight into his daughter’s values and the meaning she had been building in her young life.
The paragraph that resonated with her reads:
Mening er ikke noe man snubler over, som svaret på en gåte eller premien i en skattejakt. Mening er noe du bygger inn i livet ditt. Du bygger den ut fra din egen fortid, ut fra dine følelser og lojaliteter, ut fra menneskehetens erfaringer slik de er gitt videre til deg, ut fra ditt eget talent og din egen forståelse, ut fra de tingene du tror på, ut fra de tingene og menneskene du elsker, ut fra de verdiene du er villig til å ofre noe for. Ingrediensene er der. Det er bare du som kan sette dem sammen til det unike mønsteret som skal bli ditt liv. La det være et liv som har verdighet og mening for deg. Hvis det gjør det, er det mindre viktig om du lykkes eller mislykkes.
Gardner’s speech suggests that meaning is not a thing waiting for us to stumble upon but rather a lifelong project we must undertake. Our experiences, relationships, skills, beliefs, and passions are the “ingredients” we must use to create a coherent sense of meaning and purpose.
This young woman’s deep connection with Gardner’s words suggests she was well on her way to building a meaningful life, even at her young age. Her sudden death serves as a reminder that we should not delay the crucial work of defining and pursuing what gives our lives meaning.
Gi tilbakemelding om dette