We are all prepared for the end of life and all the trappings that come with it-the new car, the bigger house, the brand new mattress. But most of us don't connect our words to that moment when the body dies and we cease to be. When we are left behind in our wake, how do we know what has value? What do we say to those who enter our world, "Your life is empty and meaningless"?
This is a tough concept for most of us to grasp. How can our life be empty when we have so many meaningful things in it? How can feeling like nothingness be a good thing? I was taught that feeling like nothingness was a terrible evil thing. I was taught that living a "full" and meaningful life was something I should strive for and fight for.
In my opinion, it is okay to feel empty. Feel what happens when you stop looking at the glass half full or half empty. If you have gone through enough losses already, you might find that feeling empty is normal. Look at those who have lived an empty life and see how they moved forward. Notice how each of them have found meaning in what they did. Notice how none of them tried to empty themselves.
Life isn't empty and meaning is never lost. We are constantly gaining meaning. A simple thing like riding a bike helps me to gain meaning. I didn't know it was a huge meaning to me when I first learned about it. When I look back on it now, it makes me very grateful that I decided to get off the couch and get up and go for it.
Find your own place in the world. Start making things happen, having fun activities that bring you joy and fill you with hope. If you spend your time bored, then your life becomes a dull place and you will lose hope. I am not saying that all hope will be lost because life is still wonderful. But you can choose whether you want to fill your life with hope, beauty, joy, love, laughter and anything else that bring you into a place of beauty, purpose and happiness.
Your body can fill an empty life with joy, beauty and health. Just by doing exercises like yoga and tai chi you can achieve a state of physical, mental and spiritual well being. You can stop looking at the glass half full or half empty. You can choose instead to look at the glass as a window that gives you a view of another beautiful world you can experience right now. Look beyond your current feeling like you are missing something wonderful by living a life of material things.