The Meaning and Purpose of Life & #SpreadTheKindness Link Up #176
Sunday, January 23, 2005.
11:11 p.m.
I was reading The Heart of Philosophy by Jacob Needleman and I wrote a journal entry in response to it.
But first, I need to set the stage…
I was revisiting this journal from 15 years ago and what I found was an abundance of quotes jotted down from whatever books I was reading at the time. I followed a very strict and unwavering pattern in these entries. First, I would write the title and author of the book. Then when something would strike me from within the pages of that book, I would also write that down. Every time I wrote a quote from a book, I used correct punctuation and proper notation, including quotation marks and page numbers from whatever edition I was reading. I did not, however, indicate the edition so a whole lot of good a page number does for me.
Anyway, I was sitting in my basement the other day, smoking a bowl, browsing through the pages of this 2005 journal and something about this particular entry struck me as odd. I had the title and author of the book written down and then a very long passage followed directly beneath it. As I was reading the passage, I kept thinking to myself, “Wow, this is some pretty profound shit. I like where this is going. This Jacob Needleman guy is one smart dude.” (Which he is, by the way.)
However, there were no quotation marks around the passage and no page number indicated either. This may seem irrelevant, but you must understand that I always, always, always write quotations properly. Throughout the piles of journals I have already poured over, never did I improperly quote. This minute distinction made me question the origin of these words, this passage that was hitting me in quite a powerful way.
So my next step was to type the entire entry into multiple plagiarism checkers to see if they might tell me the author. What I was really looking for was a response that Jacob Needleman was, in fact, the author of these words. But that was not the response I received. Instead, every single time I checked the passage, I got the same result, “100% unique content.” Not credited to anyone in the vast expanse of the internet.
This is where it finally occurred to me that the words written were my very own. I didn’t recognize them. I had no recollection of writing them down. In fact, I have no recollection of reading the book that triggered the journal entry. Maybe I should go back and read it again.
I figured if I was that blown away by my own words when I couldn’t even recognize them as my own, maybe they actually carry some weight, some importance, some validity, some kind of message that someone else may need to read. That is when I decided to share them here complete with this very long and tedious introduction.
“Have you found the meaning and purpose of life? Yes. It is the conquest, the journey, the rediscovery of yourself, the finding of your inner child, learning your soul. The end of life really has no meaning or purpose because there really is no ending; we continue on, the journey continues. So that really is all there is to it. And this is why philosophy is so important to happiness because it satisfies our inner hunger and yearning for the knowledge about ourselves that we’ve always had but have forgotten. Philosophy forces us to look deep down and dig it up, discover, uncover, and let loose.
Journal Entry from January 23, 2005
Why then, if the answer is so simple, do I experience my frequent periods of despair where the journey is dreadful and all I want is to depart this life? Because at those moments, I have lost sight of the purpose of life and have erroneously convinced myself that I have no meaning or purpose. But if I force myself to look closer in a more truthful way through philosophy, I will find that I have been terribly mistaken. All forms of self-examination find their roots in philosophy-in the hunger for wisdom-psychology, religion and spiritualism, pharmacology, etc.
The key to the good life is to keep the proper perspective for as many hours a day as possible.”
I wonder if it is as simple as that. Probably not, but perspective is hugely important in our quest to find happiness. What is the meaning and the purpose of life to you?
And now your featured favorites from last week.
Reader Favorite (Most Clicked)
Patrick of Adventures in Weseland shared his post, A Side Trip to Ocean Beach, featuring beautiful photos of the ocean and his peaceful time spent in silent contemplation. We all need beautiful escapes like this and we should all take the time to go visit those places where we can be still for a while.
My Favorite Fashion Post
Cheryl of Cheryl Shops shared her post, What to Wear with a Striped Dress. Not only is this outfit so totally my style with that lovely mix of stripes and leopard print, but Cheryl also addresses important subject matter similar to my post from yesterday.
My Favorite Non-Fashion Posts
I am sharing two posts here because both have shared meaningful perspectives on the current events that are shaking our nation. It is important to read all that we can to understand that which we do not.
Lucy of Confessions of a Montreal Styling Diva shared her post, Fabulous Fridays: Fabulous WOC. The message is important plus Lucy has also shared a whole list of amazing WOC on Instagram who inspire her every day. Thank you, Lucy, for doing your part.
Lauren of Lauren Sparks shared her post, Better Late Than Never-My Thoughts on Ahmaud Arbery, George Floyd and Others. Again, we need to be reading about each other’s views and challenging our own. Over and over again, we need to do this. It is the only way that we can educate ourselves and evolve as a society. Thank you, Lauren, for sharing where you stand. It has helped me tremendously.
Keeping it on the edge,
Shelbee
Linking up with these Fabulous Link Parties.
Shop my look…
Outfit Details: Blazer, Shorts, and Necklace-c/o DressLily / Tee Shirt-Torrid / Tights-Sheertex / Hat-Kohl’s / Belt-BedStu / Boots-Gifted from Husband / Earrings-c/o Happiness Boutique
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
I am a midlife woman, wife, and stay-at-home mother of 2 boys and 2 cats. I have a passion for helping other women feel fabulous in the midst of this crazy, beautiful life.
61 Comments
Claire
Love your outfit Shelbee. Great look. I love how you style these shorts. I need some like this. Thanks for hosting 🙂
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, Claire! I do love tights with shorts. It is one of my favorite quirky little combinations. You would look adorable in something similar!
xoxo
Shelbee
Joanne
Oh I just love that Breakfast Club Tee! My old blog used to be called Our Unschooling Journey and I reflected a lot on our journey through life and just trying to find joy in that journey; some days it is so much easier than others.
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Joanne, thanks so much! We do have to find the joy in the journey because the journey is really all we have in the first place. And definitely, some days it is easier than others.
xoxo
Shelbee
Nancy
Oh and your outfit is so perfect for festivals we don’t have this year! I am really starting to feel a bit depressed now. Haha, I think this is going to be a very ,,eat a lot,, summer!
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks, Nancy! I am so sad about festival season being canceled. And I don’t want to spend the summer eating all the food! None of my festival clothes will fit for next year. Haha.
xoxo
Shelbee
Kathrine Eldridge
Love that last line! Keeping the proper perspective. Yes! So glad you found your own writing. This look is so cool and dying over your Breakfast club tee. Thanks for the link up Shelbee!
https://www.kathrineeldridge.com
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thank you, Kathrine! I was loving that last line, too. Proper perspective for as many hours a day as possible. I definitely find myself going in and out of proper perspective all day long. Holding onto the good stuff is where it’s at!
xoxo
Shelbee
Kellyann Rohr
Here’s the quote I love:
“The key to the good life is to keep the proper perspective for as many hours a day as possible.”
I could not agree more Shelbee! How cool that your search for the smart dude led you to the discovery that it was you all along!
On a side note I love that Breakfast Club shirt!
xo,
Kellyann
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Kellyann, thanks so much! That final quote was my favorite, too! I was like, “Oooh, that is kind of brilliant!” Haha. I love this Breakfast Club shirt so much, too. It’s an oldie but a goodie.
xoxo
Shelbee
Tamar A Strauss-Benjamin
So many great things to think about and such a great look!!
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, Tamar!
xoxo
Shelbee
Jennifer
Wow! Those words are so profound and really hit the right spot. You’re an amazing writer!
Jennifer
Effortlessly Sophisticated
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Aw, Jennifer, thank you so much! That really means the world to me.
xoxo
Shelbee
Jill
You are such a great writer! I love that you were searching for the author and it was you! The last line is so powerful!
Jill – Doused in Pink
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, Jill! That really does mean so much to me. I found it so funny that I didn’t even recognize my own writing and thought it was the words of much more skilled and published writer. And I agree, the last line just makes the whole thing!
xoxo
Shelbee
Ellibelle
Great words written, Shelbee! Thank you for sharing! You are so good with words!!
Great look too! Love those boots!
Ellibelle’s Corner
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, Ellie! That really means a lot to me! Cute story about the boots…my husband bought them for me way back when we were just dating. I saw them on some military tactical gear site where he was shopping for work essentials and I feel in love with them! He surprised with them shortly after that.
xoxo
Shelbee
Lucy Bertoldi
I love this post so much Shelbee- those words are amazing and so deep! Sometimes we can totally forget the things we’ve written in the past…and somehow they resonate better years later. Maybe that’s when they were really meant to fulfill their purpose! Thanks for the feature!! I hope people will really go check out these amazing women:)
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Lucy, thank you so very much! Yeah, my words from 15 years ago definitely carried a lot of weight today for me. I was just reading about how we can sometimes reach higher levels of consciousness before we are ready, so we still have to go through the necessary steps to get to that place, but we know that we are capable of it because we had a brief glimpse of it. This stuff fascinates me! I loved your post so much and I have followed all of the wonderful women you featured! Keep shining your light, my friend.
xoxo
Shelbee
Lucy Bertoldi
And! I almost forgot to say that you are rocking this outfit!!! Cannot get any better than jean shorts and tights!! Haven’t done this in awhile and it happens to be a look that I ADORE- so because of you, will style this up again. HOnestly you look sensational and the bootie..can’t get enough of this style!
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Lucy, thank you so much! I want to see how you style shorts with tights! It is one of my favorite looks ever…literally since I was about 14 years old. I never stopped wearing it.
xoxo
Shelbee
jess jannenga
HI Shelbee
Boy do I ask that question especially in this day and age. I sometimes wonder what my purpose is. When I was a teacher, it was defined. Now, with a chronic illness, and writing a blog, I do think about purpose. Maybe it is just to be there for family, pups, friends.
Love your shirt! I remember that movie, a classic! Love the boots too, I will buy a new pair of combats next year, as mine have been a bit worn! I have journals from 10 years ago when I first had EDS< and it would be interesting to read my thoughts now.
Have a wonderful day
jess xx
http://www.elegantlydressedandstylish.com
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Jess, thanks so much for this wonderful comment. I think part of your purpose is to share awareness and hope for others with EDS. You are such a wonderful role model for others with chronic pain. Your enthusiasm for life is unrivaled, my friend. And I am always inspired by you. Reading my old journals has been very interesting. I recommend that you take a peek back into yours.
xoxo
Shelbee
Patrick Weseman
Looking very nice. Tights and boots are the perfect combo. Very nice.
You writing is very deep and profound. Wish I could write like that. Very nice.
Thanks for hosting and I hope you have a wonderful week.
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, Patrick! You do write like that! I have read your work on Medium. It’s really great stuff!
xoxo
Shelbee
Nora Minassian
Such a great rock & roll look Shelbee, love the tshirt and the hat! Appreciate your writing from the heart, always so on point.
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, Nora! I really appreciate that.
xoxo
Shelbee
Christina Morley
Glad you rediscovered your journal entry! Those words are so meaningful and perspective is very important. Nice photos too! Thanks for always hosting your Spread the Kindness link-up!
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, Tina! I really appreciate that!
xoxo
Shelbee
Darlene
Shelbee, I am often surprised by things I’ve written in the past. Where did that wisdom go? We really are constantly changing and evolving but should listen to ourselves more! Once again, save that for your book! Lol! I try to keep my blog space light and easy, but I do write about my reaction to things in my newsletter. And these times call for all of us to talk honestly, and as you say, to challenge our own thinking. Change does begin from within–one by one.
xx Darlene
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Darlene, thank you so much for this thoughtful comment. We definitely do need to learn to communicate better as a species. It seems this lack of communication puts us in hot water all too often. But it can’t just be communication, it has to be real, authentic, respectful communication. I do hope we can get to that place somehow.
xoxo
Shelbee
Lizzie
Ahhhhh! That outfit looks so good on you! You are rocking those shoes girl!
Lizzie
http://www.lizzieinlace.com
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, Lizzie! This is definitely one of my fave outfits!
xoxo
Shelbee
jodie filogomo
Wow Shelbee…that really is profound. That conclusion 15 years ago is the same as now, don’t you think?
I love the idea of finding your inner child as part of our purpose of life….very telling.
XOOX
Jodie
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, Jodie! The conclusion definitely is the same for me 15 years later. It made me chuckle once I realized these were my own words because they resonated so strongly with me! Makes sense now why they resonated so strongly! Haha.
xoxo
Shelbee
Cheryl Shops
The events of the last week have definitely made a lot of us do some deep thinking, and god only knows how many millions of hours people have spent contemplating the meaning of life. But sometimes the things that we think are so complex are actually quite simple. I do think the purpose of life is to be happy—getting there, though, is often the hard part. 🙂 Also, thank you for the feature! <3
Cheryl Shops | http://www.cherylshops.net
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Cheryl, thank you so much for this insightful comment. Humans have been contemplating the meaning and purpose of life at least for as long as we have any type of written history. We see these musings as far back as ancient philosophers and beyond. But I wonder how many really actually do sit down and contemplate these things. Or do most just kind of float through life? I am not certain. This is one reason I like to share posts like these…I get a little bit of a clue about what others think on these topics. Finding our way to happiness really does seem to be a common theme on the meaning and purpose of life.
xoxo
Shelbee
Michelle
Super fun outfit! I really, really like the jacket and fedora, but the whole outfit speaks to me. Not so much in that I want to do a style steal, but in that I want to know the woman who wears it.
I can’t tell you how many times, I’ve had FB send up a memory, and I’m like that’s some profound shit, but I have no recollection of posting the words. LOL! (And then there are those where I’m like, “what was I thinking?”)
As to purpose in life, I find that I’m probably a nihilist. I don’t believe there is any purpose. So it’s up to me to create purpose and meaning. For me the purpose is to be happy and enjoy happiness, and the meaning comes from others with whom I’ve made connections.
Michelle
https://mybijoulifeonline.com
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Michelle, thank you so very much! You just really pulled at my heart strings with the part about wanting to get to know the woman wearing the outfit. I think I like your nihilistic approach to purpose. Although I do go back and forth between it being up to me to find my purpose and feeling pulled by some greater force (the Universe) towards a certain purpose. But who knows? Maybe it is all one and the same thing. I definitely feel that part of my purpose is to help others, to encourage, support, and inspire while being happy in the process.
xoxo
Shelbee
Michelle
Regardless of from where your purpose arises, it’s awesome!
Michelle
https://mybijoulifeonline.com
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thank you! And I agree. As long as we have a purpose who cares where it came from!
xoxo
Shelbee
Carrie @ Curly Crafty Mom
Love the color of your blazer and how you paired it with shorts. I have a Kindle and there is a way to highlight quotes, yet I need to figure out how to do it. What is interesting is it shows if others have highlighted that same line and how many have highlighted it. Sometimes it’ll say 1k or so have highlighted it… and, I’m always thinking GMTA! Lol!
Carrie
curlycraftymom.com
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Oh wow, Carrie, I love that idea of being able to highlight quotes! You can do that same thing on Medium and it is cool to see what others have highlighted. Thanks so much for this wonderful comment, my friend!
xoxo
Shelbee
Shauna
I still have my own journals that I kept while I was in high school and college. When I pull them out and read them from time to time, I’m amazed at the insight I had way back then, or how what I had written applies to me now. Too weird how life works! This post was beautifully written, Shelbee! xo
Shauna
http://www.lipglossandlace.net
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Shauna, thank you so much! Usually I get super embarrassed by things that I have written in journals years ago, but every once in a while I discover a gem of some sort. It does amaze me that I had that much insight 15 years ago. I think it is important to revisit what we thought and felt way back when in order to see how much progress we have made as a human being and what we need to work on to better ourselves.
xoxo
Shelbee
Nanchi
WOW! First things first, you look gorgeous as usual, Shelbee. This post is touching. You won’t believe even till date, I also write a journal with the lines I like, which also includes my thoughts as well. Your words are powerful and thought provoking! When we are in that zone where we are lost and nothing is going as per our plans, we tend to think the purpose of life. Or may be sometimes, it is the self-realisation (which is very good). We need to talk to ourselves some time. I too think the same so many times and answer is different every time!😬😁 For me, right now, to live a happy and content life, while helping others is the purpose of life. Thank you for such a wonderful post! I loved it!
https://nanchi.blog/
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Nanchi, thank you so very much for this thoughtful comment! A happy and content life while helping others is really what I strive for as well. But the answer will change as we grow and evolve. It is important to reevaluate where we stand occasionally. And self introspection and analysis is really never a bad idea! Thank you for always being such a positive force!
xoxo
Shelbee
Emma Peach
I’m very impressed with your meticulous note-taking! Very wise and profound words – perspective is everything. I think working out what your true values are and living according to those as best as possible is key to contentment and happiness. So many of us live with cognitive dissonance because stripping it all back and recognising areas of our behaviour that we don’t like is uncomfortable. On a lighter note…I love your outfit, the hat is fabulous!
Emma xxx
http://www.style-splash.com
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Emma, thank you so much for this lovely comment and beautiful insight. Doing that kind of personal introspection is very hard work as it does reveal things that we may not want to acknowledge. I have done a lot of that work in my life and as difficult as it is, I am so glad that I have done it. It makes life so much more fulfilling I think.
xoxo
Shelbee
Deborah Stinedurf
Dang girl…talk about getting all deep & shit! Those were incredibly beautiful words and it doesn’t surprise me in the least that they come from you. Love The Breakfast Club so much & this outfit is so crazy cool that I have no words…xo
Debbie
http://www.fashionfairydust.com
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Haha, thanks, Debbie! That is just the tiny little tip of all the shit that runs through my head constantly! It is so loud in there sometimes that I don’t have any idea how I sort it out enough to write anything that is comprehensible.And I am so glad that you like this outfit! It is one of my faves!
xoxo
Shelbee
Jacqui Berry
Hope you are well Shelbee, have a super Friday and good weekend. Jacqui x
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, Jacqui! I hope you have a wonderful weekend ahead!
xoxo
Shelbee
ratnamurti
Your piece that you wrote is probably the most profound on the meaning of life, that I have heard. As a claivoyant and healer, I do regression (past lives) quite a lot. Each of our lives matters, and are like pearls on a necklace, each connected to the others by the thread of the soul. You have a gift with words: keep writing. I love reading whatever you write, it’s inspiring. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Ratnamurti, I cannot even express enough thanks to you for this wonderful comment. I think I might like to learn more about my past lives. I feel like I have been a thinker and a writer for much longer than my years here. And I am certain that most people would think I was weird for saying that! I do feel like I have been given a gift with my words and I cherish that gift more than most things. I also feel compelled to always use it for good things. So as long as my words continue to inspire and help others, I will continue to share them.
xoxo
Shelbee
Laura Bambrick
This is an amazing quote! I especially like the last sentence of it about perspective. I’m so glad you are going through those old journals of yours!
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, Laura! That last quote about perspective really was the brightest gem in this discovery! I am glad I found it, too!
xoxo
Shelbee
Bettye L Rainwater
I love finding and re-reading old things I’ve written. I’m OFTEN like, did *I* really write that? Heck, I sometimes send a text message and look at it five minutes later and think, WHAT DID I MEAN BY THAT? Ha. But it IS fun and often very revealing/insightful, to read things you wrote/thought at a different time in your life.
Love your outfit! You LOOK like someone who would have written, “Philosophy forces us to look deep down and dig it up, discover, uncover, and let loose.”
xoxo Bettye
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Aw, Bettye, thank you so much! I guess I have always been a philosophical sort of person and it comes through in my fashion as well! It is fascinating to read the things we have written in the past. But more often than not, I tend to get super embarrassed by things I have written in the past! Haha.
xoxo
Shelbee
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