What Does It Mean To Live a Good Life?
It’s not just about being happy.
This is a question that I’ve been wondering for a long time. I don’t know if I’ll get an answer, but I like trying to figure it out. It’s all part of the journey. So far, I’ve thought that it has something to do with being a good person and doing good things.
I’ve been reading Meditations by Marcus Aurelius and it’s made me reflect more about my character and my outlook on life. I aspire to be as good of a person as I can, not just for myself, but also for my family and friends. I know they are, but I want my spouse and family to be proud of me. I want my kids to be proud to say that I’m their dad. I want my parents to be proud of the person I grew up to be; that all their efforts and sacrifices in raising me actually had a profound purpose.
I’m a big believer in the Be->Do->Have model. Essentially, how you are (be) influences your actions (do), and that impacts all aspects of your life (have). If you are a good person, you’ll essentially do good things, and the outcomes of your actions are consequently good. The same goes for the opposite. People who are hurt, hurt others. They come from a place of pain. Because of their actions, they are surrounded by pain, grief, and all other types of hurt. (On a side note, that’s why healing and therapy are so important.) Helping heal the hurt will help people become more loving, act out of love, and eventually be surrounded by love.
This is why I place so much importance on being a good person. Keep in mind, being a good person isn’t binary. People aren’t only good or only bad; it’s more complex than people think. Our qualities are on a spectrum from bad and good, like a a dot graph. We have qualities that are better than others, and those aren’t static. As times goes, we grow. These parts of us can get better, worse, or even stay stagnant. Taht’s why no matter who we are, we all can grow and become better people.
There is no limit to our self-improvement. Our potential for growth can never be accurately measured. This is probably why I’m so fascinated with anyting related to personal and professional development; no matter how skilled and knowledgeable I am, there is always room for growth.
Upon my reflections, I’ve been thinking lately about my lasting impact in this world. Primarily, I think about the impact I have on my kids. I want them to be happy, healthy, and successful people when they grow up. I’ve also thought about the world they’re living in. As a parent, I can’t help but think about the world they’re growing up in. I think about how current issues environmentally, socially, and economically affect them. Since I hope that they outlive me by many many many years, I often think about the type of world they’ll live in once I’m gone.
I know all this is outside of my control, but I like to think I can affect or influence them somehow. Right now, I choose to believe that by being the best person I can be will influence my kids to be the best people they can be, and that my actions will help them make this world the best place it can be for my kids to grow and live in.
If I can be a good person, raise good kids, and hav a positive impact on this world, I know that I’ve had a good life.
