What brings meaning to life

The age old question of what makes life meaningful is one that in reality has no answer. Like William James says, what makes life meaningful is completely subjective and varies based on a person’s life experiences. I don’t really believe that there is one universal way to live life that guides you to prosperity. There are just too many variables that differ from individual to individual. We are all so unique and different with different interests and different things that fulfill us that there is just no way to pinpoint one thing that brings us all meaning. I do however believe that there are many things that potentially bring meaning to the majorities. Things like love, companionship, and money may bring meaning to the mass majority but it is unfair to say that these things bring meaning to everyone. There are simply too many people in this world for there not to be outliers to even the most popular beliefs. James emphasizes focusing on what truly makes you happy as an individual rather than trying to draw fulfillment from what is supposed to make you happy. He talks about truly accepting your own desires and wants and fully embracing them as a part of who you are. Overall I agree with much of what James talked about in this passage and am able to take a lot of it to heart. I want to take what I learned from this reading and truly find out what brings meaning to my own life.