Is there anything that interests you, or that you generally like?

I retired a year ago, and after years of 60 hour workweeks, I was thinking, "Now what?" I've always loved nature. I've embraced that, and it has led me to other things. I like to walk in the woods. I walk paths, and enjoy nature slowly. Sometimes, I want to hurry. So, I bike the paths and enjoy nature faster. From there, I met more bicyclists and I ended up in a weekly group ride.

It's cold here now, and I've started sewing reusable table napkins to replace the paper towels and napkins that were going into the trash 3+ times a day. I have bird feeders up, and every morning I eagerly check the Ring videos to see what critters have gone through our yard overnight.

It's nothing earth shattering or far reaching, but it gives me joy. And that's enough for me.

Volunteering helped me feel useful when I was in a phase where I truly felt worthless.

You seem like a wise person. I'm not sure how old you are, but your perspective on life resonates with me. I can only share my own story with you. Perhaps it will inspire you, or perhaps it won't.

But when I began living from my heart, my life took on new meaning. It's hard to put into words, but from then on I knew what I needed to do. Before that, I used to define myself by my profession (as a film director), but now I see myself in terms of my life's purpose.

The funny thing is, I couldn't have found this meaning by thinking about it. I tried, but it's something that needs to be felt. My big realisation was that the moment I think I could not really feel anymore.

I found my heart by embracing and feeling the pain in my life, the pain of love and life. I was able to do this because of a quote I heard: "You have to keep breaking your heart until it opens." Now, my heart is open and I feel both pain and passion, and it is the passion that guides me to my true purpose.

I wish you luck in finding your own meaning, it's a wonderful journey that not many people undertake. The world needs people who question the meaning of life so that they can bring meaning to it.

You're right, life inherently has no meaning. What I found that keeps me going is goals, however small they may be. You have to find your next goal and keep going at it, and when you achieve that, find another goal and keep going at it. I know it sounds very cliche, but this is what keeps me going. IDK if this helps or not, it is what it is.

My advice:

Get away from social media and pick up some hobbies away from the internet.

I only have Reddit because it’s anonymous. It really fucked me up having Facebook, Instagram, tik tok etc. I would see how happy everyone was and I would think ‘why am I not like that?’ Id post to be like these happy people but I wasn’t.

I started deleting my social media apps one by one, no one cared that I stopped posting either.I’ve been much happier since!

I hope this helps you.

Motivation can only get you so far. Spend some time meditating, reading some books (I'm currently reading The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho. I recommend it) and journalling daily or as often as you can. You will discover more about yourself as you spent time with yourself. Then you will have proper reason to live.

Once you figure out a reason to do things you will have more willpower to do things daily

I was like that for the past 10 years, just in auto pilot. I was 36, no school, no kids and I had an ok job. I dated people here and there but single for the last decade. I was just numb to life, pretending I was enjoying it. What helped me the most was change. Change doesn't happen without trying and what I mean with change is work on yourself, better yourself! Right now, in less than 2 years I was able to switch my life. I have a girlfriend that I love more than anything, a job that pays good and I like, the best friends I can ask for and all of them make me feel great about myself. What helped me the most was finding a good group of friends, working out and psychedelics(lucy and shroomies). Psychedelics helped me get a different perspective in my life and understand that you are the solution in your life, not a victim, also helped me take responsibility on my own life and understand that everyone is winging it, everyone is also trying to figure out life! You are allowed to be YOU and fight for yourself. Working out gave me the discipline I needed in life. Also, people treat you better and respect you more. Men respect you more and women like you more, lol. Friends made me feel that I'm ok, I'm not weird or an outsider and gave me that security that working out did as well. You do better when you surround yourself with good people. Just make sure you have positive friends, people who are also working on themselves and trying to be better. And stay positive!

I think humans bond in pairs because of this tendency. One's "partner" will probably not be that similar to you. So their influence, coming from outside your stagnant-fishbowl-thinking will create some imperatives. "Imperatives" is what the lone person lacks. Being free of outside forces truly creates stagnation. Doing things you don't want to do (you THINK you don't want to do) leads to new landscapes with more intrigue.
If for some reason a "partner" is not gonna happen, you can still give yourself up to an outside force (person or situation) that sets expectations for you, and from there you can't help but stumble upon new choices.

Same here. The other term for this awareness is called 'The Human Condition', which I see as the following conditions

(a) Knowing you are going to die(b) Knowing that life is random and meaningless

Therefore, as you rightly say, the only real meaning in life is the one you personally ascribe to it. I am 57, I know too much, acheived too little, and fully recognise that when I die, I will be like an ice cube melting back into the ocean of nothing-ness, for are we not just temporary cubes of sentiences for a short brief period?

I hope you can find something personally satisfying to make you want to get out of bed every day, maybe consider altruism as a direction, assuming you don't already do things for the sheer kindness and pleasure already.

Study quantum physics to truly appreciate how smart we have become but how trivial we are in the grand scheme of things! :D

Have you been checked for depression? Everything seems meaningless if you are dealing with it. Also over-thinking things can cause issues. If you're not dealing with depression, do something to get out of yourself? A hobby maybe. There's an expression that says something to the effect that knowledge preceeds interest. So even if you think it's not a hobby you like, once you know something about it, it might interest you. I love volunteering for the local humane society. For me personally, I find meaning working and helping give animals a better life. It gets me out of my own head and I can give back to others. Limit time on social media, news, etc.

I was brought up with the notion that what others teach us or bring to us in one form or another has a great deal to do with the meaning of our existence.

In that way I have always looked at myself through that lense. What lessons do I teach others, how can I be a good role model..

What kind of impact do I want my journey to have had, can I have more than one career that impacts and affectively meets my desire to help others?

What do you desire to do? Is there something work wise that seems like it would be too good to be a job?

People tend to find meaning in interests/hobbies, helping, healing, growing, gardening, raising animals, family, community, religion/spirituality, groups (sports and political etc), education, career, social and sexuality.

It is quite the world we live in atm and it feels like it’s such a pause and fast forward kind of world. I really value your question because it really gave me a chance to consider what it means to me.

Sometimes we just need to start getting out into the world, start with something, then our ability to decipher what we really desire starts to become crystal clear.

I've always thought that the reason for living is to experience pleasure and to extract happiness from it. Every living thing deserves to be happy.

So what do you enjoy? Is there anything that makes you happy? It could be any number of the endless amounts of things out there. Perhaps it's music, reading, exercise, videogames, cooking, some kind of creative outlet.

The reason to live is obvious, it's to experience happiness. What you need is to find the source of that happiness, and do everything to maximize its role in your life.

Coming from someone who has just recently gotten over the trauma of almost dying , Any day that you wake up is chance for new possibilities. Just your existence may give someone else hope . They have just never told you. You may feel like a robot but you still have a purpose . If you did not , you would not be here. Sending hope joy and prayers.

You are not wrong to think that Life is empty and meaningless. Note that you attach the meaning to life. The “why” is important as to your actions. Feel unburdened by needing to attach meaning to things. Sometimes shit just happens. Read Voltaire. Read some Nietzsche. Enjoy the emptiness. Put things and experiences that bring you joy into your space and you will find something that works for you. And just because it works for someone else doesn’t mean it works for you. Don’t worry about them. Their actions are out of your control.

Try volunteering aid to terminally ill people. Learn of the things they would have liked to do if life allowed them. Do those things in their stead.

Idk if anyone said this already but i feel like life has no meaning aswell and maybe it really doesnt but i think your suppose to find a meaning in life . and if you cant find one let your family be the meaning because i learned if i killed today thats not just it my mom wouldnt live or anyone of my family so that should be your meaning in live is to just accept everything and make your family happy theres people who can go to a funeral cry and then a couple years it dont hurt as much anymore but there will always be that one person who it will affect forever . i wanna kill myself everyday because i want think theres no purpose and i want to kill nyself everyday but that would be selfish because theres people who really care and thats what keeps me going and just try to do your best because no matter what excuses we have in life god will judge them and no matter if we think its right or wrong or we have the best reason for what we do god s judgement is the truth weather we like it or not so let god creating you be another purpose to life and im not religious but ik no words or decision can ever be more right then god

Lifes only meaning is that to which you give it.

We all go through this period of banality of life.

Maybe try something that is really out of the ordinary like going for a really long hike. Like for a few days or even longer. Plan it out. Camp out. Turn off the phone. Just you and your thoughts.

Just focus on trying to appreciate nature and the wonder of the world.

And if you get eaten by an animal, then you don't have to worry about the rest of it all I suppose.

Obviously, this may not be a fit for you, but I hope that my intent behind this sparks something for you.

You want a reason breathe air everything you see touch smell feel taste if your dead you feel nothing Why would you not wanna live just waking up everyday is motivation to live god has a plan for us all

I would suggest a pet, if animals are your thing. Cat, dog, fish, bird, hedgehog, whatever works for you, your schedule and your budget. After I attempted to take my own life four years ago I had a very difficult time trying to figure out what would make my life meaningful and worth continuing. For me, it was my family (well, really just my mother) and my pets. I cannot leave this world when my cat needs me. Some days are worse than others, but life makes more sense when I stop thinking about me, and I start considering those in my life that I have an effect on. All the other comments here have very good advice as well: stay busy, find a hobby, think positive, be mindful, and all that jazz.

If you like animals, volunteers are always needed to help at animal sanctuaries. It will be doing something good for the animals and yourself! I hope you find something to bring your days more joy.

A number of people have suggested journaling, and I agree. Another suggestion is to recite a gratitude list in the morning regardless of your faith. If you are here, you have many things to be thankful for. For one, I am grateful for your post, that I had an opportunity to contribute!

Same. There are some good ideas in here, though.

You should think about being better than yourself trying to be someone more important you should go outside to walk, go to the gym or live a healthy life after that maybe you can find somebody that loves you form a family instead of just giving up that easily because o know that you are strong and you can do better than that.

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Lots of amazing comments and advice. Just wanted to say that I was really struck by your comment about not feeling much interest in chasing things anymore. I 100 percent feel this and only recently have realized that that feeling, not wanting to chase things, is actually pretty awesome and goes counter to what society tells us to do. Society tells us to chase and chase and chase all the things you mentioned: religion or our work or our getting more stuff, whatever it is. So it's really a profound thing instead of saying, okay what's next or what more can I be doing, to just say, I'm just going to be. For me, that's meant dabbling in hobbies I never would have imagined doing. (I tried rollerblading again, for instance, which I hadn't done in like 20 years. Pointless? Kind of. Really fun? Definitely.) It's meant reading more. Trying creative writing, even though I'm probably not that great at it but it's fun. But it did mean sitting in the uncomfortable space where you are for a while thinking that something was wrong or that I just needed to find the next thing or the next goal. I'm slowly getting better at recognizing when I'm feeling that desire to find something to chase, or feeling unmotivated in general, and shifting to asking what might bring me joy. And if I try something and it doesn't bring me joy, cool! Now I know. I'll just try something else.

Sending love!

I would try and find something that you enjoy doing … like drawing or painting or even working out. I really hope you find something that awakens something inside you to come alive. Maybe even travel and see other ways of life. Good luck and I wish you the best!

I thank you for making this post. There’s so much positivity and inspiration in the comments. What you don’t know is you just helped me without knowing it. That should give you another outlook on your purpose. I can’t say how you feel but some things I can definitely relate to. Again thank you and I thank the people who have gave me reason from reading their comments 😊

I understand this feeling very much. A lot of people feel the same especially since covid. The meaning of life is its the beginning stage where we develop our soul and learn the brunt of our lessons. From a science standpoint life is supposed to be balanced. Half good, half bad. Everything's balanced hot cold, up down, left right but since the pandemic everything is unbalanced and also disproportionately unfair. Wealth gaps, over worked and draining the good from everyone so that a small portion of individuals can have excess good and barely any bad. They cause the vast majority of problems and you in one way or another are probably victim in at least one way. Find purpose in loving the innocence of animals and wild animals who need extra love because they're so neglected by society. Find peace in nature and be one with the universe. It will help I promise. Find a beautiful trail and listen to the birds, bring them food and love them because they aren't rotten like people.

Break the cycle with something you're not expected to do or something you think you're not likely to do that's harmless and goofy just because. I actually felt and often feel this way myself (25, F) and the other day I nearly got into a (would have been potentially fatal) car accident due to bad weather and no fault of any driver. I was surprisingly upset about it, as if I hadn't just spent the day thinking to myself "I would really not mind if I suddenly stopped living at any given moment because of how living feels so plain and empty".

I decided to make myself a nice meal on a weekday (I don't usually due to telling myself it takes too long) as if I was cooking for someone I care about and I made myself dance in my kitchen a little bit. Even though I was by myself I felt embarrassed and shy, but I laughed because it was ridiculous. I don't dance well at all, but it was fun.

I don't have regular hobbies and struggle to stick to them but I've learned to appreciate the willingness to try, or to even put it down and pick it back up later. Life is meaningless in that none of what I'm doing (trying to crochet, learn to skate, hike alone, bake a baguette, simply existing etc.) matters to literally anybody else walking the earth and that's fine.

You don't have to solve a world issue or lead the charge in something that makes history to have enjoyed the life you lived prior to dying. You can just be a person that sometimes dances in your kitchen for no reason because it's fun to you. You can try things out and not like them then try other things and be proud of yourself for trying in the first place.

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Probably the worst advice here... but try some extreme sports. Stuff like skateboarding, snowbording, surfing, bungee jumping, parachuting, can make you feel truly alive! Something about the risk factor and the fact that you utilize your whole body to succeed what you were attempting gives you sensations like no other.

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I recommend the book Man's Search for Meaning all the time. It's thought-provoking & will help you find your own meaning in your life.

You should also do the ACT (acceptance commitment therapy) values exercise, & figure out whether or not you're living according to your values. Many people aren't, without really realizing it, instead just feeling a vague dissatisfaction with their life.

Watch Trailer Park Boys...👍

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My kids changed everything for me🤷🏻‍♀️ Good luck mate.

See things, do something completely out of your bubble and get some adrenaline pumping. Feel alive! Get to the gym, walk around your neighborhood, take pictures. Buy a stranger a cup of coffee just to be nice. Find joy in little things.

Check out Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl it’ll help.

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We don’t need reasons to live, living itself is the reason. You are free to assign whatever meaning you want. Or none at all. Just pursue things you enjoy, whatever that is. Self improvement comes from realizing that there’s no reason for anything, sometimes we do things just to see how far we can take them.

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Try helping others who are not as fortunate in some dimension (eg, bad health, war). Over time and as you face a thankful constituency, meaning will flourish.

Decide what/who you want to be, and then be that.

Join a sports team or club. Read. Work out. Seek god. And whatever else people posted here. It helps

I’m 27 and I travelled for the first time in my life this year. I couldn’t afford it- but I did it anyways and it changed my life. ☺️

Don’t you think that with this realization you have earned the ability to do anything you want to? Your options in life are limitless and you can do anything.

I have a really crappy life 5 kids two ex-wifes and a crappy job, but I find joy in the journey. I've had a lot of good experiences, and I have had a lot of bad ones. It's the simple things that give my life meaning for example, wiping ice cream off my youngest daughters smile, or even calming on of my some down after they've hurt them selves some how and Doctoring them up. I think the true meaning of life is experiencing it for what it is, kaotic simple enjoyable misery and still finding a way to be the best part of someone's day.

I felt (and feel) the same way. Honestly, what helped me a lot was just kinda participating. For a few months, I just said yes to everything. Every invitation, every event, every person asking for help, etc. Even if I really didnt feel like it, it got me out doing things, and that beats sitting around at home doing nothing any day.

I don't want to say it gave me any meaning, I get that elsewhere, but I realized how much I was holding myself back and was a lot happier for it.

honestly, I find meaning in the littlest things to help me through. Just being grateful for what I have and always thinking I’m lucky, when truthfully I’m just another middle class kid.

Same!

When life sucks the repose is to figure out what would make it suck less

Yo u ever feel that if you don’t find a reason or anything else just to live, a passion, a goal, someone else, by a certain age, you’re just gonna end it! Like get a gun and go somewhere where they’ll never find your body, or find the right assortment of pills to make you fall asleep and just take you away while you sleep. Or is it just me???🤔

I know you said this but. Go to church. You will find hope and motivation there

Curiosity could be a good reason. Just pick a random subject and start reading about it. Your world gets bigger and more rich when you chase and cultivate curiosity.

You've probably gotten a ton of answers, but anything that helps people less fortunate that you is a way to find purpose. Helps for me.

just go exercise😆 this problem can't be solved by thinking, but it can be solved by doing exercise regularly.

Check out: After Life on Netflix. Surprisingly helpful.

It’s about a depressed suicidal man that lost his wife to cancer and subsequently his will to live. It’s dark comedy, but it might give you some things to consider.

Also Stutz on Netflix was a worthy watch.

Last recommendation is: how to change your mind on Netflix.

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Do something for someone else. Volunteer. No bullshit. Become someone important to someone else and you'll find meaning.

I found out my husband cheated on me and I felt like crap for a whole year but now I have decided I am going to take care of myself since I have always been taking care every one but my self. So I wake up tell my self I’m beautiful and I choose to be happy. I enrolled.in a gym and started walking and watching what I ate, lost 20 pounds and feel good about myself. I also wondered why God put me in this world because it seems I have been sad ever since I could remember. Now with me staying active and helping out at the soup kitchen I have realized, other people are worse off then me.

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Take up a cause. It could be feeding the homeless, or rescuing dogs (or even just fostering them for a rescue), or welcoming refugees (see welcome.us)

Or just live for spite :)

Comedy! Comedians live the darkest lives and somehow find the funniest shit to say about it. I love listening to stand up when I feel down cus I love the way it makes me look at stuff. Also if your funny you can also make your own jokes about it.

I don't think you lack meaning, I think you lack direction. I look at Tony Robbins who was working as a Janitor before he started his self-help work. Now he's worth millions. I'm sure you have something to give back to others, it just hasn't occurred to you.

In the grand scheme of things, life is exactly what you make of it. You apply meaning and we find ways to meander about till we die.

The meaning of life is to give your life meaning.

Try going to church and meeting some people there? (I’m evangelical and it’s a big part of what gives me meaning)

I think you should go for spiritual healing because it's best way

I feel this. I feel like a floating buoy in the middle of the ocean.

I'm nearly 20 and in university, but I have no idea what I want to do with my future. my life feels like it has no purpose. like I'm just keeping afloat. But apparently, this is normal for people my age. I want to bring some change into my life, but I'm finding that difficult to achieve. I hope you manage to find your way out of this state of mind, sorry I couldn't be helpful.

I get the impression that you lost your mojo, your thrill/desire & no motivation to find a new one. It's all about perspective. Kinda of fake it til you make it. I wake up every morning & count all my blessings. Even if i don't feel like it. Really changed my outlook The good is there, we just have to take the time to find it

Life! Life is the main reason for living. Plod along, add some things that pique your interest and next thing you know, something unexpected happens. It's usually good but not always. Even life's unpleasantries can be interesting.

Maybe your brain is dopamine deficient and you need to get tested. I myself just recently discovered I have adhd, I’m 39. I started talking to a therapist describing much of what you’re describing; lack of will, no motivation, exhaustion. She told me that adhd in women can manifest as depression. I took a tova test at a behavioral clinic and wouldn’t you know it. I have it. I’m on an antidepressant and a low dose of adderall. It’s been a complete game changer. I’m present, I’m confident, and I want to paint again. The drugs help, but it’s also a sense of validation. I’ve gone my whole life beating myself up for not being able to focus and constantly daydreaming. I got labeled by friends and family because of it and slowly over the years made a series of poor decisions. Now I have something I can point to as to why. I had a deficiency that needed to be treated. That was all. I’m not saying that’s what is going on with you, but you’re worth looking into.

My best advice is don’t let the world guide you or don’t “go with the flow”. I felt like this for a long time, so rant incoming. You want to really know how the world works? Money. That is it. There’s no gimmick. Everyone wants your money, everyone is operating to take your money, and everyone who has money is working to get more and maintain or increase generational wealth and elitist social circles. Don’t steal or break laws, but everything is up for grabs and you just have to play the game. Idk about you, but I grew up in a low-middle income American household and EVERY perception of how things work or why we can or can’t do things because “that’s just not what people like us can do” is WRONG. Get rid of any self-imposed rules or culturally constructed norms and take the world by the horns. Do not settle or become complacent. Once you truly believe you can achieve anything, you will want to achieve something. Make a 1, 3, 5, and 10 year goal where each goal is made of steps to reach the next one. Do this with finances, career, hobbies, relationships, literally anything. Lastly, your network is everything. Hang out with people who have goals. Find mentors. Get in with anyone who’s achieved something significant. The work hard mantra is a fucking lie. It’s 80% who you know and 20% having enough skill to do whatever. Hopefully any of this resonates with you! There’s more to life than waking up and clocking in. Depends on what you want vs what you settle for.

Look into Ayahuasca. I’ve done it and will go again. It’s all about love & finding yourself. Bless you.

I felt this way before…. Go in YouTube & listen to “Outwitting the devil “.. let me know if it helps.

Jesus Christ is the way I know I might get a lot of hate and a lot of back lash for this but I know this will help I see here you can’t chase religion and can’t find anything interesting if you get a chance one day pray to Jesus Christ and just talk to him about whatever you’re feeling I’ve done this and stuff I was worried about and never told anybody people I barely knew had messages for me about my situation and my life I know I might get a lot of hate for what I’m saying but I’m just trying to reach out and help God bless you

I’d advise against religion, only because it isn’t spirituality. Here’s something to think about that gives life, and your actions meaning, it helped me and I hope it helps you or someone else:

Do actions have consequences? Yes. They do. And those consequences are eternal. Once you’ve done something, it can’t be undone , and that consequence!is a ripple through time. It effects the future, your destiny, and effects the destiny of those around you.

Are you your body? And my conclusion to that question is , no. It isn’t. No one can tell me at what point I cease to be myself if we were to, say, remove a piece of me at a time (as a thought experiment) what piece, or fiber of my being is responsible for my personhood? The answer, is that we are more than physical beings. We are spiritual beings also, and our bodies are only vehicles, or containers for our consciousness, that’s truly what we are at our core.

So, if you’ve ever felt guilty in your life, that internal conviction is a recognition that some action you took or didn’t take had a moral consequence…

Where does morality come from? Well, if I’m being completely honest, I don’t believe it comes from society, parental structures, conditioning or anything else. I believe it comes from god. God is the supreme moral authority over our lives! So the real question to ask is “Does god exist?” Because if not, than I definitely agree, life is meaningless. Our actions have no consequence, there is a future without us, but that future is also meaningless. There is no meaning or significance to anything, but of course, that infers that there is no morality, because there are no consequences, your morals are only these flexible rules and limitations you impose on yourself. But , I think we both know deep down that isn’t true.

So, in my view, the purpose of life is obedience to a loving God. Because for life to have meaning , a person must have a purpose. For life to have meaning, there must be consequences. (Really think about it, imagine a life without consequences)

So of course, the natural reaction of a person without purpose is:

-Anxiety -feeling like you don’t belong -depression -nihilism

Etc.

I believe that’s a natural reaction to living life counter to the ultimate moral authority which is god. He gave you life, and you aren’t living it, so I suppose it’s very natural to feel like you feel lately.

There is a God (at least for some of us)

And you have a purpose, and when you are fulfilling that purpose (which is easy, just serve god) than your morality will be in line with eternity.

May god bless you and keep you safe.

I find doing good things and helping others is the ultimate healer

I have struggled myself with this. I honestly believe life is about serving others. I have got great joy in helping others succeed or helping them in anyway possible. Maybe volunteer at homeless shelter or find ways you can give your time to people in need.

Skate 4 bro!

Jesus

Ugh obnoxious post.