<p>It’s the same as what matters in younger life: Love.</p>
<p>A lover, the love you share with your children, the love you share with your friends and extended family, the love of accomplishing something worthwhile in the world. The joy of being alive and sharing that joy with whomever.</p>
<p>Get the love thing right and the rest is a no-brainer.</p>
<p>Meaning.</p>
<p>To have meaning in life; that is to say, that whatever you do or believe in your life and heart actually means something to you. Defining the value of a life lived, this knowledge and these values make you behave differentlywith more purposethan you might have otherwise because of what you know to be true and good and the knowledge it leads you to seek, whether it be cultural, scientific or religious, or, more importantly, the love you share, dedicate and create.</p>
<p>The enemy is a meaningless life–where actions and emotions are dictated by ephemeral desires, greed, sensual pleasure and chance, rather than the fortitude of truth, compassion and conscience.</p>
<p>Culturally, the trend seems to be headed in the other direction in a cynical bow to chance and relativity, but there is no relativity in a truth you believe to be true and no chance in the love or purpose you dedicate yourself to.</p>
<p>Even better, you will always find providential hints along lifes wayif you are interested and listening. </p>
<p>They are to be found in that something you refer to as ME that speaks with your voice through conscience and compassion and then, with a willful courage, you will be entitled to decide whether or not you will do the right and meaningful thing in all thoughts and things; as simple as this, to listen, understand and act.</p>
<p>If what I have written seems convoluted to you, stick with what Susantm advised: it was very, very good advice and I choose to adopt it whole-heartedly myself!</p>
<p>[edit: I should add that I agree with most of the advice given above, particulaly anything involving a commitment to LOVE…Cheers comes to mind]</p>
<p>Woodwork,</p>
<p>And I was just wishing I had written what YOU did. 
It doesn’t seem convoluted to me.</p>
<p>Have you read <em>Man’s Search for Meaning</em> by Viktor Frankl? That came to mind when reading your post. About how a person can make it through pretty much any situation or difficulty if they have meaning… An excellent book, by the way, which I would recommend to anyone reading this thread, written by a man who survived the Nazi concentration camps and went on to teach a new type of psychotherapy based upon what he discovered there.</p>
<p>I read the following article about a year ago and keep it on my bulletin board to remind me on a daily basis of the truly important things in life.</p>
<p>“The Paradox of Our Age” by Dr. Bob Moorehead</p>
<p>The paradox of our time in history is that we have taller buildings, but shorter tempers, wider freeways, but narrower viewpoints. We spend more, but have less, we buy more, but enjoy less. We have bigger houses and smaller families, more conveniences, but less time. We have more degrees but less sense, more knowledge but less judgement, more experts yet more problems, more medicine but less wellness.</p>
<p>We drink too much, smoke too much, spend too recklessly, laugh too little, drive too fast, get too angry, stay up too late, get up too tired, read too little, watch TV too much, and pray too seldom. We have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values. We talk too much, love too seldom, and hate too often. We’ve learned how to make a living, but not a life.</p>
<p>We’ve added years to life, but not life to years. We’ve been all the way to the moon and back, but have trouble crossing the street to meet a new neighbor. We conquered outer space, but not inner space. We’ve done larger things, but not better things. We’ve cleaned up the air, but polluted the soul. We’ve conquered the atom, but not our prejudice. We write more, but learn less. We plan more, but accomplish less. We’ve learned to rush, but not to wait. We build more computers to hold more information, to produce more copies than ever, but we communicate less and less.</p>
<p>These are the times of fast foods and slow digestion, big men and small character, steep profits and shallow relationships. These are the days of two incomes but more divorce, fancier houses, but broken homes. These are days of quick trips, disposable diapers, throwaway morality, one night stands, overweight bodies, and pills that do everything from cheer, to quiet, to kill. It is a time when there is much in the showroom window and nothing in the stockroom. A time when technology can bring this letter to you, and a time when you can choose to either share this insight, or just hit “delete.”</p>
<p>Remember, spend some time with your loved ones, because they are not going to be around forever. Remember, say a kind word to someone who looks up to you in awe, because that little person will soon grow up and leave your side. Remember to give a warm hug to the one next to you because that is the only treasure you can give with your heart and it doesn’t cost a cent. Remember to say “I love you” to your partner and your loved ones, but most of all, mean it. A kiss and an embrace will mend hurt when it comes from deep inside of you. Remember to hold hands and cherish the moment for someday that person will not be there again.</p>
<p>Give time to love, give time to speak and give time to share the precious thoughts in your mind. Life is not measured by the numbers of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.</p>
<p>All of the above - and what matters later in life is in the heart of the beholder - and each person sees that differently - that is what makes us unique - and that is what matters later in life.</p>
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<p>Ditto. I’ll only add that I think the key to true happiness is a good marriage. It can be a lonely journey through life, but having someone to share the road with makes a huge difference, both emotionally and spiritually. From what I’ve seen, a bad marriage is the key to unhappiness for many people – financially and in many other ways. I will always be certain that my H has made me a better person.</p>
<p>A comfortable chair, a wide screen HDTV, a good health plan.</p>
<p>Hmmmm . . . after seeing a number of these posts it seems to me that there should be a larger emphasis placed upon Philosophy in high school and college. This is wheer most of these big questions get asked . . . but never fully answered.</p>
<p>Those questions are never really answered til they actually happen - then the answer will be quite clear… as we all travel the road called life and find our own uniqueness - no two paths will be the same and what matters later on will be very different along the way for all of us.</p>
<p>Heath, financial stability and loving friends and family. These are interrelated: if one fails (and most likely it will somewhere in life’s journey) you’ll need the other two to see you through. A breakdown in two out of three can spell serious trouble and issues in all three, despair.</p>
<p>None of these comes easily. Work on them when you’re young. Exercise, save and most importantly nuture relationships.</p>
<p>Today, Halloween here in Asia, is my 58th birthday and I’m waxing philosophic. I’m doing okay on the money and family part, health could be better but it’s not catastropic. Looking forward to another 58!</p>
<p>…the ability to remember where you left your teeth overnight…</p>
<p>Happy Birthday , momrath. Wherever you are. Here’s to another 58!</p>
<p>happy b/d; may you always remain as loving and wise</p>
<p>How is halloween celebrated in Asia?</p>
<p>I don’t know about Asia, but down under the ‘trick or treaters’ are few and far between and they wouldn’t have a clue about the ‘tricking’ end of things. Numerous blank stares and one hand stand were the best that we saw. (Last night).</p>
<p>Having manageable regrets.</p>
<p>Being able to laugh as much as possible at everything. Without laughter, I would be really bored, until I am able to reproduce or buy a baby.</p>
<p>A belated happy birthday, Momrath. :)</p>
<p>Well, I’m only 19 but I feel much older. An expert actually calculated my “real age” as being 27. That might help explain why my best friend is 31 years old.</p>
<p>In my 19 years of existance, I have found that while the past may come back to haunt you some day, most of the stuff that happened is unimportant in the long run and never predicts the future. When I got to college we all pretty much started over. Nobody knew that my QPA in high school was 3.75, nobody knew that I skipped prom to see a Pittsburgh Pirates game, and nobody knew that my best buddy from high school wasn’t even a student.</p>
<p>What does matter is where you affect people. I was the leader of a project in 2004 and again in 2005 that saw nearly 200 old computers donated to a charity. In Pittsburgh they will always remember me for this. My aforementioned best buddy worked with me on this so even if we don’t see each other as often as we did a year ago we will both have the memories of what we did for other people with us.</p>
<p>Another friend of mine is only 16. Doesn’t even have a drivers license yet. She too seems much older than her age. This girl has helped me in many ways over the past year. One thing she told me is that what happened in the past never has to drag on. She is someone I will never forget.</p>
<p>With all that in mind, I feel that the most important thing in life is just being a good person and being there for other people. This is why I am going to become a teacher. I may never get married (who wants to date some guy who’s so old fashioned?) and I may never own a huge house or drive a Porsche. My QPA in college will be lucky if it’s even a 3.0, and nobody will care that I will probably end my college career with three places on my resume. When I die and they lower my coffin into the ground, I just want the folks who attend the funeral to remember me as someone who influenced them in some way. And if I do indeed help a good deal of people learn math and watch them become successful people because of what I taught them, I will die happy.</p>
<p>I really don’t know what matters in life. At this point in my life, it seems that money and a great career are important - but I am almost sure that later in my life, those won’t be as important.</p>
<p>My biggest worry is that when I am 50 or 60, I will have a lot of money / accomplishments - but regret the fact that I really didn’t have any fun - that I didn’t develop close relationships with friends. I really don’t know what matters in life…I just hope that when I do figure it out, I won’t regret the decisions I am making now.</p>
<p>Here’s a cool video that you may want to check out:</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.theinterviewwithgod.com%5B/url%5D”>www.theinterviewwithgod.com</a></p>
<p>It always makes me feel better whenever I’m sad.</p>
<p>“y biggest worry is that when I am 50 or 60, I will have a lot of money / accomplishments - but regret the fact that I really didn’t have any fun - that I didn’t develop close relationships with friends. I really don’t know what matters in life…”</p>
<p>The decisions that you make now, including the relationships that you nurture, will determine whether you’ll be rich, but lonely at age 50.</p>