What is your ultimate goal in life? Being happy or finding meaning? Or being productive?

I tend to fall into the being happy side of things. When i was younger i valued finding meaning in everything...now I kind of think things just ARE.

It irks me that US society values productivity so much.

Interesting question. I'll give it some thought

I used to be consumed with finding meaning. I am not sure where/when that changed.

I guess I started thinking that 'meaning' is all subjective and doesn't really matter anyway. it's what you do with the time you are given, as Gandalf said.

The more i think about this, the more i just want to be happy. Serenity is my one goal. If i ever get there, then i can reassess.

I think being happy goes along with finding meaning. But also, I think meaning is not something so much that you find but something that you create for yourself. In other words, creating your life purpose is better than to say "I'm taking a year off to find myself".

So my ultimate goal is to be happy by establishing my life meaning through my goals, self ideal and dreams!
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I think that finding meaning is really about appreciating life and our world. That should, I think, lead to happiness.

I think being productive is about doing what you want to do. If what you want to do is sit and meditate, and you do that, then you are being productive. You are achieving your personal goal. We need meditators in life, we need gardeners, and spiritual gurus, as much as we need bankers. We all have different talents and interests, and that is fine.

One person might be productive by processing 20 mortgages in a day. Another person might be productive by perfecting a rainwater system that inspires thousands, after a week of quiet contemplation which allowed them to be creative and achieve their breakthrough. So we all have different things we contribute to our whole-world community.

If someone knows what makes them happy, then that is great! If someone feels a bit lost and is looking for what makes them happy, then the search usually *is* making them happy, and that is fine too.

I'm at the point where I generally know what makes me happy, and I generally am joyful each day, and I appreciate that each day.

the more you look for meaning the more unhappy it makes you because you realise just how not very nice the world is. ignorance is bliss, but i tend to go digging, much to my own detriment.