Did we loose the real meaning of life?

I believe we all have a purpose for being here on earth. Our true purpose should reveal our life's true meaning.

Unfortunately, western culture has programmed us to chase things in life that brings us very little meaning.

For example, I grew up in Shiraz, Iran, in a Jewish family, and at the time that I was a very young kid, I noticed that families were so close together, they loved, protect and cherish each other, and in the worst times of war, famine and injustice by the government, we all stick together, we kept caring and loving each other, and we all survived the terrible situation.

But when I came to US, I have noticed that families live far away from each other, I saw so many people have put money, power and sex on top of their core values and what is important to them. I saw so many people chasing financial success for the purpose of having power, for the purpose of buying that expensive home, for the purpose of buying that expensive car and show it off, for the purpose of dating a beautiful woman and show her off. I also became a follower and followed the same purpose that everyone around me was following.

I started a business and that business became my baby, it was the most important thing to me, until I got married.

I had a very difficult marriage; I was very confused because I was a survivor, I survived the war and a dangerous escape from Iran, but it seemed that I could not tolerate and survive my marriage. I tried to remind myself how I survived a war and bombing, a close call to get arrested and possibly executed by the Iranian revolutionary police, survived a dangerous escape from Iran, so I should be able to survive my difficult marriage, but I realized, that even though times were extremely hard in Iran, I lived with a loving family, we all love each other and that love gave each one of us the meaning in life, and gave us the reason to live. But that strong love that gave me peace and a reason to live did not exists in my marriage, so I could not survive my marriage.

But now, I found my purpose and meaning in life. I love and care for my son. When I see my son smile from our love, that smile is precious, I know that I cannot buy that moment with any amount of money.

Now I realized that what I have learned from our society, Hollywood and social media was completely wrong. Money, power, sexual desire, expensive house, expensive car and gadgets are not going to bring us eternal sense of being, and we won't find true meaning of life as long as we mostly chase those things.

The less we have empathy and compassion for our fellow human being, the less we love our family and friends and the more we chase money, power and sex, the less we understand the true meaning of life.

And unfortunately, in most western nations, the focus has moved away from love of the family and friends and most of us have been brainwashed to hurry up and chase money and that big house and that expensive car and hurry up and find that attractive woman or hurry up and find that tall and successful man to be with and none of those are going to bring us love and life's meaning.

You may find financial success and then rush to a relationship with an attractive woman that fulfills your desires, but know that this satisfaction of your sexual desire is more likely going to be temporary, and more likely will come with a high price. And worst of all, you have wasted your life chasing things that won't show you the true meaning of life.
The same goes with a woman who mostly interested in tall, handsome and successful man, that sexual desire is mostly temporary and you have lost your valuable life chasing the wrong person instead of chasing someone who brings you the true meaning in life.

Look at apps such as Tinder who gained so much popularity. It is about looking at someone's face and swipe left or right. What most people are chasing these days usually end up being meaningless as we get older. That is why a lot of people may never experience the true meaning of life in the western world.

I believe if you're looking for the true meaning of life, you will find it in love, whether that love is between you and your family, you and your children, or you and your best friends. I hope we learn to stop following the wrong things that today's society is teaching us, think for ourselves, see our flaws, chase things that brings us the real meaning in life and eternal sense of being.