Clearly, life unblurred

*** *** Life and what it looks like is important; we get one of them, there's no coming back once it's over, so I'd say living one's best life should be on the top of every human being's to-do list. Knowing my life will end helps me live better in the moment and to plan to live better in the future. What others do is their business although I often wonder why people do not seek a better now and future. > What a meaningful and happy life looks like is different for everyone and we all have our reasons for that. I know many people that chase money and fully expect that when they have it their life will be better, but I also know many people that have it and still do not feel content or happy with life. Money doesn't buy a meaningful life in my opinion. I also know people that focus on the very moment they are living in and seek every pleasure available with no thought to the future that "may or may not come" but in my opinion that's setting oneself up for a rather lackluster future should the future eventually arrive. Unfortunately the future is not clear to us when looking ahead into it. That makes it difficult to prepare for however I believe working towards a better future now (one of your design and creation) is the best way to making a meaningful and happy life a possibility in the future. It means that the next hour has a better chance of being better, the next day, week, month and year....and life overall. I've had a great life. > I feel it's been generally enjoyable, fulfilling and meaningful and I've impacted on people's lives in positive ways. None of those things came because of money alone...yes, having some money helps but I believe there's so many other things that come before it. Professional growth and development (job satisfaction), strong relationships, good health, continual personal growth, a sense of value and meaning to others and oneself, the ability to help and protect those who need it, self understanding and contentment and the ability to change what needs changing within myself...these and other such things are what have brought me a meaningful life...sure, I have a few dollars here and there and some nice things...but take them away and life is still something I value and which has meaning. I grew up in a family that after paying the bills there wasn't much left at all. I worked hard for what I gained from the age of seventeen and a half when I left home; relationships, knowledge, skills, investments, travel and so on, and I have had it all taken away by a rogue business partner - lost it all...then rebuilt it all...*I believe that's because I refused to look forward and see my future as blurry*. Instead, I saw it clearly, *what I wanted it to be,* and that allowed me to work towards it in better ways. *** What do you reckon...what's been your journey? Have you floated along aimlessly, sought to structure your present and future, planned or not planned? Do you value money over everything else or are there other factors that contribute to what you see as a meaningful life? Feel free to comment below.