Meaning of Life

It's been one of those days. I've had two friends in the last few hours basically start a discussion with me on the meaning of life. I'm not quite sure if it's the age, or something in the air, but I honestly don't have any answers for them. I'm 3 weeks out from my 25th birthday. It tends to be a big deal in the world of birthdays, but I feel this one, for me, is going to pass as any other day would. I've been studying for the GMAT and plan on taking that in 3 weeks as well. Then grad school will be on the horizon after that is complete. Perhaps I don't feel the crunch because I'm making the next step. But honestly, at 25, do you have to know what you want to do with your life?

I'm often told by my parents that they still don't know what they want to do. Once upon a time people held jobs for decades. Now, it seems that after a couple years, it's time to move on. People switch directions more than they used to as well. I'm not sure if it's the evolution of technology or our attention spans are shorter. Technology extinguishes about as many jobs as it makes. The new jobs are more thought provocative and often require more training. At the same time, people like to try new things more often. As a society, we don't like to be routine. So we move in and out of jobs for something bigger, better, or simply higher paying. The loyalty to corporations isn't what it once was. It's vanished.

I feel the meaning of life has changed as well. A person used to build themselves from the bottom to the top in any given company. But today, it's often more beneficial for an employee to take a similar position at a competitor. People would marry "for better or for worse". I hear about more 30-somethings that couldn't make a marriage work after two years and divorced instead of working for it. Children are being had later. This could be a positive as hopefully the adults are more responsible, but at the same time, adults may not be as active as they were in their younger years.

I can only hope, for a solid education, a good job, great friends, a strong family and a companion in my life. I would like to marry, but would rather not if it ends in divorce. I would like to have kids, but would rather not if I can't provide for them. In the end, I want to be happy and passionate. Passionate about who I am, who I am with and everything that I do.