I’ve been thinking a lot about my own mortality lately. There has not been a specific reason why, though I suspect it may have to do with how many people have died as a result of the coronavirus. I just dwelled on my mortality as I ate lunch at my job. I grew up in an environment where everybody had there own interpretation on what happened once we died. Do we go to Heaven? Do we get reincarnated? Is there really nothing? I’ll be upfront and say I do not have the answers, and, last I checked, nor does anyone. And that’s understandably scary. Because a lot of people develop a lot of their views and opinions on the world based, not entirely but a lot of it, on their death. As humans, we naturally dwell on the overall purpose of life. We crave physical confirmation that what we do contributes to making the people we meet happier. I am not here to argue for or against religion. From my experience, people of various backgrounds develop their own ways of navigating the complexities of life because of the joy on the companionship of our friends and family and the hardships we’ve had to endure. And, of course, we evolve. Old beliefs and replaced by new beliefs because of the things we never realized had existed. We realize how much more there is to life than what we were lead to believe. We come to understand how everybody, even the people we’ve turned a blind eye towards, has a lot to say. Do we become strive to be good because a heaven awaits us as a reward? Or are we good because this is all there is and it is up to us to make the most of it? For me, neither answer has been fully satisfying. Without going into detail about my personal religious beliefs, I was raised in a religious household and believed Heaven existed. Did the idea of an afterlife bring fulfillment to my life? For the most part, yes it did. I wanted to be a kind because I wanted safety and comfort for the afterlife. But, I one day started to wonder, if there is any kind of afterlife, then what DOES it take to ensure you get the outcome you want? Taking religion out of context, should we strive for a good afterlife if we are uncertain what the afterlife will be like? I one day faded out with my beliefs. I instantly grew content that perhaps maybe there is nothing on the other side of death. Maybe there is nothing to look forward to, so I should make the most of it right now while I’m still here. I should strive to live life to the fullest. But then I find it difficult to process how my mind will cease to process reality. Does consciousness really cease? Personally, I do not know. Either way, we should strive to make everybody’s life happy with kindness and an open-minded heart. We should look at what is in front of us, rather than worry about what tomorrow, next week, next year and beyond and beyond will bring. Because time only moves forward.

I think the absence of an afterlife makes everything in life more meaningful. First, it means we have one life, no more or no less, so we should make the most of it. If you knew you were going to die in a week's time, and that would be the end of your consciousness, you would spend the week doing everything you've always wanted to do (that is if you didn't spend a week in bed moping about the fact you're going to die like I probably would). But if you knew that after you die your life would continue on, perhaps in a paradise, then what you do would surely matter less, because in the end you're still going to heaven where life will be even better. I think the lack of an afterlife also adds meaning in what we choose to do with it, and the sincerity of how we live it. Doing good deeds so that we go to heaven lacks the sincerity of doing good deeds because you want to improve other lives. The latter is more meaningful (at least to me) because it is selfless and motivated by goodness. If we are coming from an Abrahamic religious perspective, in that God is omnibenevolent and omnipotent, and an afterlife exists for those who choose good/redemption, then I think we find even less meaning in life. What meaning is there in a child suffering when a supposedly loving and powerful God allows it to happen? Why would I strive to worship one with the power to do good, but chooses not to, so as to 'test' us? Why would I care about my life's meaning in his grand plan? The creation of life is not, in my opinion, enough to merit worship. It's the equivalent of a couple popping out a baby and then leaving it to fend for itself. However, if God and the afterlife do not exist, then suddenly our life's meaning is ours to choose. There is no plan to rely on, only what we make of it.

Whether an afterlife exists or not, I find the thing that personally gives my life the most meaning is my bonds to family and friends, who will (hopefully) be able to retain memories of me after I pass. We continue to exist through the memories of others, particularly our children if we have any, as they live on after we pass. Our photos, writings, and most importantly our family, memories, and achievements which are recalled by others gives us a lasting impression on this planet, even if that impression is small. Personally, I find that this makes my life more meaningful than an afterlife ever would. Although I am still unsure of my own beliefs on God and the afterlife, I remain motivated by the concept of my spirit continuing to live on through others moreso than being motivated to live my entire life in hopes of experiencing an afterlife. For me, leaving a small legacy behind on this world through my future family generations is more meaningful than the experience that an afterlife could ever provide.

I think it is complete otherwise. Nobody has the certain of an afterlife, but I believe that life would be experienced in another way if it was the case. But on the other hand, if there's any, we will live at the maximum. Everything depends on the quantity of importance we give to our lives. I don't think that relying on an afterlife is something right. Maybe some people would live more relaxed if they know there's something more after death, but I think the point of life is to live it to the maximum, with the ups and downs and all the emotions and experiences we have to live.

I disagree, I think it would be the opposite way round. If there was a guarantee of an afterlife and some reassure that there was more than just this one life, then I think people would become complacent with their life on this earth. They may think there is no bother in living life to the fullest as there is more to come. They could take this current life for granted, perhaps think that the best is yet to come. However, I think if you knew that there was no afterlife then it would push you to make the most of your time on earth and live the most meaningful life that you can. You would make the most of everyday and try to enrich yourself in as many experiences as you can do. Therefore, a life without afterlife would actually make this life so much more meaningful.