Since the beginning of time, people have tried to find "the meaning of life", or the purpose of their existence. Humans seek higher education and study difficult topics to make heads or tales out of life. The more knowledge we attain, the farther from the truth we get.
Having an animal companion gives us an insight that no amount of religion or studying can offer. Self-help books touch on the insight when they tell us to "be more present" or to "live in the moment". These sayings are often thrown around and people have made their meaning more complicated, thereby losing the true meaning and feeling farther from the present than ever before.
In Finding Joy: A Dog's Tale, Little Bear explains early on what he feels is wrong with Human thinking.
"I do not think humans understand what life is about; rather, they think of life as a series of chores and acquisitions, instead of enjoying life and being present in each moment. The feel of the Sun shining on your back, watching a butterfly flutter about, rolling around in the grass, listening to each other's heartbeats; these are the things that matter most."
When was the last time you sat with your love, whoever that is, in silence? No TV, no music, just the two of you sitting together and enjoying each other's presence? When you sit silently together, you can feel each other's energy and the intimacy of that is wonderful. You do not need to sit silently with anyone. You can sit silently alone and bask in the sounds of nature, feeling the energy of everything around you. Practice sitting silently every day. Take notice of how the energy around you feels. Listen to the sounds of nature and you will be surprised at how much you can hear. That is the meaning of life. Everything else is just man-made noise.
