The Meaning of Life

I was up until 3am working on a creative project and I feel great, limitless. It feels like I finally unlocked something important.

My goal, should it succeed, is to use it to fund philanthropy. I think it’s incredibly wasteful, vapid, and wrong to have money and not use it to improve the world.

To me a good, successful life looks like:

  • Living comfortably but modestly

  • Invest in sustainability, green tech

  • Ease/remove the suffering of others, improve lives and education

  • Provide opportunity and jobs

  • Creativity, invention/innovation

  • Consistent intentions and actions to improve the world

When I was a teen, I envisioned being an entrepreneur, owning multiple businesses and I sketched out a minimalist NY loft space I’d live in. I did live in a NY loft space in SoHo, but it was not as nice as my sketch. I envisioned a small bedroom with a neon light outside the window. To me, that was romantic.

These days, an ideal life is a somewhat secluded home near a large body of water with a garden, sun room, sauna, and plenty of space to hosts guests and neighborhood parties. Hopefully, cobblestone streets are near, along with much history, castles, and a strong sense of community.

What brings me a lot of joy these days is feeding/bathing birds. I love when sparrows and hummingbirds visit. It’s not an easy life. To see them relax and feel safe, sometimes for hours, is a great feeling.

Melina Paez