A life well lived is a normal human aspiration. But the challenges of everyday life can overwhelm us and seriously deflect our pursuit of a good life, writes John Haren.

Mortgages, increasing rent, the ever-increasing cost of goods and services, unemployment or insecure employment, all take a significant toll on our ability to live out our hopes and dreams.

Mental and physical health challenges, personal trauma, the mundanity of everyday life can erode the feeling of our own humanity. The state of our country, insufficient housing, the widening gap between rich and poor, the incidence of domestic violence, suicide.

Not to mention the uncertain state of world affairs. Climate change, the wars in Gaza, Ukraine and Sudan, the state of democracy, the intrusion of artificial intelligence.

Any number of issues can overwhelm us to the point of despair and impotency. The struggle for survival can be all consuming. The joy of living can desert us. The tendency can be to retreat. Turn in on ourselves. Withdraw.

Humans are by our very nature, social beings. We may not always feel like engaging with our neighbour, responding to a social invitation, or even having a chat with a work colleague, but these opportunities are laced with possibility.

Humans can be resistant beings. Cautious about change. Reluctant to show vulnerability. Unsure of expressing feelings. Unclear about how to resolve ethical dilemmas. Being human is to live out the full suite of events that characterise our lives.

A walk in the park, listening intently for the sounds of birds. Observing a child having fun at play. Having a deep conversation with a partner or a friend. Creating a piece of art or meditating on the beauty of nature. These are the things that can revive our flagging spirits when daily life grinds on.

The night sky is an enticing visual feast. The constellation of stars, the Milky Way, the occasional exploding star, the ever-expanding universe. Holding this infinite reality in our gaze is both awe inspiring and daunting.

How did this all come to be? What are we doing here? What am I doing here? Does anything I do really matter? Is there a God that unifies this cosmic creation? These are the same questions that scientists, philosophers and theologians ponder.

Basic human values that dignify our lives and allow the planet the chance to breathe.

We often grieve that individuals have no control over the things that matter. I cannot solve poverty, reverse the climate crisis, end wars. Can it be that I don’t matter? The forces at play are too great. Autocratic leaders. Superprofit-driven companies. Manipulative scammers. Unreliable news sources.

The alternate reality is that I do matter. We all matter. Despite the cosmic, global, and domestic forces that can oppress and make our lives seem irrelevant, the opposite is true. We matter. I matter.  

It matters that I am aware of the plight of Gazans. It matters that I exercise my democratic right to vote. It matters when I have a conversation with a neighbour. It matters when I volunteer at a homeless shelter. It matters when I read about the colonial history of oppression. It matters that I am aware of the plight of Aboriginal people.

We have many opportunities to think and act outside our personal reality. Of course, our own children and grandchildren need our love and attention. And we need our own time of contemplation, prayer or reflection to reach into our inner being.

Ageing can diminish our world. We no longer work for a living. Our social contacts can contract. Our sense of ourselves can be questioned or lost. Our health can be compromised. But to turn inward, to withdraw, to live a finished life is not what humanity needs in this moment, or any moment.

The planet needs us to be expansive in our world view. An enlarged life is a life well lived. A life of curiosity, of purpose, of engagement with others, of interest in the community, the state and the planet. It can be hard.

But an enlarged life is rewarding. It takes us through the full range of human emotions. The more we invest in issues that matter, the more we are drawn into a deepened experience of hope, love and compassion. We might be transported by Monet, moved by Elgar, challenged by Shakespeare, transfixed by the night sky. Moments that can bring tears, tears of joy. At the same time, empathising with a homeless person on the street, seeing images of war-torn Aleppo, contemplating the degradation of the planet, can also elicit tears, tears of despair.

This is an enlarged life, open to the full human experience. Feeling for people we don’t even know, acknowledging that we are the ones who have to act.

We are born into a world of invitation. An invitation each day of our lives. An invitation full of promise and risk. The biggest risk is not to respond, to ignore the invitation, to pretend it’s not for us. Someone else will respond.

The reality is we breathe the same air as the people who came before us. The artists, poets, writers, adventurers, inventors, farmers, workers. People of all races, creeds, nationalities and tribes. People who cared for the land. 

Artisans who crafted furniture, clothing and works of art. Workers in factories who made refrigerators and cars. Gardeners who produced abundant flowers. Sportspeople who ran faster, jumped higher than we could ever have imagined.

Mothers and fathers who raised families against the odds. People who lived so that others might survive despite the struggles of war, violence and poverty. People like you and me living in suburbia and on the land. Their livelihood, wellbeing and safety, interdependent with those around us.

This is the world in which we are invited to sustain the species. The privilege and responsibility that preceding generations have bestowed on us. To engage in all aspects of life. To live enlarged lives. To be fully human.

An enlarged life is open to engaging with others for the benefit of others, especially the least of us. When this happens, the world changes.