The Cafe on the Edge of the World: A Story About the Meaning of Life

Why is it that we spend so much of our time preparing for when we can do what we want, instead of just doing what we want right now?

Why are you here? Do you fear death? Are you fulfilled?

Every day is a chance to do the things I want. I don’t need to wait until ‘retirement.

I think the turtle—the green sea turtle—taught you that if you aren’t in tune with what you want to do, you can waste your energy on lots of other things. Then when opportunities come your way for what you do want, you might not have the time or strength to spend on them.

Exactly. We’re all limited by our current experiences and knowledge. The important word there is current. More than ever before in human history, we have access to information, people, cultures, and experiences from all over the world. “As we try to find what will fulfill our PFE, our limits today aren’t really about accessibility. They’re about the limitations we impose on ourselves.

He hesitated a moment. “As each day passes, people intuitively know they’re another day closer to not having the chance to do what they want in life. What they fear is that day that exists sometime in the future, when they’ll no longer have the chance. They fear the day they’ll die.

My mind was spinning a little. I’d never really thought of life in this context before. Most of my decisions had been made in response to things like family advice, cultural pressures, people’s opinions and other things. This was very different.

As I was floating on the surface, I realized something: When the turtle was swimming, it linked its movements to the movements of the water. When a wave was coming at him, he would float, and paddle just enough to hold his position. When the pull of the wave was from behind him though, he’d paddle faster, so that he was using the movement of the water to his advantage. The turtle never fought the waves. Instead, he used them.

Why is it we spend so much of our time preparing for when we can do what we want, instead of just doing those things now?

Has doing what most people are doing, helped me fulfill my Purpose For Existing?

In your experience, has ‘doing what most people are doing’ helped you fulfill your Purpose For Existing?

Each day there are so many people trying to persuade you to spend your time and energy on them. Think about just your mail and email. If you were to participate in every activity, sale, and service offering you get notified of, you’d have no free time. And that's just mail and email. Add on all the people who want to capture your attention for television time, online activities, places to eat, travel destinations….” She paused, “You can quickly find yourself living a life that’s just a compilation of what everyone else is doing, or what people want you to be doing. “When I got back to the beach after watching the turtle on the second day, I was filled with all these insights.

The challenge,’ he explained, ‘is to realize that something is fulfilling because we determine it’s fulfilling. Not because someone else tells us it is.

It’s like this, John,” she began. “The question you saw, the one that was different—” “The one that said, ‘Why am I here?’” I interrupted. She nodded calmly, “Yes, that one. It’s not a question to be taken lightly. To glance at it is one thing. But when you go beyond glancing and actually see it, and then truly ask it of yourself—your world changes.” She picked up the menu, turned it over, and pointed to where the “Prior to ordering…” was printed. “I know that sounds drastic. Which is why we put this message on the front of the menu.

Suddenly, a strange sensation come over me. Like I was standing precariously close to the edge of a very steep cliff, and that if I took one step forward it would bring either immediate death, or eternal happiness.