The meaning of life is different for everyone, which means you must decide for yourself what the meaning of your life is. Knowing the meaning of your life is more than just knowing yourself. It's about seeing how you fit into the 'scheme of things' or what your special place is in the universe. A lot of people call this line of thinking spirituality. Whether you believe in God, Goddess, Buddha, Allah, Krishna , a High Power, or not, having some sort of spiritual base is extremely important.

Jacob Moody, M.Div., director of the Balboa Teen Health Center in San Francisco , defines spirituality as feeling in connection with everyone and everything. 'This relationship,' say Moody, 'has meaning and gives us a sense of purpose as to why we are here.' Though you can express your spirituality through organized religion, not everyone does. 'Organized religion gives us a structure for helping us experience spirituality,' explains Moody. However, some people find their own structure, like waking up every morning and mediating or praying. Without even realizing it, most people have spiritual experiences every day when they sing, dance, read, take a quiet walk, spend time with family or friends, sit quietly, write, or take a relaxing bath.

The importance of spirituality, Moody believes, is that it helps you know you're not alone. 'In our society, which stresses on being an individual, we constantly struggle to maintain a sense of community.' But by being in a community, you learn how to be a spiritual from your connection with others in a loving relationship. The lessons you learn through spirituality helps bring out the best in yourself, like being loving, patient, kind, compassionate, and giving.

Karen Baker-Fletcher, assistant professor of Theology and Culture at Claremont College in California , believes that spirituality is vital for all. 'When we view ourselves as sacred, we begin to value ourselves and see ourselves as having worth,' she says. Feeling worthy gives you high self-esteem and the belief that you can accomplish your dreams in life. Media messages tell you to be sexy and make lots of money but say nothing about being a good person nor give you any direction as to how you can 'make it'. By contrast, spirituality makes you turn within to help you discover that you have your own internal resources to draw on. It gives you hope that you can do what it takes to make your life successful.

Most importantly, spirituality allows you to enjoy the present. The African American poet Gwendolyn Brooks has a line in her poem 'Speech to the Young' that goes: 'Live not for the end of the song. Live in the along.' If you think about your favourite song, you don't want to rush through it. You want to savor every note and connect with the feelings the song is conveying. That's what Brooks meant by living in the along: taking life as it happens. Her point is that life is as good as you make it right now.

So even if you feel like your life sucks today, try to see the big picture. You're in a stage of tremendous growth that will lead to a stronger, wiser you with each new experience. As long as you're willing to 'live in the along' and know you have a unique place in the world, you will come to understand what the meaning of your life truly is.