The Meaning of Life: Finding Purpose, Joy, and Spiritual Fulfillment

Many people believe that it is impossible to answer the question of the meaning of life. They consider it an eternal question. In reality, the meaning of life is the answer itself. In other words, there are multiple equivalent ways to explain it. The meaning of life exists in existence itself.

Every individual should have a sense of purpose, a reason for being, hope, desire and this cannot be achieved without reflection. Every day spent without thinking, or without learning something new, is a wasted day, lost time. Lost time can never be regained.

Another simple answer is this: the meaning of life is life itself. Without life, there is no reason to ponder the meaning of life. The meaning of life can be found in hope, planning, and faith. To maintain spiritual stability, hope is necessary – hope for something good. Planning something, creating something with creativity, believing that everything is possible.

Perhaps the question of “what is the meaning of life” is not as important as asking: how can we give life meaning? How can we preserve our soul in this physical and material world? How can we survive spiritually and physically? Meaning can be found in absolutely everything. It can be found within ourselves, in others, in nature, in trees, flowers, smiles, joy, sadness, mistakes, even in tears and pain. There is nothing in the world that does not hold meaning, because everything happens for a reason.

When a person “gives up,” stops reflecting, or ceases striving, they slowly begin to lose a sense of meaning. Meaning is an extremely important factor in life, essential for the survival of the human soul and body.

The meaning of life can also be found in friendship. However, friendship is often taken for granted. True friendship is a beautiful gift that should be cherished, nurtured, and protected. The meaning of life can also be found in love and as I have mentioned before, friendly love is truly the most exalted form of love.

It can be found in a kind word, a compliment, good people, good deeds, beautiful photographs, a blossoming fruit tree, modesty, generosity, and in many other connected, wonderful aspects. Everyone finds meaning in their own way. Some find it only in nature, some only in friendship, some only in sacred places. Others, with great intellectual and emotional breadth, find meaning in all of these at once.

One could say that we also find meaning in moments when we feel good. In moments of joy, self-awareness, gratitude for our own existence. Meaning can also be found in the small things that bring happiness and life… these are spiritually significant in their simplicity.

The meaning of life can be found and perceived in absolutely everything… in every moment, every time, every place. As I have written before, everything in nature happens for a reason. Accordingly, everything in life occurs with meaning, purpose, significance, and reason.

Warm regards,

Antonio Nikolić

Traces of Silence in the Day

I sit at the table. The phone lights up, thoughts jump from one task to another, and time passes between messages and reminders. And then… a moment of silence. That short, almost invisible, yet so precious moment when everything becomes still.Silence is not emptiness. It’s a space where you can hear yourself. And that’s why every day, no matter how full of noise, people, and obligations carries within it the possibility of silence. You just need to stop… and listen.

Morning Silence — 5 Minutes Before the World

Before you look at the screen or open the door, stay a few minutes in silence.

Just breathing, maybe a cup of warm coffee, and a gaze through the window.

Let the day begin from within, not from outside.

That morning silence often sets the tone for the whole day.

Midday Pause

In the middle of a busy day — stop.

Three deep inhales.

Three long exhales.

Nothing more.

Feel how your body returns, how your thoughts slow down.

Silence isn’t only around you — it’s within you, every time you breathe consciously.

Walk Without Sound

Walk, but this time without music.

Listen to the sound of your steps, the wind through the branches, the rustling of leaves.

Let nature speak… it knows how to talk softly, yet clearly.

Every unhurried walk reminds you that you are alive and present.

A Digital Pause

Turn off notifications for at least an hour a day.

Let that be your “open space,” free of demands and distractions.

Think of it as mental ventilation — fresh air letting light into your day.

Silence Before Sleep

At night, when everything quiets down, don’t fall asleep to your thoughts or the television.

Close your eyes and thank the day.

Thank yourself for enduring, for feeling, for being present.

Silence before sleep is the most beautiful gift to your body and mind.

Final Thought

Silence doesn’t ask for much… only your presence. In a world that never stops talking, the greatest courage is to stay quiet. Pause, breathe, listen to yourself. Maybe that’s when you’ll find what you’ve been searching for all along.

Written by Antonio

The Healing Power of Nature: Finding Peace in the Outdoors

In today’s fast-paced world, we often forget how much nature can help us calm down and find inner balance. A single moment spent outdoors, among trees or flowers, can completely change our day and soothe thoughts racing through our minds.

Research shows that spending time in nature reduces stress, anxiety, and depression while improving concentration and creativity. Even short walks in the park or gardening at home can have a powerful effect on our mental health. People who regularly spend time in nature feel more energized, calm, and connected to themselves and their surroundings.

Mini-Walks: A short ten-minute walk in the park or by the river can help reset your mind and bring a sense of peace.

Gardening or Indoor Plants: Caring for plants reduces stress and fosters a sense of accomplishment.

Outings and Hiking: If you have more time, a weekend in nature or a hiking trip can be a full reset for body and mind.

Outdoor Breaks: Even a short moment on your balcony or in the yard, observing trees and birds, helps you relax.

One cold morning, feeling tense from all my obligations, I decided to take a short walk in a nearby park. The sound of leaves under my feet, the smell of the earth after rain, and the silence among the trees created a moment of complete calm. This small ritual helped me reconnect with myself and find the peace I hadn’t felt for days in my busy everyday life.

Nature heals us, helps us find inner peace, and reminds us that a balanced life is possible, even on the darkest days. Today, take at least ten minutes to experience the nature around you—whether it’s a walk, a moment on your balcony, or caring for a plant. Share your experiences in the comments and discover how nature helps you find peace in your daily life.

Written by Antonio

The Power of Small Moments in Everyday Life

In today’s fast-paced world, we often rush from one day to the next without noticing where we are or what surrounds us. We plan ahead, dwell on the past, and the present moment passes unnoticed. Yet it is in these small, seemingly insignificant moments that the true beauty of life hides.

Why Small Moments Matter

At first glance, small things may not seem important. But science and experience show that tiny moments… a smile, a kind word, a sip of coffee in quiet make a huge difference in how we feel. Our brains respond positively to small rewards, and when we notice them, we experience gratitude and satisfaction.

Everyday Moments Often Overlooked

Morning rituals – a coffee or tea before starting the day.

Nature – the view of a tree through the window or birds singing.

Human connection – a smile from a passerby, a short conversation with a colleague or friend.

Silence – a few minutes without your phone or distractions, just being with yourself.

These moments are free and always available, yet they often go unnoticed.

How to Notice Them

Slow down intentionally – even for five minutes a day.

Practice gratitude – write down three small things that brightened your day.

Eliminate distractions – put your phone aside while eating or talking.

Be present – focus on the sounds, smells, and feelings around you.

The Power of Gratitude and Presence

When we learn to focus on the little things, our minds calm. Stress feels more manageable, and problems seem smaller. Gratitude gives a new perspective rather than seeing what is missing, we begin to notice what we already have.

Conclusion

We don’t need big events to feel happiness. It is already there in the warmth of the sun on your face, in a conversation with a loved one, in the silence reminding us that we are alive.

Next time you feel rushed or stressed, pause. Look around. Take a deep breath. In these small moments lies the greatest power of life.

— Antonio, author of Puzzlora

Ordinary People, Extraordinary Lessons

I always thought that life was something we learned from books and lectures, but the truth is different. The lessons that truly change how we see the world come from the people around us. Ordinary faces we often fail to notice enough.

I think of the neighbor who greets me with a smile every time I pass by. He doesn’t know my name, but his smile speaks louder than a thousand words. One day he simply asked, “How’s it going today?” and in that short question, I felt seen. He taught me that small gestures can mean more than we realize.

The waitress at the cafe always knows I want a black coffee. It’s not just professionalism. It’s the feeling that someone notices your routine, your little habits that there’s a place where you belong. People don’t always remember the details, but they never forget how you made them feel.

There’s an old man in the park who loves telling stories. Maybe the stories themselves weren’t all that important, but the way he told them with warmth and a smile, as the sun set and the leaves rustled underfoot made me feel part of something bigger. Those few minutes showed me the value of giving your time to others.

A friend who never gives up on me taught me how much it means to have someone by your side when you fall. It doesn’t matter how many times you stumble. Real support doesn’t ask why… it simply stays. “Don’t worry, it’ll pass,” he once told me, and those words stayed with me ever since.

Even a complete stranger can change your day. A helping hand at the right moment, a smile, or a few words of encouragement remind us that kindness and care aren’t privileges, they’re choices.

None of these lessons are in books. They come from smiles, from small moments, from people who leave a mark and teach us to appreciate what we often take for granted. The world is full of quiet heroes it’s up to us to notice them and be grateful. And I’ve realized that these ordinary people, with their ordinary smiles, are the ones who make life truly extraordinary.

Written by Antonio

A Gift Every Day

Sometimes we forget how full of small wonders the world around us is. We walk down the street, stare at our phones, worry about tomorrow’s tasks… and almost fail to notice those tiny moments that can touch us, change us, or simply warm us from within. Yet, each day brings its own gift. Small, often unnoticed, but valuable.

This morning, as I walked through the park, I saw an elderly man carefully feeding the pigeons. There was nothing spectacular about it, but the way he watched the birds, with a smile born from some inner quiet, reminded me that happiness doesn’t have to be grand to be real. That moment was a gift. And I might have passed it by unnoticed if I hadn’t stopped and looked.

A gift every day isn’t always something we can hold in our hands or photograph. Sometimes it’s the smell of fresh coffee waking us up before the sun begins to warm the city. Sometimes it’s a laugh that comes unexpectedly while talking with a friend. Sometimes it’s the silence that wraps around us after a chaotic day, allowing us simply to be. To feel, to breathe, to live.

I remember one rainy evening when I accidentally opened a window and smelled the earth soaking up the rain. That’s when I realized how powerful small details can be. That scent, that moment, lasted only a few seconds, yet I felt it sink into my heart. These everyday gifts often go unnoticed, but they build our lives, thread by quiet thread, making us whole.

And no, we don’t always need to wait for big events to feel gratitude. Even an ordinary conversation with someone who makes us laugh, or watching a child play in the park, or a moment when someone selflessly helps… all these are gifts. When we start noticing these moments, our days become richer. Every encounter, every smile, every breath. Everything is a gift.

Perhaps the greatest gift of all is the ability to notice them. To open our eyes, hearts, and minds, to not pass through life like a hallway without doors, but like a spacious room where every corner hides something valuable. And just as the sun rises every day, so do these gifts… constantly, every day, waiting for us to see them.

So today, try pausing for a moment. Look around. You might see an old man feeding pigeons, hear a child’s laughter, smell the rain, feel the warmth of the air, or simply notice your own heartbeat. These are gifts every day. And each one is worth more than we realize.

Because life is made up of these small gifts. And if we notice them, every day can be magical.

Written by Antonio Nikolić

A world in a rush, and a soul falling behind.

Sometimes, I feel like everyone’s rushing, but no one really knows where to.

The alarm yanks us from sleep. Coffee is gulped, not sipped. Notifications pop up while we’re still in pajamas. The day flies by before we even take a real breath.

And then repeat.

Pause for a moment.

Look around.

How’s your breath right now?

Were you truly present for even a single minute today?

In a world that constantly accelerates, maybe the greatest luxury isn’t money, or travel, or the latest tech.

Maybe it’s this: To be here. Now.

What Does It Mean to “Slow Down”?

No it’s not laziness. It’s not giving up.

Slowing down is not about doing less.

It’s about doing what matters, with more presence.

It’s choosing depth over speed.

Awareness over autopilot.

Imagine:

A morning without rush.

A walk with no destination.

A lunch without a screen.

A conversation where no one’s glancing at their phone.

These are not small things.

These are tiny revolutions.

To slow down is to stop surviving your days and start living your life.

Real Courage Is… Stopping

We often associate strength with endurance. Hustle. Productivity.

But real courage is found in pausing.

In noticing.

In saying: “Right now is enough.”

We spend our lives chasing the next thing: success, approval, the weekend.

But the present? That’s where your life actually is. Right now. This very breath.

This moment you’re reading these words.

You don’t need to escape your life to find peace.

You just need to return to it.

Not someday.

Not on vacation.

Now.

Because the present moment is not a step on the way to something else.

It is the destination.

Written by Antonio

Mistakes Are Not the End. They Are the Beginning.

The education system is like something from the last century, shaping obedient workers. From a young age, children are taught to be quiet, not to stand out, to listen without asking too many questions. The mantra "Sit down, be quiet, don’t be smart" is passed down from generation to generation. As if being invisible is a virtue. If a child thinks differently, they quickly get labeled: problematic, rude, rebellious. But maybe that child is simply awake.

At first glance, it all seems innocent: go to school, learn, get good grades, then you’ll have a job, security, a life by the book, and who knows what else. But if you look deeper, the education system rarely (if ever) teaches children how to think. Instead, it trains them what to think. Rather than developing creativity and independence, the system mass-produces a workforce. That means obedient, tired, and overburdened people.

We teach kids how to calculate the area of a trapezoid, but not how to calculate their expenses, how to manage money, what inflation is, what passive income means, how to start their own business, how to build wealth or mental strength. They learn how to break down a sentence properly, but no one teaches them how to recognize manipulation, how to negotiate, how to set boundaries, how to stand up for themselves. In fact, the system often systematically avoids teaching kids things that lead to independence… because an independent person is dangerous. They don’t fit into a mold. They don’t blend in. They won’t stay silent when they see injustice, and they won’t accept minimum wage when they know they’re worth more.

Success? It’s whispered about. But not in school. In school, you learn to play it safe. Work for someone else, don’t take risks, don’t believe in yourself too much, don’t stand out. But the truth is, success often comes outside those lines. It comes when you dare to think for yourself, when you step out of the herd, when you stop seeking approval. When you fall ten times and get up the eleventh. Without anyone having to grade you.

In that sense, most education systems aren’t designed to raise people who will live life to the fullest. They’re designed to raise those who will work, stay quiet, and quietly retire.

But people are waking up. More and more are searching for the knowledge schools never taught them… about entrepreneurship, financial freedom, mental health, about creating their own path. And that’s a good sign. Only a free person can live a free life. It’s time to stop preparing children for a world that no longer exists. It’s time to teach them to think, to create, to question, because the future belongs to those who dare to be themselves.

From a young age, children are taught that making a mistake is shameful. In school, the red pen flies across the paper. The grade drops. The teacher says, "You weren’t paying attention"… or worse: "You’ll never learn this." But the child doesn’t understand that a mistake is actually the first sign that you’re learning. The system doesn’t like mistakes. Mistakes ruin statistics, lower averages, damage the image of authority. That’s why mistakes are punished, instead of understood. That’s why children learn that it’s better not to try than to make a mistake in front of everyone. Better to stay quiet than to say something wrong. Better to play it safe than to take a risk.

But the truth is that every successful person makes mistakes constantly. Learning and falling go hand in hand. No one learns to walk without falling. No one builds anything great without making at least 150 mistakes. If you’ve been systematically taught that mistakes are something to be ashamed of, then one day you grow into a person who doesn’t dare to start, doesn’t trust yourself, waits for permission, is afraid of every judgmental look. School didn’t teach us how to deal with mistakes. It taught us how to avoid them, and by doing that, we avoided growth. That’s why so many people today fear change. Not because they can’t handle it, but because they were convinced that a mistake is the end, when it’s actually the beginning.

It’s time to change our attitude toward mistakes. Not as failure, but as proof that you’re trying. The truth is, the world no longer works by the rules we were prepared for. The education system we have was created for a world that no longer exists. It’s easier to control an obedient person. That’s why creativity is treated as a distraction, and questioning as rebellion.

Written by Antonio N.

The Mirror of the Soul: Reflections at Sunrise and Sunset

I love sunrises and sunsets.

They calm both the body and the soul.

There’s something profoundly spiritual in the awareness that there is more to existence than the material world we see.

But even more beautiful than the rising or setting sun is the feeling we get when we speak a kind word, offer help, or do something good for someone else. That is the true light within us. The light of the soul.

Just as there are four directions in the world, I believe there are four qualities that reflect the soul: kindness, compassion, gentle words, and altruism.

Above all, kindness is the most sacred.

It’s hard to choose the greatest human virtues, but I would also add gratitude, empathy, truth, freedom, humility, honesty, and solidarity to the list.

They nourish and cleanse the soul.

When we gaze at a sunrise or sunset, we allow light, warmth, peace, and joy to enter our being.

And the soul needs kindness, the essence of all noble virtues to thrive.

The soul is eternal because it is free from matter.

It exists beyond the body, beyond the ego, which is not the same as intellect.

If egoism is temporary and bound to the material world, then altruism is its opposite. Timeless, immaterial, and eternal. Altruism is one of the most powerful forces that connects us to something higher.

The most beautiful feeling we can experience is the feeling of the inner soul. A sense of goodness, stillness, peace, presence, and eternity.

This is the feeling of the soul.

Warm regards,

Written by Antonio Nikolić

Why Are Blueberries Among the Healthiest Fruits in the World?

When it comes to health and nutrition, one common question is: what is the healthiest fruit in the world? While there’s no universal answer, one fruit consistently stands out in scientific research. The blueberry. Small but mighty, blueberries have become synonymous with "superfood" and for good reason.

1. Nutritional Powerhouse

Blueberries are rich in antioxidants, especially anthocyanins, which give them their deep blue color. These compounds protect cells from damage, help fight inflammation, and slow down the aging process.

Fun fact: According to USDA data, blueberries rank very high on the ORAC scale a measure of a food’s ability to neutralize free radicals.

2. Heart and Blood Vessel Health

A large Harvard study (2013) found that women who regularly eat blueberries and strawberries have a 32% lower risk of heart attack. Anthocyanins play a key role in maintaining healthy blood vessels.

3. Brain and Memory

Research published in the Annals of Neurology (2012) showed that regular blueberry consumption can slow cognitive aging and improve memory.

4. Friend to Diabetics

Blueberries have a low glycemic index and are rich in fiber, helping control blood sugar levels and regulate appetite.

5. Other Benefits

Anti-inflammatory effects

Immune system support (thanks to vitamin C)

Gut health. Promoting beneficial bacteria

Help in regulating blood pressure

Conclusion: Powerful Blueberries for Every Day

While there’s no single “healthiest fruit for everyone,” blueberries are a versatile and powerful ally for your health. Whether fresh, frozen, in smoothies, oatmeal, or desserts, your body will thank you.

Tip: When you see blueberries, don’t miss the chance! Keep a bag of frozen blueberries handy for a healthy snack or to add to your meals.