The Purpose of Life: A Journey of Spreading Smiles

Every parent treasures those innocent, joyful moments when their child manages to turn even the most worried days into a memorable one.

I find myself often marveling at my three-year-old, Vedhaa, whose playful antics have brought light and laughter into my life since he was just one year old.

His cheeky grin, his mischievous giggles, and those repeated antics designed solely to elicit my [my wife’s and family members’]laughter have taught me one of life’s simplest yet profound lessons:

The purpose of any living being is to spread joy, to make others smile.

And it isn’t just my son who carries out this delightful mission. My golden retriever, Simba, is equally a maestro in turning a household into a theater of joy —

He senses my [our] laughter and repeats his antics just to see me [us] smile again.

Together, Vedhaa and Simba have provided me with a lesson that has redefined the way I look at life:

Every living being, in its own way, strives to spread happiness. It might be through an innocent smile, a spontaneous act of kindness, or simply sharing a joyful moment.

It’s as if an invisible thread connects us all in a beautiful tapestry, intricately woven with a common goal — to fill the world with more joy.

Joyful Connections: Learning from Children

Children have a pure, unfiltered ability to express joy. Their smiles are not contaminated with expectations or pretenses; they are simply there — unplanned, unasked, yet so powerful.

For Vedhaa, making me smile is not about proving something or gaining rewards.

It’s simply what he does — his way of bonding, his way of creating a shared bubble of happiness.

Every time he notices my smile, it’s almost as if he becomes more determined to continue doing what he’s doing, ensuring that the joyous laughter continues to echo through our home.

In these little everyday experiences, we find a universal truth: we humans are wired for connection. The happiness of those around us enriches our own well-being.

As adults, we may have complicated ideas about purpose and meaning in life, but watching my son reminds me that perhaps our most primal and essential purpose is simply to spread joy — to love, to smile, and to create happiness without any calculations or conditions.

For children, making someone happy is their natural instinct, unclouded by the adult world’s complexities.

They don’t analyze the situation or wonder if the smile they’re trying to bring is ‘worth it’ — they just do it, instinctively and with all their heart. It is perhaps in this genuine, unfiltered effort that we can rediscover our own purpose.

The Healing Power of Pets

Alongside Vedhaa, my golden retriever Simba has been an equally powerful teacher of this lesson. Animals have a remarkable ability to sense emotions.

When they sense joy, they respond by amplifying it. Simba has perfected this art. He notices when I smile at something he does, and his response is always the same —

he repeats it, almost like he’s saying, “Let’s keep the laughter going.” It is astonishing how such a simple gesture, a repeated action, can bring so much joy.

Pets are a constant reminder of the beauty in simplicity. They don’t need elaborate plans or grand gestures to make us happy.

A wag of the tail, an affectionate nuzzle, or a goofy jump — they have a hundred little ways to light up our lives. In the chaotic rush of our modern lives, where deadlines and responsibilities tend to overwhelm us, the uncomplicated joy that pets offer can be a powerful antidote.

Animals, just like children, have an innate way of knowing that happiness is meant to be shared.

When Simba makes me laugh, he senses that moment of connection, that sense of shared happiness, and he builds on it.

It is almost as if he understands that the very purpose of his existence is to bring more joy into the world — one wagging tail and one smile at a time.

A Universal Truth: We Are All Wired for Joy

Reflecting on these experiences with Vedhaa and Simba, I realize that this urge to spread happiness is something inherent in all of us, regardless of age or species.

It’s not just limited to children and pets; it’s something we all possess — a need to connect, to make others feel better, to uplift one another.

From the warmth of a genuine smile to the comfort of an understanding touch, we are all capable of giving something that can make another person’s day a little bit brighter.

This instinct is what makes us human.

It is a part of our shared humanity that we often overlook amidst the complexities of life. We tend to think of our purpose as something grand — a career, a status, an achievement — but what if our purpose was as simple as being the reason someone smiles today? The power of a smile is often underestimated, but it is the one currency we all have, and it holds immense value.

Living with Intentional Joy

Imagine if we approached our daily interactions with the same intent as Vedhaa and Simba — a desire to simply make those around us happy. What if, instead of seeing smiles as a pleasant byproduct of life, we saw them as the very purpose of it? What if we went out of our way, like a child repeating a funny gesture or a dog repeating a silly action, just to make someone’s day a little better?

The world would be a remarkably different place. Acts of kindness would be commonplace, people would connect more deeply, and the atmosphere would be one of collaboration rather than competition.

The Ripple Effect of a Smile

One of the most beautiful things about happiness is its contagious nature. A genuine smile is infectious — it creates a ripple effect, traveling from one person to the next.

Just as Vedhaa’s laughter makes me laugh, just as Simba’s antics bring me joy, the happiness we put out into the world has a way of coming back to us.

This ripple effect of positivity can be incredibly powerful. A smile shared with a stranger could make their day, which in turn could make them more likely to spread that happiness to someone else.

This ripple effect can start anywhere — a child, a pet, or even you. We may not always be aware of the impact we have on those around us, but the truth is that every small action counts. Every time we make someone smile, we are adding a little more light to the world. We are contributing to a cycle of joy that makes life worth living.

The Simple Yet Profound Purpose

It’s easy to get caught up in the complexities of life — the goals, the struggles, the constant striving for something more.

But every once in a while, we are reminded of the simple joys, the moments that make everything else fade into the background.

These are the moments when we realize that life doesn’t have to be as complicated as we make it.

Our purpose doesn’t have to be something grand or unreachable. Sometimes, our purpose can be as simple as making those around us happy.

As I watch Vedhaa continue to grow and as I share my days with Simba, I am reminded daily of the power of spreading joy.

Life is fleeting, and the moments we have are precious. When we look back, it won’t be the milestones or the achievements that stand out the most — it will be the smiles, the laughter, and the joy we shared with those we love.

The purpose of all living beings, at its core, is to spread smiles.

Whether it’s through the innocent laughter of a child, the playful antics of a pet, or the small acts of kindness we offer to each other, happiness is a universal language. It’s what connects us, what drives us, and what makes life truly meaningful. Let us all take a page out of Vedhaa and Simba’s book and remember that, in the end, our greatest purpose is simply to make someone smile today.

-Penned as ‘LLL