A Meaningful Life
Non-Fiction Dialogue
An Explanation
We live in times of great change, a time when our personal strengths are stretched, sometimes even to the breaking point. The results are disheartening. Many of us fail at our jobs and our relationships; others become addicted to the substances or activities that are meant to calm frayed nerves but offer only temporary respite. Nowhere is this more prevalent than with our youth who are often left unprepared by parents or guardians who do not know better themselves. A MEANINGFUL LIFE is a book about living purposefully and composedly in today’s world of strife, turmoil, uncertainty, and competitive survival. The recognition is that, with a stable, intelligently derived sense of meaning, anyone can weather any storm with courage and composure, or, as stated by Friederich Nietzsche, “If we have our own why in life, we shall get along with almost any how”.
Without it, today’s youth and even some older adults are burdened by feelings of uncertainty, loneliness, fear, depression, or despair, leaving a hole in the soul they cannot comprehend, far less fill. The consequence is the irresistible attraction to alcohol, drugs, entertainment, or activities that cause harm to self or others in an effort to escape those feelings, or they seek spurious comfort in pretense or acts of physical, sexual, or financial violence.
It is counterproductive trying to stifle the defensive behaviour because this is all they have. It is necessary to introduce a feeling of true meaning or purpose, but real meaning can only be reached through a logical and scientifically derived definition of the human spirit as the essence of the power of self. This book uses dialogue that critically examines the nature of self, of theism, and of our physical reality to guide the reader to realize they own “why” so they can reach that objective for themselves or to guide someone in their charge to do so.
It does not offer ten easy answers or twelve rules to follow. It will, instead, take you through a serious analysis of the human spirit and a logical conclusion on how to realize it, activate it, and build it to a purposeful goal. It will introduce historical and scientific facts that may, on the surface, seem irrelevant but, in the end become necessary for your full acceptance and ownership of the conclusions. Your “why” will allow you to confidently create your own “how’s”.
About the Author
Albert de Goias
I am a physician recently retired. For the last forty years I have worked with people from all walks of life, from drug addicts to stressed executives, disenchanted physicians and disillusioned young adults, helping them to see and understand their calling to live with insight and purpose despite the chaos and complexity inherent to their world. I have assessed and instructed youths to give up the use of cannabis and other experimental drugs, and to better understand and manage adolescent angst through a more enlightened approach to the maturity of adulthood. The majority of those I have seen were able to see life as a font of perpetual and unstoppable change we are required to examine, analyse and understand. They learned and applied the insight that our job is to use these challenges as food to build the power of self, not as obstacles that deplete us. I have thoroughly enjoyed my work with youth and this book is hopefully my legacy to youth everywhere to be able to see themselves as souls with the mandate to grow, not just bodies with the need to survive.
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Reviews
Reviews taken from Amaxon
Sam Tsang- Canada
Reviewed in Canada on March 21, 2025
Helder Pacheco - Brazil
michelle - Canada
Reviewed in Canada on April 21, 2025





A Meaningful Life explores questions such as “why do we live?” “what is our purpose?” and, ultimately, how can we live a meaningful life in a complex, ever changing world. The book is structured as a conversation between two friends, a theologian and a doctor, which makes for an engaging and at times humorous exploration into philosophy, religion and science. I have only read the first three chapters of the book and will leave another review once I have read the entire book, so this is a preliminary review. My impression thus far is that, as human beings, we differ from other sentient beings in our ability to reason and it is our ability to reason that can help us to rise above our limbic system responses that keep us in a cycle of reaction. It is through our power of reason that we can cultivate the foundation and focus to create a path toward living a truly meaningful life. This is ultimately a hopeful book that explores the human ability to rise to great challenges and overcome the many obstacles our world and society present.