Introduction: Why We All Ask the Same Question
At some point, every one of us wonders what life is really about.
Is it success? Happiness? Love? Legacy?
In The Meaning of Life, British author James Bailey takes this age-old question on a very human adventure. Broke, heartbroken, and living in his late grandad’s caravan on the Dorset coast, Bailey found himself asking what millions have asked before him:
“Where do I find purpose, and what’s the point of it all?”
Instead of searching Google or scrolling through social media for wisdom, Bailey did something beautifully old-fashioned. He wrote handwritten letters to one hundred of the world’s most remarkable people — astronauts, artists, scientists, monks, presidents, and even prisoners — asking them one simple question:
“What is the meaning of life, and how do you find meaning, purpose and fulfilment in your own life?”
What came back were lessons from some of the greatest thinkers and doers of our time — answers as different as the people themselves, yet bound by one golden thread:
Meaning isn’t found. It’s made.
1. From Desperation to Discovery
Bailey’s story begins in 2015, when his world fell apart.
Fresh out of university, deep in debt, and still mourning his grandfather, he tried everything to fill the emptiness — travel, romance, and a dozen new starts that went nowhere.
When everything collapsed, he ended up alone in a caravan with just a pen, a stack of paper, and a Van Morrison record spinning in the background.
That’s when he remembered a story about philosopher Will Durant, who, during the Great Depression, wrote to 100 world figures asking them the same question. Bailey decided to repeat the experiment nearly a century later.
That decision changed his life — and, as readers, it invites us to reflect on our own.
2. Dame Jane Goodall: Meaning Is Found in Service
The legendary conservationist Jane Goodall has spent her life studying and protecting chimpanzees — and in doing so, she found something deeper than science.
She admits that only the Creator can answer what life truly means.
But she knows how she finds meaning: by helping others, healing the planet, and giving hope to the next generation.
Her philosophy is simple and practical:
“Each one of us matters. Each one of us makes an impact on the planet — every single day.”
For her, fulfilment comes from contribution.
Whether you’re protecting wildlife, mentoring others, or simply being kind, you’re already shaping the meaning of your life.
Her story reminds us that purpose begins where self-interest ends.
3. Helen Sharman: The Astronaut Who Came Back Down to Earth
When Helen Sharman became the first British astronaut in space, she didn’t find the meaning of life floating among the stars.
Instead, she discovered it when she came home.
From orbit, she looked down at Earth and realised how little material things mattered. The cars, the clothes, the status symbols — they meant nothing out there. What she missed most were people.
Her message is crystal clear:
“What’s really important is the relationships — the people and animals in our lives.”
For Sharman, meaning isn’t something written in the stars; it’s something built in everyday moments — with love, laughter, and kindness.
4. Bindi Irwin: The Power of Unconditional Love
For wildlife warrior Bindi Irwin, daughter of Steve Irwin, the answer is love — pure and simple.
“Out of every possible answer to the meaning of life, Mum’s is my favourite: unconditional love.”
Whether it’s for animals, family, or the world itself, love fuels purpose. It gives us the courage to keep going when things get hard.
Her lesson is one that creators, parents, and solopreneurs alike can take to heart: do what you love and love who you do it for.
5. Dr Astro Teller: The Scientist of Meaning
It’s fitting that the CEO of Google’s “Moonshot Factory” would take a scientific view of purpose.
Dr Astro Teller says life doesn’t come with ready-made meaning — we create it.
When he was ten, he realised that a football game only mattered because he chose to care. That same rule, he says, applies to everything.
“Life is no less meaningful for you having imbued it with meaning yourself.”
He sees meaning as a triangle with three sides:
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Leaving a positive impact – our “ripple effect” on others.
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Taking care of ourselves – health, rest, and growth.
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Having fun – joy and love as fuel for the journey.
When those three are balanced, he says, life feels whole.
6. Catherine Coleman Flowers: Leave the World Better
Environmental activist Catherine Coleman Flowers grew up in rural Alabama, fighting for clean water and justice for neglected communities.
Her answer to life’s purpose is direct:
“The meaning of life is to ensure a liveable planet where generations present and future can live in peace.”
Her daily gratitude — seeing sunlight through the window, meeting people around the world — fuels her work. For her, meaning equals responsibility.
Her example teaches us that every act of care — for people, for nature, or for fairness — adds up to something much bigger than us.
7. Lizzie Carr: When Purpose Finds You
British adventurer Lizzie Carr didn’t go looking for meaning. It found her — in the form of paddleboarding.
After surviving cancer at 26, she wanted to reconnect with life. She took up paddleboarding to clear her head — but what she found was plastic-choked rivers and birds’ nests made of rubbish.
That moment changed everything.
She decided to clean up the waterways that had helped her heal — and launched Planet Patrol, a global environmental movement.
“I don’t believe we find meaning or purpose; it finds us.”
Her story shows that meaning often begins with paying attention. What breaks your heart is usually what you’re here to heal.
8. Professor Jean Golding: Science, Spirit, and the Power of Curiosity
Epidemiologist Jean Golding, who founded the world-famous Children of the Nineties study, says her life’s meaning emerged through curiosity and compassion.
Her career — tracking how environment shapes human health — became her form of service. But what gives her deepest peace is something spiritual.
After surviving polio and personal hardship, she experienced profound moments of warmth and clarity that removed her fear of death.
Her takeaway is humble and wise:
“My talent is in studying people and the way their environments affect their health and wellbeing. This is where I find my fulfilment.”
For her, meaning is found in using your gifts to make life a little better for others.
9. Professor Ian Frazer: The Doctor Who Created a Lifesaving Vaccine
Professor Ian Frazer, co-inventor of the HPV vaccine that prevents cervical cancer, says life may not have a divine purpose — but we can still create value.
He believes most of what happens is beyond our control. Yet that’s exactly why our small choices matter.
He sees life as a limited opportunity — one we can use to learn, grow, and help.
His view is scientific but spiritual in practice:
meaning is not given to us; it’s built by what we contribute before we go.
10. The Thread That Connects Them All
Across all these voices — scientists, astronauts, explorers, activists, and artists — a single truth shines through:
Meaning is made, not found.
It’s not a reward waiting at the end of the road. It’s something you shape through:
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Purpose – doing work that helps or uplifts others.
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Connection – loving and being loved.
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Growth – learning, exploring, creating.
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Contribution – leaving your corner of the world better than you found it.
Meaning isn’t something “out there.” It’s in the email you send to help someone.
The project you start even when you’re scared.
The kindness you show when nobody’s watching.
And, as Bailey discovered, it’s also in the asking itself.
Sometimes, the quest for meaning is the meaning.
11. What This Means for Modern Creators
For today’s creators and solopreneurs — especially those building businesses with AI or digital tools — this message lands powerfully.
Success without meaning feels empty.
But when your work aligns with your values — when your systems, your art, or your GPTs genuinely help people — your business becomes an act of service.
That’s when work transforms into vocation.
It’s the same lesson running through every IMMachines project:
create from your soul, not just your strategy.
When you follow curiosity, serve others, and keep growing, profit becomes a side-effect of purpose.
12. The Caravan Lesson
Bailey’s story ends where it began — in that same old caravan by the sea, nine years later.
Only this time, he’s not lost. He’s a bestselling author, a traveller, and a man who found meaning not by chasing it, but by living into it.
His reflection sums it up better than any philosopher could:
“It’s good to do crazy things, even if they don’t work out how you thought they would. Life is funny like that.”
And maybe that’s the real secret.
Meaning isn’t about having all the answers — it’s about showing up, staying curious, and letting your actions tell your story.
Conclusion: Your Letter to Life
So what’s your meaning?
Maybe it’s not one grand answer — but a thousand small choices made with love.
Like Bailey’s handwritten letters, every day you write another paragraph in your own story.
The only question is: what will yours say?
