My philosophy is by no means unique or a new point of view... the meaning of life is to do your best to leave the world a better place than you found it. Obviously, for the bulk of people such a feat is far beyond their power. The best I can do is try and make the world better for my family, my friends, those I love. Sometimes lofty ambitions require a more practical and thus more narrowly focused approach.
Does anyone mind if I throw in my 2 cents as well?
I agree to all the above but would also include not just family, friends, and those I love, but also my enemies too (and boy is that easier said than done!). I've learned hate begets hate in this world. And love begets love. And it's rarely immediately apparent. It takes time to change. I go by faith that if I'm hated all the more, I'm still doing the right thing. In fact, it seems to me that those who are against me are probably in need of a great amount of love more than they deserve. And that's how people work. We are works in progress. Heaven knows I've been given love and mercy in times I didn't deserve it, and I'm a better person for having received it. Even from the angriest people, it's been my experience that we're often attributing to malice something can be adequately explained by stupidity (those two are confused a lot), and sometimes we're just collateral damage in someone else's war against themselves. So I say, it's better to love those who
don't love you as well. That's how I try to leave the world in a better place anyway. I don't always do a good job at it. But I try.
On that topic, I've been thinking a lot about what I heard the Dalai Llama say once. Trying to find an exact quote, but iirc he talks about how flowers inhale CO2 and exhale oxygen, so should we inhale hate and exhale love. Closest I could find was this: "I take people's anger, suspicions, distrust, and give them patience, tolerance, and compassion."