Number 42 of course

I don't think there is any meaning to it. So you may as well have as much fun as possible.

To thine own self be true.

Make lemonade out of lemons-I recommended someone for a job that was available in my new employer's company. When he was hired he gave me a bottle of lemon liquor

It goes on with or without you! Any inclinations you might have will always only pertain to you and you only! Most days anyway! LOL!

I can recommend the talks by Alan Watts and Terence McKenna on Youtube for out of the box, secular but spiritual discussion on the meaning of life, as do the principles of Jungian psychology. Western Buddhism and Zen Buddhism provide a relatively ritual free framework for the adjustment to the loss of conventional faith and belief in a God figure and can help replace fear with acceptance and a fulfilling life.
Best wishes to you.

Knowledge...
My first big paycheck I got from my new job. I worked part time for 3 months to save up $300 as a night manager at an airmans club before i got out of the military. Fear and needing extra money. I worked one weekend at my new job and made $300 extra. The power of being a journeyman at a trade. The hard training paid off.

Man, that is the question. I admit, it was one of the hard ones when I realized I was an atheist.

How about, since there is no god to save us, we must do our best to save each other.

do you mean 'Monty Python's "The Meaning of Life"' ?

If memory serves, it was something like "Try and be nice to people, avoid eating fat, read a good book every now and then, get some walking in, and try and live together in peace and harmony with people of all creeds and nations".

Not too shabby a statement for a comedy

Evolution gave us all the meaning we need. Whatever contributes to our survival, reproduction, and comfort is meaningful. But. We have automated most of those things to the point they are not all that challenging to achieve, so we now think life is meaningless. Go for a two week backpacking trip on foot, alone, in the wilderness, in cold weather. You’ll find all the meaning you can stand.

Human life is quite remarkable (and possibly unique) in that it has the capacity to understand and appreciate the universe and itself. To be a living, thinking human being in an infinity of (mostly) hydrogen and helium is the most astoundingly amazing thing . The meaning of life is simply to fully appreciate this

The best advice I ever got was from a pump. I was about 16 years old...at a time when going to a mall for the arcade was still in style.

He showed up with two of his ladies. They were out of gas...and he was trying to find John's to pay his ladies for them to get back to New York City.

He wore the outlandish purple velvet suit, peacock feather fedora. And 'gator skin shoes. He reeked of vodka and blues music.

I was curious. He took notice of me. Without a prompting or preamble...his only words to me: "never let another person define you".

Wisdom. From a pimp in purple velvet.

Life is about family/friends. In the end it’s all you have.

Ever since the RNA molecules evolved back in the day, the meaning of life is replication.

I feel like doing a bit of replication myself

Was not so much advice as was action. This guy I would work with he was in charge the boss more or less. He would show how something needed to be done. He would go do his own thing. If he sensed that you were struggling he would no yell or just watch you fail. He would stop what he was doing jump in help you.

The meaning of life? Eating and making babies. That's the basic reason we're here. If you need something meaningful, do what you can to advance our civilization so we can eventually escape this rock before it's inhabitable.

To discover as much as possible and record your findings, allow the next generation to use your findings to discover even further. Have fun, travel, experience cultures, places and smiles on faces, admit your mistakes and learn from them. Plant a seed and watch it grow, allow your mind freedom. grieve your loses and embrace your gains. don't be afraid of your weaknesses love your flaws, once you accept yourself your meaning will be clear.
this is an almost direct quote from a drunken discussion with a very good friend.

I try my best to be nice to people, and to leave the world a better place than how I found it. It’s just little things, but I’m always conscious of it. It gives my life meaning and makes me feel good.

Yes! Watch the movie, The Meaning of Life....Hmm! I wonder does the question imply that life has some meaning apart from the questioner? Do we get to the meaning of any word,action, transaction event or process by an analysis of the causes and consequences and the operations that brought them about relative to time, place and circumstances?.......

Perhaps the better answer is that life has no meaning, but many people, experiences and things along the way do mean something

In Terry Lane's book "God, The Interview" on pages 15 -19 he presents a wonderful story that I think sums up the 'Meaning of Life' nicely. Its a 'easy read' paper back book of 130 pages and is one of my favourites.

Why does life need meaning? Just advice? Sleep 6 hrs a night. Drink water asap when you wake up. Make breakfast your biggest meal or at least pack it with protein. Survive and do what you need to do first, then worry about others. You can’t help someone else put on an oxygen mask if your passing out.

To make babies? (Also, it's the only way to become "immortal".)

But philosophically, I'd also respond with "42". Life is inconsequential in regards to everything else in the universe. And "42" is indicative of that. HOWEVER, you can personally put whatever meaning you want in "42" or in any other answer you find. And that's ok too.

"Freedom is what you do with what's been done to you." -- J.-P. Sartre

Why does life have to have meaning? Life simple is, enjoy it while you can and avoid being an asshole.