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Did anyone think I could resist responding to this kind of post? :P

After much consideration (also as someone without a religious faith) I've come to a personal decision as to life's purpose. This is not a philosophical absolute conclusion (if this is what you're looking for), but something I can live with and it seems to fit well within a civilized society too.

Here it is, Sharkull's Meaning of Life:
The ethical pursuit of the fulfillment of your own values (this means everyone's detailed "purpose" is different, because individual values differ). If you want a family, that's fantastic. If you want to write poetry, have fun. If you want to cure cancer, I wish you the best of luck. (etc...) The hard part is setting valued goals... after that, it's just a matter of enjoying the journey in pursuit of them.

BTW,
In this context, I use the term ethical to denote a non-hypocritical interaction with society. Trading value for value with willing others, treating others the way you want to be treated... (i.e. practical wisdom for living in a community).
[edit]
Sorry for going a bit off topic here Kathy, but I find the Wiki on Social Contract to be a pretty good introduction to kinds of things I mean by "practical wisdom for living in a community":
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_contract
[/edit]

If you're wondering where this concept came from, I'll tell you it started when I first read Terry Goodkind's heavily themed fantasy fiction which lead me to Ayn Rand's two masterpieces (Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged) and a few of her philosophy essays. I don't agree with it all, but she has some great ideas; one of which is that a human being is an end, not just a means to an end. She used this in the context of anti-communism (where the individual is meaningless, with only the collective having value and the individual is a slave to the needs of others...), but looked at from a different angle, I can see a broader picture. I believe that the whole concept of "Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness" is based on the premise that the individual has the moral right to set their own path to walk...

Of course these concepts only pertain to living life, and have little to offer when you start to consider your own mortality (which is often the case when considering the meaning of life). I haven't considered this enough to have formed detailed opinions yet but I do have a couple ideas: there's a certain satisfaction that comes from "enjoying the journey" (in whole or in part) and then there's always the idea of a legacy. I still have a lot of work left to do on mine... (i.e. I have some goals yet to set and then achieve).

Lastly, finding an objective Meaning of Life is something that I don't think is really possible (at least not to any degree of certainty). I find that defining a subjective Meaning of Life is easier and sufficient for my "purpose" (pun intended ).

I hope this helps Kath.

Edit:
Obviously opinions may differ and everyone is free to disagree with me.