My feeling is that there is nothing inherently profound about life. It's something that's amazing and incredible, but it arose out of everyday, natural processes. As I've always said, we are charged with giving life meaning beyond the biochemical; there's no essence to do it for us automatically.
Great book, btw, on such things: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/019286212X/104-0256787-9252737?v=glance">Amazon.com</a>, <a href="http://www.complete-review.com/reviews/blackmrs/mememach.htm">Complete-review.com review</a>
In short, even the idea of self is flawed -- in the physical reality of our neurons, decisions are made without conscious intervention, and our 'conscious being' is made aware after the fact. The feelings of free will, consciousness, and self help our brains spread memes more effectively than without such ideas. Really tricky ideas but the book does a great job of taking you from simple experimental results to the end theory.