What it means to live a good life

I've been coming back to this question time and time again. What does it mean to live a good life? My religion tells me one thing. Society at large tells me another. I despise the selfish underpinning of the first, (save your own soul!), and the materialism of the second. The answer doesn't even lie between the two. And, I think it's beautifully simple and accommodating: make the world a better place. I believe we each possess a conscience that can help us find our unique niche in this collective mission. Of course, it means different things to everyone and involves service on different scales. There is no one way to go about it, but the end is always the same. Raising a good family, being creative, doing a good turn. If we collectively focused on improving the world for all, (not just improving our own lot in life), then I'm sure the world would be better. So life would be better here and no doubt pleasing to the higher powers that be. A nice reconciliation between the demands of the here and now and the hereafter. This is just another way of saying what Aristotle put more eloquently: "Where your talents and the needs of the world cross, there lies your vocation."