Although I’m not going to talk about the whole set of interventions, I’ll give you some practical exercises that can at least help you understand the meaning in your life better what matters to you the most in life, what direction you are going to, and how you can discover more meaning. Researchers and practitioners have identified various meaning-oriented interventions which might potentially promote meaning and purpose. Given the positive impact that meaning has on our lives, we might wonder whether it is possible to develop and foster meaning. While we thrive when we’re making meaning, we feel frustrated and our lives lack purpose when there is a lack of meaning. Meaning also gives us a sense of agency and control, and an expectation that good things might happen in the future (i.e., optimism). Research evidence shows that meaning contributes to our physical and emotional wellbeing: those who perceive their life as meaningful live longer, report frequent positive emotions, tend to be more satisfied with their lives, acquire effective coping strategies, are more successful, and have reduced risk for certain illnesses such as cardiac events. There is a reason why meaning has become a popular research topic in the last few decades: a sense of meaning is good and has a lot of benefits. What gives our lives meaning at one point may not be that worthwhile later. It is not static either it changes throughout life. Meaning is an experience and an ongoing process. On the other hand, meaning is not something that we either have or don’t have. It is also about embracing the unknown and the pain: asking ourselves what we could have done differently or better. It is about self-understanding and self-awareness embracing ourselves with our flaws and weaknesses. It’s about taking responsibility for our behaviours, following our values, making choices, and about continuous personal growth. Meaning is also about understanding how we relate to others and the world around us and how we make sense of it. Purpose is an important aspect of meaning and sometimes purpose and meaning are used interchangeably but meaning is more than purpose. We constantly ask ourselves whether life is worth living, whether we have value as a human being, whether we are connected to others who we care about, and whether we have goals that we strive for, all of which refer to different aspects of meaning. What Is Meaning and Why Does It Matter?Īlthough there are different approaches to meaning, most researchers define meaning in life (not ‘of’ life) as the ability to make sense of and understand one’s inner self and outer world, how one fits within the world, and whether one perceives his/her life to be significant and purposeful.
#CULTIVATE OPTIMISM MEANING PROFESSIONAL#
If you’re interested in the concept of meaning and how you can cultivate more meaning in your life, either your personal or professional lives, here is a piece that might give you some idea. And I look forward to a future which will feel as meaningful as it does today. I love creating meaning in different aspects of my life. I love discovering meaning almost on a daily basis. I cannot imagine living a life which doesn’t feel meaningful. Meaning is a fundamental part of my life. We all search for meaning in varying degrees, whether consciously or subconsciously.
Every individual experiences meaning some more, some less. However, meaning is not something that is relevant to certain groups of people, it’s for everyone. For some, it might sound like a sophisticated phrase associated with knowing a lot about everything. We also want to feel worthy and find some sort of significance and direction in our lives.Īlthough meaning is a big aspect of our lives, some of us might get scared thinking that meaning belongs to only certain groups of individuals such as those who are spiritual, religious, or philosophers. Do I feel that my life is meaningful? Are there things that give me purpose? What matters to me the most in life? We ask these questions because we have the inherent desire to make sense of ourselves, the world around us, and life in general. We are all faced with challenging, yet essential questions that help us understand meaning and purpose in life.
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