The reality is that we all want our life to have meaning. The challenge is that most of us get caught up in our daily routines and forget to look for meaning in what we do each day.
I have been reading Are You Fully Charged?: The 3 Keys to Energizing Your Work and Life by Tom Rath. Here are some suggestions that he gives to add meaning to your life.
First, you need to understand that the way you add meaning to your life is by doing something that benefits another person. It is this pursuit of meaning which makes life worthwhile and actually brings you happiness. There is research that shows that the more you focus on your own happiness, the more lonely you will actually feel. Researcher Roy Baumeister concluded that “Happiness without meaning characterizes a relatively shallow, self-absorbed or even selfish life.” In contrast, co-author Kathleen Vohs states, “People leading meaningful lives get a lot of joy from giving to others.”
Next, you need to be intentional if you are going to find meaning in your life. You do not just stumble across meaning in your life, you have to search for it and create it. One of the best ways to do this is to attach the things you do each day to a broader mission. If you are able to see how the things you do each day make the world a better place and improve people’s lives, you will be able to find more passion in your work.
Finally, you need to understand that the best way to add meaning to your life is to take small, meaningful actions each day. It is through little actions each day that eventually you are able to look back and see how significant the impact of those little actions were. If you will take time each day to do little things to improve the quality of life for those who are around you, not only will their lives improve but you will find more joy in your life as well.
Let me challenge you today to think about the people in your life that you regularly interact with and to consider what small thing you can do to make their lives better. This is something that you need to act on right away. The longer you put it off, the less likely you will do it.
I hope you will find meaning in your life and experience the joy and happiness that comes along with it.
