Over the past few months, I’ve been sharing articles that dive deeper into each of the elements of Positive Psychology’s PERMAH model: positive emotions, engagement, relationships, meaning, accomplishment and health. Each of these pillars plays a significant role in our wellbeing so, when we intentionally give attention to these areas of our life we tend to feel more fulfilled.
This week we’ll be starting our next series by focusing on meaning and how creating a more meaningful and purposeful life can contribute to our wellbeing and satisfaction with life.
Why Does Meaning Matter?
“Happiness is the meaning and purpose of life, the whole aim, and end of human existence.” ~Aristotle
Humans are wired to seek meaning in life. How many times have you found yourself asking those big existential questions like what is my purpose in life? What am I here to accomplish?
And while you don’t necessarily have to ever figure out the answers to those questions, you ask them because innately you want your life to have meaning. Deep down, you know that living a life with meaning will help you feel more in tune with yourself and fulfilled.
To Aristotle, leading a meaningful life required cultivating the best qualities within you, both morally and intellectually, and living up to your potential. It is an active life – a life in which you do your job and contribute to society, are involved in your community, realize your potential, and do not squander your talents.
A meaningful life also means an intentional life where you consciously transform your thoughts, behaviors, actions, and environment so they line up with the person you’re meant to be – your most genuine highest self.
How to Put Together The Pieces of Your Unique Meaning Puzzle
Start with your Signature Strengths
Go back to the results of your VIA Survey. Your strengths are your positive personality traits that might tell you something about your values in action (VIA). Using our strengths builds confidence and self-esteem, reinforcing our sense of self.
Move to your Skills and Talents
Talents are often innate and have a strong biological loading, e.g. spatial reasoning, musical ability, interpersonal ability, and so on. Skills are what you consciously develop.
Reflect on these questions:
- What are you naturally good at?
- What activities energize you?
- What is one skill you’ve worked on and are proud to have developed?
Utilizing our skills and talents helps us build on that same confidence that using our strengths does.
Highlight your Passions
Passions could be hobbies or social causes, for example. Think about the things that truly light you up when you talk about them or the things you could get lost for hours learning about or doing. When we follow our passions, we’re more likely to achieve flow and feel engaged with our lives.
Identify your Values
Values are your guiding principles, the ideals and beliefs you hold most true in your life. Values are your “true north” compass to guide you even in the most turbulent of times. Our values help give us a direction to move towards, almost like a blueprint, and the more we align the way we live our lives with our values the closer we feel to finding meaning.
Uncovering your purpose to find meaning in your life is like putting together pieces of a puzzle. Stay curious and dig deep into each piece you discover and let yourself be affirmed.
Keep going, keep growing….
This article is the first of a four-part Meaning Pathway series, be sure to check out these related articles below!
Living By Your Values to Create a More Meaningful Life
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