As mentioned in the Spiritual Resilience Booklet, Meaning refers to making sense of situations that occur in life and, from those experiences, gaining a sense of purpose.
An individual’s meaning is similar to what defines them. Each individual has their own sense of meaning which differentiates them from others.
Frankl Aptly pointed out that a sense of meaning is essential for optimal human development, and indicated that finding the meaning of life is essential for a purposeful life.
Meaning is an underlying concept of spiritual resilience. The importance of meaning to an individual also relates to the importance of that individual’s purpose and value.
The Theory of Self-Actualization presented by researcher Abraham Maslow identified that people who are self-actualized are also people who have found meaning in life.
Self-actualization represents the growth of an individual toward fulfillment of the highest needs - those for meaning in life.
Maslow’s theory emphasizes the importance of meaning to an individuals’ life, and how meaning relates to an individual’s potential and value.
Here are some keys to find the answer to the question of “how do you turn your life into one that you find to be meaningful?”
Don’t look for a reason, just enjoy what is there already
Appreciate the everyday things that we go through, and find meaning from those experiences
Step out of your comfort zone, no matter how small the step is. Your comfort zone expands every time you take a step out of it
Follow your intuition, it is there to guide you when you have to make a decision
Live the life you want. When you live a life that is dictated by others, it becomes difficult to find the purpose and meaning of your own life
Creating positive habits can also impact the development of a more meaningful life. Here are some steps to follow to achieve a more purposeful life:
Start small: take it step by step
Most of us want to create big changes as fast as possible, but it is necessary to create a routine in order to gradually develop good habits to follow.
Have clear intentions
Make sure to have a clear goal of what you want to achieve, this can help you become more successful if you’ve decided specifically when and where the behaviour is going to take place.
Habit stack: link a new habit to an existing habit
A routine will form and stick more easily if you consistently complete your new habit following a pre-existing habit.
Take time to celebrate & appreciate your accomplishments
Taking time to celebrate your achievements, no matter how little they are. This helps release key neurotransmitters in the brain that create the feelings of achievement and pride, which makes you more motivated to complete your goals.
Quotes
“The meaning of life is that it is to be lived.”
-Bruce Lee
“When we are motivated by goals that have deep meaning, by dreams that need completion, by pure love that needs expressing, then we truly live.”
-Greg Anderson
“Life has no meaning. Each of us has meaning and we bring it to life. It is a waste to be asking the question when you are the answer.”
-Joseph Campbell
“The meaning of life is not to be discovered only after death in some hidden, mysterious realm; on the contrary, it can be found by eating the succulent fruit of the Tree of Life and by living in the here and now as fully and creatively as we can.”
-Paul Kurtz
Summary
The meaning of life differs from man to man, from day to day and from hour to hour. The importance of meaning is in its uniqueness.
Finding one’s meaning in life is equivalent to finding the key for optimal development.
According to Frankl Aptly, meaning can provides a number of important functions in human lives:
Meaning provides a purpose for our lives
Meaning furnishes values & standards by which we can judge our actions
It gives us a sense of control over the events of our life
It provides us self growth. Many emotional problems result from a failure to find meaning in life; they can be resolved through finding something to make life meaningful.
References:
Aggarwal, Y. (n.d.) The Importance of “Meaning” in Life. All-About-Psychology.Com. https://www.all-about-psychology.com/the-importance-of-meaning-in-life.html
BrainyQuote. (n.d.). 1000 Meaning Quotes. https://www.brainyquote.com/topics/meaning- quotes
Brown, L. (2018, April 27). How to find meaning in life (it’s easier than you think). HackSpirit. https://hackspirit.com/how-to-find-meaning-in-life-its-easier-than- you-think/
Gomez, J. (2012, August 20). 5 Ways to Find Meaning In Your Life. Expert Enough. https://www.expertenough.com/find-meaning-in-your-life/
Olson, A. (2013, August 13). The Theory of Self-Actualization. Psychology Today. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/theory-and-psychopathology /201308/the-theory-self-actualization
QuickSeries. (2019, April 12). Achieving Spiritual Resilience. https://drive.google.com/file /d/0BzczUMLUBx5XMkhwVzJZS1F1UjhueGd1TVlpR1ZBenRCWFc0/view
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