The only way to move forward is to focus on the good in your life and the good that you are doing for others and yourself. My past has shown me things in life, others and myself that I wouldn’t wish upon anyone, but I can choose to pick up the pieces and build a beautiful life for myself and help others to do the same.
It is one of the most profound questions of human existence, and virtually no one knows the answer—or if an answer even exists at all: “What is the meaning of life?” The question above is what makes life meaningful can only be answered personally, none of us have the same meaning of life like the other. What we call ‘understanding the meaning of my life’ is generally moments when someone else’s – perhaps very well intentioned – wanting or yearning to see as a moment of greatness, good feelings, tastes and interests in ones life.
In “The Power of Meaning: Crafting a Life That Matters” Emily Esfahani Smith reviewed hundreds of empirical papers from the growing body of research on meaningfulness and found that the defining features of a meaningful life are connecting and contributing to something beyond the self.
It with this understanding that we start to see the glass stained future of our meaning by acknowledging and honouring this intangible meanings. Thus taking our time to understand what those meanings are here to do with the present and the possible future– and then they pursue that with passion and enthusiasm.Pursuing these meanings , makes you feel good about yourself, because you are pursuing something bigger than yourself.
In his best-selling book, Man’s Search for Meaning, Viktor detailed his time spent in a Nazi concentration camp and his secret to surviving the camp despite losing all of the family members he was imprisoned with. The secret was finding meaning in even the most horrific circumstances, which he said made him more resilient to suffering.
Viktor detailed his time spent in a Nazi concentration camp and his secret to surviving the camp despite losing all of the family members he was imprisoned with. The secret was finding meaning in even the most horrific circumstances, which he said made him more resilient to suffering.
Viktor suggests three ways for finding meaning in our lives:
1. Create work or do a deed
When Viktor worked as a therapist in the concentration camps, he helped inmates to find meaning in their lives and bear their suffering. One example in his book is of two suicidal inmates who had lost all hope and could no longer find meaning in their lives. Viktor wrote that in both case he simply helped them to realize that “life was still expecting something from them.”
For one of the men, who was a scientist, he had a series of books to finish. This was what the future expected of him, and where he found the meaning to help him suffer through the camp.
2. Experience something or encounter someone
The second man had a young child who was living abroad in a foreign country during the war. This was what Viktor helped him realize would provide meaning to his life.
Viktor wrote that understanding how we are each impossible to replace will allow us to realize that we are fully responsible for our lives, and for continuing them.
A man who becomes conscious of the responsibility he bears toward a human being who affectionately waits for him, or to an unfinished work, will never be able to throw away his life. He knows the “why” for his existence, and will be able to bear almost any “how.” (source)
3. Choose the attitude you take toward unavoidable suffering
Unavoidable suffering is as it sounds: inescapable. We have to approach it one way or another, and the way we choose to do so can improve how meaningful our lives feel.
In Man’s Search for Meaning, Viktor wrote the following:
Everything can be taken from a man but one thing, the last of the human freedoms—to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way. (source). Frankl’s purpose, his will to live despite imprisonment in the harshest conditions, came from his desire to write about the experience afterward. Frankl noted, too, that others who survived the camps had a specific purpose—they were determined to see their families after the war or to help other prisoners live, maintaining a sense of humanity.
If the meaning of life is to connect with purpose, we must connect with our source. To do that, we must connect with the Creator— that is to identify ourselves as made in the image of God. Genesis 1:27 says, “So God created human beings in his own image.” Identifying ourselves with God is awfully difficult to do if we have not explored the character of God first. Understanding His character helps us see ourselves as made in His image.
Like Victor, when we discover our meanings of life, we unlock a level of intensity and passion inside of ourselves that would otherwise never be found. When we align ourselves with our purpose and what we’re truly passionate about, we light a flame inside of ourselves that otherwise would never get lit.
What is next?
Find God’s meaning for your life. People who learn to put their trust in God, instead of in worldly things, find a deep sense of peace and serenity that overshadows the evils, anxieties and disappointments of life and the fear of death. We live in the world but we must put our hopes and trust in God.
Live the best quality of life that you can. This should be one of the main missions for us all, don’t you think? Make it a priority to grow and excel in your health, relationships, career, finances, spirituality, hobbies. Improve each of these areas and you’ll start to feel on purpose.
Follow your interests. Whatever you are deeply curious about is worth exploring. So, whether it’s design, photography, fashion, food, or coding, go down the wormhole. Explore your passions with enough verve and you will find what is right for you.
Allow yourself to transition from one thing to another. To find your most meaningful mission, you’ll have to try a few out. Give yourself permission to move between jobs, careers, companies, and passionate pursuits. The only boundaries are boundaries of belief.
Serve! You can travel the world looking for some magnificent purpose, but after all the belly gazing the truth that always emerges is this: by serving others we feel more purposeful. So just look around you and ask, “How can I help?”Each of us has something to give. Some have wealth, some have talents, some have time, some have compassion, some have wisdom. Whatever gifts we have been given, large or small, we should share generously. When we do, we fulfill God’s purposes and find true meaning and satisfaction in our own lives.In the spirit of service we will soar to our full potentialBe bold, bounce around, try new things, discover what is important to you, and suddenly you’ll start to feel what we call The Charged Life!
By living a life with your ultimate purpose in mind it gives you a chance to live beyond your own limitations—to love, sacrifice and give to others.
and anxiety and hopelessness that can engulf our everyday lives.
Koffee with Joe 