Newstricky| Every once in a while, we find ourselves thinking about our lives and what are we doing it. Amidst the hustle and bustle of our routine, we ponder upon the meaning of our lives. Many times, one struggles to find a definitive answer and to focus on one’s goals. But, the end goal is to be happy and satisfied. Each one of us experiences and looks at life differently. Different things inspire and drive our efforts and everybody wants something out of their lives.
Every day, we wake up and look forward to doing things and achieving something. Does it make us happy? Is there something you want to change about yourself or your life? We often come across such questions and the real struggle is to find an answer. Here are some ways that can help you look within and add meaning to your life.
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What are you passionate about?
There are a few things that we always find exciting. Be it reading a book, playing some sport, or being a race car driver. Identify what brings you joy and always find your way to it. It is not that you need to do it for a living or out of compulsion. Just do not lose touch with it and hold on to that thread. Let it be your safe haven and your means to escape. If you are really passionate about it and have an opportunity to pursue it, make the most of it.
The issue is that far too many people don’t yet know where their passions lie. Because of this, they reside themselves to repetitive evenings binging television or social media, despite it not giving them much joy. The only reason this happens is that the individual might not know what to do instead. They simply haven’t discoursed what ignites excitement within them.
If this is a situation that you’re in, then the best thing to do is simply try many things. When doing this, it’s important to be open to everything and to not dismiss an activity simply because you didn’t master it the first time. During this period of trialing different hobbies, you’re going to be a novice in most of them, so allow yourself to be rubbish. When you find something that is pulling you to try again, then work towards improving it. It’s that quest to get better at something that can help give you meaning in your life anyway.
Some fun activities to try include:
- Martial arts
- Live drawing
- Bouldering
- Pottery
- Figurine painting
- Geocaching
Identify a purpose for yourself
In order to achieve something, you need something to look up to. You need to understand what inspires you, what fuels your enthusiasm. Focus your thoughts and introspect to discover your role in the grand design. This would help you streamline your efforts and keep you motivated. If, at times, you feel low and demotivated, think of your purpose and focus your thoughts on your achievements to the ultimate goal.
The purpose you impose on your life is down to you and what to want to achieve. For some, their purpose is to create something that others can enjoy, like a book or a film, while others want to do good and leave the world in a better place than they found it. Others can get their purpose exclusively from their religion, where their devotion to their deities gives meaning to each and every day of their lives.
Your purpose is extremely personal to you, and as creatures that have free will and their own agency, it’s our own privilege and responsibility to create our own purpose for ourselves.
Be curious and try something new
Do not let yourself fall into the vicious cycle of monotonicity. Try and alter your mundane routine and let your thoughts flow free. Do not keep yourself from doing something new. Rather, make time and give yourself the opportunity to break free and explore what the world has to offer. Don’t bury yourselves into a mundane lifestyle, instead be curious at heart and give yourself a chance to be happy.
As a species, we need stimulation, and we need to learn and explore. Adding variety to your life and new experiences can add so much more enjoyment and meaning to your life.
The problem for a lot of people is that they see this tip as far too idealistic and unreasonable to actually implement in modern life. We have jobs and routines we need to stick to and responsibilities we need to adhere to. This makes it rather difficult to go out and completely change what you’re doing. However, adding something new doesn’t have to be that extreme.
Simply doing a different evening activity after work, or cooking a unique meal, or even visiting a nearby town you’ve been to before are all ways to enrich your life and give it extra meaning as you explore your interests.
Simplify your life
There would be times when you are worried about your career or family. Times, when you are stressed about work and achievements and future. It is completely natural and an essential part of life. But, do not let it suck the life out of you. Breakdown the complex equation into smaller bits and focus on solving one thing at a time. This would allow you to be stress-free and also boost your capability to handle things as they come. Instead of worrying about hypothetical situations, deal with what’s at hand.
Another important thing to think about that can help remove stress and anxiety and make life far more meaningful is to remember that there is only so much that you can control and that it’s not worth worrying about what you can’t directly influence. Many people are caught up with the future and the world around them that they forget to consider their present and the situations within their immediate vicinity. Deal with what you can first, and you’ll find that life will fall into place and be a lot more enjoyable and meaningful experience.
Invest in yourself
People often try to find happiness and satisfaction in materialistic gains and spending on goods. It might be agreeable to an extent. But, if you really want to invest in something, invest it in yourself. It can be in the form of learning a new skill, going out with family and friends, investing in your comfort and health. It is not about how much you earn or spend, it is about spending on things that add value to your life.
One of the best ways to invest in yourself is to learn a skill or piece of information that can be used to help you push forward in your life. Many people turn to education to find meaning, as not only will the few years studying give you a focus and something to work towards, but the qualification you obtain at the end could open the door to many new opportunities that can make your life more enriching and successful.
Of course, not everyone is in a position where they can drop everything and go back to school, which is why so many people are put off from investing in themselves in this way. Thankfully, due to advancements in online technology over the years, students can get a good quality education all from the comfort of their own homes through online courses.
Online courses are all remote-based and allow students to access resources and on-demand lectures whenever convenient for them. This means that people can work on themselves and get a new skill without having to leave their job or sacrifice their home life. There are some amazing degrees that you can obtain online; however, one of the more meaningful ones are the qualifications that will allow you to help others, such as a Wilkes University ABSN that will help you become a nurse, or qualifications to help you get into policing.
When investing in yourself, also consider investing in your mental health. At the end of the day, what makes us feel meaning is our mind, so if we’re feeling positive and at peace, where there’s a greater chance that we will have better fulfillment within ourselves.
One of the best ways to improve your mind and feel a deeper meaning is to meditate. Medication can take a lot of forms, but people not involved in the hobby usually consider it as sitting down with your legs crossed and saying ‘om.’ The truth is, medication is actually a lot easier than that. All you have to do is breathe.
By taking a few moments to intentionally breathe slowly and controlled, you can help your body relax and become more mindful, which should help you get a different perspective on life.
Give back to society
A small act of kindness or selfless efforts for someone else can give you immense pleasure and satisfaction. One doesn’t necessarily have to associate themselves with some activity or group. But, it is about contributing to a better society. Find a way to give back and do what you do best. Cultivate the emotions of compassion and kindness, and it would bring peace of mind.
The easiest and most common way of doing this is to give to charity, either by donating funds so that the organization can use it to execute their purpose or by donating clothing and other items so that they can sell or give to people in need. If you want to be a continuous source of aid, you can sign yourself up for a direct debit or subscription program where you provide funds and support every month.
If this isn’t as directly involved as you would like, you can also volunteer your time and effort to aid an event or activity within your community. A lot of homeless shelters require volunteers to serve food and provide bedding, or you can use your time to clean up litter around your local community. You can do a lot that will provide great joy within society and give you an immense feeling of satisfaction and purpose.
Alleviate negativity from your life
Emotional stability is just as important as physical health. In order to a better self, you need to forego anything and everything that holds you back. Free your body of any negative thoughts, anger, and resentment. Allowing yourself to focus on the bigger picture and streamlining your energy towards achieving it.
A great step to take to achieve this goal is to remove negative people from your life. People who seem downbeat and pessimistic won’t push you as hard, if at all, to achieve your goals, meaning that you will be reluctant to grow and prosper as an individual. Furthermore, many people might actually be putting you down and telling you that you can’t achieve, which after time, will have you believe it and thus not work as hard to fulfill your dreams.
No matter how close these people are meant to be in your life, it will be a healthy decision to cut them out and instead focus your time on people who are encouraging, helpful, and supportive.
If you feel that you yourself are a negative or an angry person, do what you can to calm down and try to be more mellow. This might involve therapy and is something very much worth considering to help your life get to a more meaningful place.
Set realistic goals
Goal setting is an important aspect of one’s life. It helps you pivot your thoughts and each goal serves as a milestone in the journey. Achieving a goal boosts your confidence and encourages you to move forward.
Along the journey, there might be times when you feel exhausted, confused and might want to give up. But, it is essential to understand that you have to have faith in yourself and give it time. Do what makes you happy and live the way you want to. After all, happiness and satisfaction is the true essence of a meaningful life.
