What is the purpose of our lives? Which scenarios make our life a meaningful life? How do we interpret the meaning of our lives is important. There are two ways in which we define a meaningful life. Wherein one way we can think that life is meaningful and we just need to search for the meaning that it holds; on the other hand we think of defining our lives, adding meaning to it, giving it a purpose to be true to its name- LIFE.
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Correlation between happiness and a meaningful life:
A happy life and a meaningful life are strongly correlated. When we tend to find the true purpose of our lives or else become successful in adding meaning to it, we, in turn, become happier and attain fulfillment. Basically, we can say that once we have reached that satisfactory level in life when we can call our life ‘a life of purpose.’
Happiness can be called a product of a meaningful life.
And in the other way round a meaningful life makes us happier as there tend to be fewer worries, more organized approach to life which lead to less havoc at work and in the personal space.
Why a purpose in life is important?
When we find a purpose in life, we become more directional. We live according to a plan. In more simple terms, we know why we are born and why we are living.
Every day when you wake up, how do you think you would be spending your day? Simply following a routine like waking up brushing your teeth, taking bath, having breakfast, going off to work, coming back home, having dinner while watching tv, and going back to bed, can be one of the generalized approaches to your daily routine.
A more effective approach is when you know that what you are doing is also answering the question of why you are doing it? And whether that is adding any meaning to your life?
Most of us find a job because we need to earn to fulfill our basic needs and pay the bills. But while you are making a living out of your job, also think of the other aspects as well i.e., whether that job is adding value to your life. When our paychecks help in serving the society, it instills in us a sense of honor which helps in making our lives more meaningful.
Whether you are doing what you were meant to do. Whether you have become what you were meant to be.
It is not at all times possible that we get to do what we like. But have you heard of ‘trying?’ There is nothing better than that, and also, nothing comes to us easily unless we try for it. Either you have to keep trying and one day attain that level when you feel that you have achieved what you have always wanted, or else, you can start trying to finding happiness in whatever you are having.
When we talk about finding happiness in what we have, we are not asking you to compromise on your dreams. We are talking about making the best out of what you have got. Slowly and gradually you will be able to take it to the next level. But the only request is to not sit idle and keep waiting for some miracle to happen. Life is too short to wait for one. There is a lot that is in our hands. So make the most of your brains and your heart.
How to find a purpose in life?
It is said that life is already having a purpose, we just need to find it. There are few ways in which you will be able to find that purpose that life holds. Below are the few:
Meditation is all we need:
Sitting quietly for a few minutes of the day and isolating yourself from the hush-hush of the world will help you look at your life more clearly. Meditation is said to heighten awareness, increase concentration, and adds direction to our lives. When you become self-aware and conscious about your strengths and weaknesses, there is a lot that you can cultivate out of it. Meditation helps in cultivating a sense of purpose.
Some charity will do wonders:
It is said that whatever you earn, invest 10% of it in religious works and charity. The best service to God is to help others. You can start with paying for a child’s education, donating books to needy children, donating clothes to needy people, helping them with food and water, etc. By doing even a little bit of charity work will induce in you a sense of happiness which is unmatchable. That is even more than getting your bank account getting credited every month.
Read a good book:
Reading even a little text from a good book everyday not only instills in us a sense of purpose but also let us become a part of different zones at the same time. Reading connects us to people we have never met. It increases our knowledge quotient.
Always remember that your life is an inspiration for someone else:
Maybe you are disappointed in yourself but that’s not the perspective of everyone else around you. Maybe you do not know who else is getting inspired by your everyday deeds. You are an inspiration for someone else out there. So do not ever think your life smaller than anyone else. As you are setting somebody else’s life as an example to lead yours, somebody else is doing the same by observing you, maybe you not knowing about it. So just by thinking that start making your life more meaningful. Start searching for the purpose that you are born for so that it can help you create a better and purposeful life and also help others by becoming a better inspiration. You may one day be a part of their stories, a small seed behind the beautiful plant of life that grows from it.
Learn the art of appreciation:
When you start appreciating everything around you, you will start filling your life with positivity and goodwill. Positivity comes with a bright aura. Criticism may be necessary for growth but let it come from others. You try to wear a tiara of positivity and start appreciating all that makes you feel alive. You should always be filled with feelings of gratitude towards others. Every single effort that someone makes towards making your life easier than before counts. When you show gratitude and appreciate others, you start feeling bigger and more beautiful inside out. Start today by appreciating your family members, your friends, your peers and then have a wider vision and start with anyone else who you feel in some way or another tried making you who you are today. A simple thank you won’t hurt.
Try to find out what you are good at:
Instead of looking out for flaws and inconsistencies, your failures and losses try focusing on your strengths. When you start working on your strengths, your weaknesses start taking a back seat. So rather than counting and covering your weaknesses, start turning your good into better. There is a lot that is hidden within you.
Instead of comparing your lives with others, work on your life. Maybe you are good at writing or singing or drawing. How can your talents be compared to somebody else’s? We are all unique, different from every other individual in this world. The reason why each one of us is an individual and not a clone. So focus on what makes you different from another and use that talent of yours as a weapon against all the flaws that you adorn. Discover your interests and utilize them in the best possible way to search for a purpose in life.
Searching for a purpose is a life-long journey. It does not happen in a day or two. Maybe there comes a time when you start losing hope and think of giving up. But always remember that dawn breaks after the darkest hour of the night. Start trying from where you last left.
“It is during our darkest moments that we must focus to see the light.”- Aristotle Onassis
Does your life’s purpose remain the same always?
That is not the case always. Our life’s purpose may change from time to time. Maybe you wanted to become a doctor in your childhood but you now want to become a business person but end up becoming a nature photographer. Such things happen with most of us. I too sought to become a doctor when I was a child. Things didn’t work out and I got into the field of biotechnology. Ended up getting into the field of clinical research. Using the term ‘ended up’ over here may not be the correct filler as I do not know if this is something that I am going to pursue for the rest of my life. The purpose of my life is much higher than what it seems to be right now to my eyes. My occupation might change but the overall purpose will remain the same and that is to help people, whether that happens by remaining in the healthcare sector or something else. I have to work towards that higher purpose that my life holds.
Learn to differentiate your occupation from your life’s purpose. Your occupation might be different at different time points but your overall purpose remains the same.
Has the path that you have taken leads you to your purpose?
Every now and then, try reflecting on what you are doing is the right thing for you and others. Try having a bird view of your path and connect it with your life’s purpose. Pause and reflect.
Author
Garima Dixit
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