Meaning

In the constant haste we don’t have much time to stop and contemplate on deeper things in our life.
Contemplate on the meaningfulness for example. Think about our Why´s in life.

We just drive through the life on the autopilot, sitting on the passenger seats of our life-cars.

In same time having the meaning, is one of our basic needs in life.

If we don’t have a meaning in our lives, in our jobs and other activities, it is a highway to burnout, highway to depression.
This meaningless bustle exhausts your life energy, weakens your immune system and in long run – shortens your healthy living time.

We need meaning into our lives.

We need to become aware of our Why´s.

More I am aware of my values, more I take them into account - more meaning I have in my life.

Do you waste your time and energy on trivial things, that don’t mean anything to you? Waste on efforts to meet external expectations, to be always good to everybody? Sometimes even to things that seem stupid to you or worse – inconsistent with your values?

Or you are taking responsibility of your life and you are trying to bring more meaningfulness to your life? Trying to filter more decisions through your own value filter?

Current times - uncertain and full of contradictions – will affect us less, if we stay in the centre, if we seek for more meaning in our everyday life.

I can see that lot of people, have only now started to notice that they miss meaningfulness in their lives. Until now, this haste and autopilot mode has “protected” them from looking for this deeper meaning. In a way, it is easier like that, there is less responsibility without meaning. Less responsibility for your life.

I think that one of the positive sides of this covid time is, that people will not want to pointlessly speed forward anymore. Give themselves to things that don’t have deeper meaning for them.

Unfortunately, it is not easy change. First there will be darkness and crisis inside.

We want more meaning into our lives but at the same time, we are afraid to create more meaning into our lives. It is not conscious fear, usually.

We have fears. Creating more meaning, means changes. Changing your life. It is scary.

It seems to threaten our other basic needs – security (with pinching from our life standard), belonging (making some people think that you are weird). It seems to threaten our good person image. It seems to make us more egoistic, if we follow our own values, act on our own needs and dreams.

It is misconception that if you consider more of yourself then you drive carelessly over others.

It is contrary.

Yes, you might not offer the same, that others have use to get from you, that you have given to them before. But you don’t have to offer everything to everybody, all the time. You don’t have to be people pleaser.

If you go to your general physician with aching tooth, your doctor will not drill your tooth with first convenient tool, just to be good to you. Just to be the good person who helps everybody. You will be sent to dentist. Your doctor is not bad person because of that. On contrary.

If you look for more meaning in your life, then you have chance to find out what is your real mission in this life. What you have come to offer to this world. Though your real values and strengths. Your nature and your gifts are not randomly given to you. World needs them. World needs your genuine nature.

By mapping your strengths, your values, your dreams – you will find your meaning, your calling, your Ikigai.

Photo by Kelli Kook