Hey, this is Anne with your SpiritRiver Coaching on the Go.
What is a meaningful life?
We are spending some time this week digging into it.
Because it requires some deep thinking.
There’s the generalized.
We’ll call it the greatest common denominator.
That all the things that are housed inside of your definition for a meaningful life fit into.
They all qualify and fit in there.
It could be three or four things that are essential in your world to just have the kind of life that you’d say.
There was so much meaning in my life.
It’s so full of purpose, it’s so satisfying.
These are all words that are relative to us that we use regularly.
Satisfying, so successful.
They could seem very random depending on who’s thinking about them, and what they think.
They can really vary from person to person.
So as we started unpacking this week.
What is your definition of a meaningful life?
What we discovered is there are some kinds of generic terms we use.
Like it has a connection.
It has love.
It has challenges.
And then there are specifics on how that really plays itself out.
So for me in my life and a lot of people I’ll interject here in my conversation.
A lot of people will focus on the peacefulnessand happiness.
But for me, a meaningful life also involves deeply engaging in transformation.
Like rolling around in something if need be.
And figuring it out and having the glorious satisfaction of having come through that adversity.
To be in the sunshine again.
The comeback story I do find challenging is fascinating.
Okay, so that’s something about me.
What about you?
What do you find fascinating, and satisfying?
What are you proud of that you do?
What kinds of things?
What kinds of elements are in your life that you may even be engaging with and struggling with right now?
But you actually, when you get down to it, you admire being able to get knocked down and come up smiling.
So even a good argument for me can be satisfying.
For someone else that won’t be true.
So there’s no right or wrong on anything that you choose.
And I just want to remind you of the six basic human needs.
Because people over time who’ve worked with thousands and thousands and millions of people.
Who came up with the six basic human needs as things they’ve noticed are universal in the world.
It would behoove you to consider if the things you’re loving to do have those things.
If they’re included there.
And if some are missing, how can you infuse them into your life?
So you’ve got certainty.
That’s knowing what’s going to happen.
You can predict it, you know it, it feels safe or at least even if you don’t love it, you know what to expect.
So it’s not a surprise.
Conversely, you also want variety.
That’s another need.
If everything is happening the same all the time, it’s not very interesting for your intelligence.
Being another basic human need is significance.
The need to be unique, to stand out, to be special in some way.
Someone can be special or stand out by fitting in.
And it’s ironic to hear it, but it can be true.
Someone could be feeling special and important because they stand out.
And the other could feel special, and important because they have the ability to blend in.
Someone could be proud of themselves for living on nothing.
Another could be proud of themselves for amassing incredible amounts of earthly goods.
So it’s totally relative and it’s up to you.
And the next thing is love and connection.
The next one, is the top two are spiritual.
One is growth and expansion and the other is contribution.
What’s your legacy?
What are you giving back?
What do you share, give?
So when you’re working on your meaningful life and what it means to you to have a meaningful life.
Those are just some things you can play with there.
And then you can consider.
One of my clients today, right out of the gate, mentioned that their life is meaningful.
When they’re creating things.
When they’re doing their best, and when they’re enjoying their life.
And when we started to go down the stack of things that he’s doing in his life right now.
All of those things fit under those three categories.
They all fit.
And then when we looked at the basic human needs.
We looked at the main things he’s been working on in the past six months.
And he turned something completely around from not having really many of the basic human needs being met.
To all of them being met.
And it’s said that if you have a relationship.
That’s not feeling great to you.
And you look at which of the basic human needs are missing and you add those.
You won’t leave that relationship.
So, some food for thought today as you continue to work and do the deep thinking.
Because when you have a real target, then you know what system you’re operating in.
If you don’t even know what a meaningful life looks like to you, how can you hit it?
And for some of you, you’re realizing that you’re actually living in your really meaningful life.
And you’re expecting it to always feel easy.
But part of you loves challenge and growth.
So actually to be in the squeeze of the challenge and growth.
Is part of your meaningful life.
And if you’re not having a meaningful life right now, you’re building your comeback story.
And we’ll talk more about comeback stories next week.
Have a beautiful day.
