The Search For Meaning

Posted on September 17, 2018 by Victor Chambers, One of Thousands of Life Coaches on Noomii.

Meaning is one of the many questions of life tugging at our heartstrings. The search for meaning in life is one of the keys to long lasting happiness. It is one of the first questions people ask when they begin to feel lost after life changing events such as the death or dying of someone close to them.

For some people the search for meaning becomes impossible because they believe in a world without meaning; a rock floating about the Sun; a species within finite relevance; a world without hope. Yet, accepting the idea that life can have meaning and building that meaning into life can improve a persons life and help build happiness.

How you approach building meaning into your life may be variable dependent on the circumstances which brought a quest for meaning into your life. Sometimes it is enough to listen to the voice inside your heart which gives you the fastest answers. Some people believe this is the voice of God responding to the questions you pose in prayer; for others, experience of God is different. For some a religious spiritual approach to meaning won’t work. For others who are trying to listen to that heart felt voice; there is no answer.

Working with a coach through a journey of meaning can be immeasurable help if you’re not a self starter or happen to be stuck. Coaches can respond to you in a way in which you can’t see yourself. This can help you see where you are at and what you are going through in a way you can’t on your own.

One of the most important books ever written about life’s meaning was Man’s Search For Meaning by Viktor Frankl. This is a short book which has been translated into many different languages to find its way around the world. One of the most important problems Frankl overcame was how to find meaning while experiencing great suffering. Frankl had been a prisoner in several concentration camps during world war II. While most of his ideas were in development before he ever became a prisoner the experience gave support to his belief that life can have meaning even through suffering.

Where Frankl answers difficult questions about meaning through suffering, Meg Jay answers some questions about the pivotal decisions you might make in your twenties. Meg Jay focuses on specific decisions people make in their twenties which hold meaning for the rest of their lives, from families to careers.

Reading definitive books can certainly help and coaches may have favorites to suggest.

There is no one approach to creating meaning that will work for all individuals. I leave a few ideas about how to create meaning or find meaning in your life:

Develop a sense of gratitude for what you have and what you have experienced in life. Take this sense and apply it to a new thought or idea you have for the future. It’s always good to use where you have been to get you where you are going.

Take the time to learn something new you haven’t tried yet. New discoveries can often lead to a sense of meaning. New experiences can spark the imagination and help you discover something that will hold meaning for you in the future.

A great way to create meaning in life is through volunteerism. I’m a big advocate for volunteering and this is a key way you can use some of the experience or time you have to develop meaning in your life by helping others.

Make plans for a date or adventure. We are social and if this is something which has not been in your life for some time – make time for it. This could be with a long time partner, new partner or just a group of friends. Being social with people we care about can provide a deep and wonderful sense of meaning for our lives.

Read literature, watch movies or play video games. The trick here is to dig into something new which will challenge you and break you out of your current mode of thinking and being. Each of these experiences can help you see life from a different perspective or give you a different set of emotional experiences.

Try a new hobby. New hobbies are way to explore things which have meaning to you. Beginning a new hobby can eventually turn into a career or business you had always hoped for but never had the courage to try outright.

A journey toward meaning is always open to you. It’s a journey which can lead to improving your over all satisfaction in life. Coaches can be great resources in the search for meaning. Most coaches will have some ideas for approaching a journey toward meaning. Don’t be afraid to reach out and good luck on your journey toward meaning.

Frankl, V. E., Boyne, J., & Winslade, W. J. (2017). Mans search for meaning. Boston: Beacon Press.

Jay, M. (2016). The defining decade: 20: Why your twenties matter and how to make the most of them now. Edinburgh: Canongate.