09 Feb 2021  |   05:20am IST

Finding Meaning of Life

Finding Meaning   of Life

Ibonio D’Souza

Having a sense of purpose, understanding why we are here and feeling that what we do matters are what ‘meaning’ is all about. It’s a firm foundation for a fulfilled and happy life, and can help us get through even the most challenging times. One of the best ways to find meaning is through contributing something that’s for others - bigger and beyond oneself.

Michael Steger, a leading expert on the psychology of meaning suggests that from a psychological point of view, having a sense of meaning in our life boils down to questions about three core elements of meaning: Significance - Do we feel our life is worthwhile and significant? Comprehension - Does our life ‘makes sense’ to us? Do the different parts fit together? Purpose - Do we feel we have purpose? Do we have one or more overarching purposes or missions that we value? Steger says that combining these three elements provides a framework for understanding ourselves in relation to the world, making sense of what happens to us, our choices, and the goals we set and pursue.

Meaning matters: It’s clear that having a sense of meaning is related to a happier, healthier, flourishing life. Psychological research is showing that people who feel they have meaning in life tend to experience more positive emotions; have a more positive outlook on the world and the future; higher life satisfaction and higher psychological well-being. The stronger their sense of meaning, the greater benefit for well-being seems to be. It’s also related to feeling better about ourselves - both in terms of self-esteem and self-acceptance. People with strong sense of meaning have also been shown to have greater control over themselves and their lives, do better academically and be more engaged at work yet less likely to be workaholics. It’s also related to better physical health and taking fewer risks, such as substance abuse.

Meaningful work: Our work can be an important potential source of meaning in our lives. Given that for many of us it’s how we spend a large part of our waking hours, thinking about ways in which work could be meaningful is certainly worthwhile. Work gives us reason to get out of bed in the morning and connect with others, and studies have shown that not having work when we want it or being employed is highly detrimental to our well-being over and above loss of income, because it makes us feel we’re not needed. 

Experiencing our work as a ‘calling’ - something we are strongly drawn to or even regard as our identity and a core part of who we are - is strongly associated with increased meaning in life. Callings align with our life’s purpose, fit our strengths and talents, and clearly connect to how we make a positive difference to others and/or the world. 

So how do we find our calling? It is something that unfolds through long periods of exploration to find a role that was a perfect fit for talents, passions, values and interests. A good route is to find ways to use more of our strengths. Studies suggest that if we can use four or more of these strengths at work we are more likely to consider it a calling. Like the search for meaning, the search for a calling can be associated with indecision and confusion about our identity. However, since for many of us work is a big part of our lives, it might be worth the discomfort!

IDhar UDHAR

Idhar Udhar