Don’t Ask This Question If You Want To Build A Meaningful Life.

Obsessed with living your best life? That might be the very reason you’re dissatisfied. Actively pursuing your life’s purpose isn’t always the best path to a meaningful life.

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A lot of time is wasted trying to figure out what we’re supposed to do in life. And often, that process is based on metrics we don’t determine ourselves. It’s only when we can articulate what it is that makes life meaningful on a personal level that we begin to reconcile the disparity between our reality and our aspirations. Instead of pursuing outcomes, determine your why and the path towards a life of fulfillment with reveal itself.

Our core values are the blueprints for living a life of fulfillment.

Fleshing out our non-negotiable’s gets us closer to that feeling of alignment and purpose. It’s the ultimate inoculation to inner turmoil and can reduce our conflicts with the world around us. Because how we spend our time is a reflection of what we value, regardless of our intentions.

Take note, the clarity that comes with setting down core values isn’t always comfortable. Gaps between our what and our how can trigger feelings of guilt, fear, and shame. It’s when we choose to create space to do the work of realigning ourselves that we experience the inner peace that comes with living a meaningful life.

Sounds simple enough, right? But that doesn’t mean it’s easy.

Just like any home, sustaining a life of fulfillment requires maintenance. Too often we’re eager to set up habits and procedures that promise fulfillment, efficiency, or success, only to become disenchanted when the the paint peels or the water heater bursts.

It would be easy to say that the blueprints are to blame when in truth it has more to do with maintenance and patience. As with most things in life, we are ever changing and so too must our core values.

Practicing mindfulness is like performing the necessary updates to maintain our home’s efficacy.

While mindfulness is all the rage these days, it’s often misunderstood. Unlike self-care in the mainstream sense of the word, mindfulness is more like “boot camp” for the brain. It’s within the confines of those moments of silent awareness that our thought patterns are illuminated, and thus our actions can be adjusted.

Without judgement, we can utilize this awareness to gain a more fleshed out image of where we are and re-calibrate as necessary. Tapping into our own self-compassion and patience, we can make meaningful progress through our lives without the need to compare ourselves to others.

Showing integrity is proof of alignment between the home we built and the way in which we use it.

What we do in private, or from behind the screens of our devices, is our own business. It would be reasonable to suggest that we should be allowed to let our censors loose, our social graces slack. There’s an implied protection of anonymity (and physical separation) that we’ve dubbed the arena of “authenticity,” when in truth, it’s more about a lack of integrity.

When we choose to act out of alignment with our core values, regardless of who’s watching, the foundation of our house warps. Disequilibrium will arise, with or without an audience. By acting in alignment with our core values, especially when it’s difficult or seemingly unnecessary, we eliminate the internal conflict that causes much of our own distress.

You’re the only one who gets to decide what it means to live your purpose.

It’s not enough to seek external purpose. A meaningful life isn’t waiting for us in accolades or awards, claps or bank accounts. We may feel a temporary sense of purpose through external means, but it’s not sustainable.

Lasting purpose is found in taking the time to understand our foundation and what we stand for. It’s in building up our core values and committing to the maintenance they require.

As nice as it would be to pick up Life’s Manual at the local hardware store, there’s freedom in recognizing that we get to write the book ourselves. Accepting that kind of responsibility can feel heavy, like we’ve been charged with finding “the best” path or purpose, when in fact it’s quite simple.

Write a manual you’re proud of. Then watch it change the world.

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Before you go, I just wanted to say thanks for reading. If you’re passionate about living a meaningful life that you can appreciate right now, you might like some of the other things I’ve written about.

I write here, but I also write over on Medium with publications like Change Becomes You, Illuminations, Be You, and The Writing Cooperative.

Don’t want to chase all my articles down yourself? Subscribe to my bi-weekly newsletter “Food For Thought,” and I’ll hand deliver them to your in-box, along with some other content I don’t share anywhere else.

Thanks so much for your support! ~ Anon

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