What brings you meaning?
Aug 31, 2020
Have you ever felt like your life has no meaning?
You're wondering why you are here, what the point of it all is?
What is the grand purpose of things?
You want to feel useful and as though you are contributing to the world, like you have a place and purpose?
Many of us face the question of why am I here and what is the meaning to life at various times in our lives.
There are times when you are sure about what you are doing and times where you have no idea what you are doing or why you are doing things.
It's the times when things seem unclear, when we can feel lost or stressed.
When trying to find ourselves, or wanting to discover the meaning of life, we can get more and more confused and disheartened.
This pursuit of meaning can lead us to feeling worse about who we are.
Philosophers, psychiatrists and psychologists have discussed, that it may actually be in not knowing the meaning to life, we actually find it.
Viktor Frankl, the Austrian psychiatrist and survivor of the holocaust, has shared from his experience, meaningfulness is experienced when we engage in something we love, that is of service to others.
It is in the ‘doing,’ life has meaning.
For example, you could be very good with numbers and have a deep fascination with them. A parent at your child's local school may be struggling with finances. You may be able to offer your support to help them clear debts in a budget and thus develop a passion for helping others using your accounting skills.
What first started out as utilising your skills and fascination, has opened the doors to the possibility of helping many people in similar situations.
Honouring and Serving,
Simran K. Rattan MD
Simran K. Rattan MD