Happy Holidays! When you read this post, Christmas will be upon us. Hanukkah will be wrapping up. We are in the final week of preparation for one of the biggest celebrations of the Christian calendar. Not only are we reflecting on the meaning of God’s greatest gift to us, but at the end of the year, many reflect on what this year has been and where we are going next year. Meaning and purpose are front and center at this time of year.
As we finalize our preparations for the holiday season, this week we focus on the fourth component of flourishing: Meaning.
Something Larger Than Yourself
Meaning focuses on living in service of something larger than yourself. It allows you to lead a “purposeful existence”, as Dr. Martin Seligman describes it. Even if you can fulfill every temporal dream you ever had, you will still end up with emptiness, a desire for something more. That something is meaning.
Meaning propels you to do what you don’t think can be done. It motivates you to overcome obstacles and try the impossible. Meaning gives you a reason to keep going when you’re faced with difficult circumstances.
Meaning is different for everyone. It can be saving the whales or fighting human trafficking. It can be raising healthy children or providing water for African villages. Meaning is personal. It can also morph and change in different seasons of your life.
What gives your life meaning? Can you identify the “Why”, as Simon Sinek says, that motivates you?
If you’re not sure what gives your life meaning, you can listen to this podcast focused on the benefits of finding your WHY, the meaning that motivates you. Click here to listen to the Bold & Courageous Leader Podcast 11: How is your WHY communicated to the world?
As we celebrate the gift-giving season of Christmas, I wish for you the gift of meaning and the motivation you find in knowing that place where you are created to live in service of something larger than yourself. May the light of meaning shining in you shine into the darkness, providing hope and joy to those around you.
Look for next week’s post on Wednesday, where we’ll focus on the final component of a Flourishing life, Achievement/Accomplishment. It’s a very appropriate way to wrap up the year.
Have a blessed holiday season! Merry Christmas to you and yours!
