Why Meaning is Important For Happiness

Written By Colēgia

Happiness can be a combination of many things. It can be having a sense of personal satisfaction. It can also be the result of having a positive environment that empowers us. Knowing what it is that makes us happy is important and it's worth considering which of these things provides a sense of meaning for us as well.

Where Meaning Plays It's Part

Having a sense of meaning or purpose can be incredibly motivating. A good example of where this can be seen is in our career. Working towards something we're genuinely passionate about is worth the effort since it can provide us with both financial security and happiness. Finding fulfillment in both school and work is something that we may need to put an active effort to do so. A healthy perspective can provide a good framework for how we look at the world. It can also give us the means to focus on positive actions so we can work toward a lifestyle that makes us feel satisfied.

“Having a sense of meaning or purpose can be incredibly motivating.”

Finding Meaning in Our Actions

Thoughts lead to actions and it's up to us to channel those thoughts in a manner that makes us happy. Finding meaning in our actions and seeing that we're capable of making a difference with what we do can be extremely empowering. There's something known as the locus of control and the idea behind it is that it gives us agency over the things that fall under our internal locus. This includes deciding what we want to major in, along with what we do with our free time. Sometimes when we feel like things are going too fast, it's good to slow down and reflect on all the things we've done. Doing this allows us to have a quiet space where we can see the kind of person we are along with understanding why we do certain things. The meaning we find here can tell us if there are things we need to change or whether it was a result of us doing the best we could with where we were.

“Thoughts lead to actions and it's up to us to channel those thoughts in a manner that makes us happy.”

Meaning And Happiness

Both happiness and living a meaningful life are very closely connected. One concept to think about is the idea of cognitive consonance. This focuses on the idea that our thoughts are in line with our actions. In other words, it's meaning what you say, and it's also doing what you believe. Meaning what you say is so important since it helps you express yourself in a manner that's authentic to who you are. Doing what you believe is letting your actions speak for themselves and letting them guide you towards fulfillment. Only we can determine what things make us happy and what gives us meaning and it takes an active effort to learn this. Being open-minded is worth doing since it can make us more receptive to new things that can provide happiness. Learning how to be happy wherever we are in life can also train us to find a sense of meaning or simply enjoy what we've done.

Colēgia

Colēgia

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