How to Stop Chasing Meaning in Life and start Living it?

Steps To Enjoy Your Life instead of Searching for Something Mystical!

“You will never be happy if you continue to search for what happiness consists of. You will never live if you are looking for the meaning of life.”
― Albert Camus

Since childhood, we have been often bombarded with quotes like Meaning of life is to live a life of meaning etc.

Names of people like, Mother Teresa, Mahatma Gandhi, Nelson Mandela, Martin Luther King, Einstein etc are thrown at us as examples of lives lived well.

As a result of constantly being told by every one i.e. family, society, media, books etc that our lives must have meaning, we keep wondering what is the meaning of life.

Till such time we are young this question does not haunt us much as we are more focused on enjoying our life than getting caught up in some abstract concept.

 But the moment we start inching towards 40s we started getting overwhelmed by this question, What is the meaning of our Life?. This phenomenon is also know as mid life crisis.

We start questioning our own existence. Because, since the childhood we have been given examples of great personalities of the past and contemporary world, as examples of meaningful life, we start to believe that our life has been a total waste, so far, because we have not been able to achieve success similar to these great personalities.

We have been made to believe that if one want to have a meaningful life one should have some super natural abilities, should have transformed the society or invented something great etc.

That being our bench mark we start to compare ourselves with them and become disheartened when we fall short.

This sense of inadequacy draws us to search for something grandiose that would give meaning to our life. In most of the cases this search ends at our death beds.

At their death bed people do not rue that they were not able find the meaning in their lives rather they regret not spending time with their families, not being able to forgive their spouse/parents etc, or did not savour the simple joys of life which they overlooked while searching for meaning.

What is Life's Meaning?

Meaning of life is what are we living for? It is the reason for our being? It is what we want people to remember us for. This is what gives us fulfillment or contentment.

Life has no meaning. Each of us has meaning and we bring it to life. It is a waste to be asking the question when you are the answer.”

― Joseph Campbell

It is a futile to keep searching for the meaning. As the above quote from Joseph Campbell says life has no meaning, we give meaning life based on our perceptions, talents and motivations.

I guess we are looking for meaning in life just to satisfy our urge to achieve some thing grandiose in our life. Because it satisfies our ego which constantly evaluates our self worth by the possessions we have, successes we have or fame we gain. Also we seek, external validation for the way we are living our life.

Is the Meaning in Life Really Important or it is Just Another Fad?

Every individual needs a Why to live in his life. You may give it a name of Goal, Dream, Calling, Meaning or anything else. This is what makes him get up early in the morning and keep working at it tirelessly in face of difficulties. So in essence we definitely require a meaning in our life, a reason to live.

However, the problem arises when we sacrifice our present in search of a mystical meaning which even we are not aware of. And the phrase meaning of life is being thrown around as an excuse to hide behind for not living up to one’s potential.

How to Come Out of The Search for Meaning? 

 Stop Comparing Yourself

We live in a culture where we idolise those who have achieved great success in their lives. Nothing wrong with that! However, we equate our self worth with achieving similar success. This comparison with other people and living our lives by the standard set by others creates misery in life.

Not every one is alike. Not everyone has same priorities in life. Money could  be a  priority for someone but others may have happiness or family as their priority.

Every individual will have it is own aspiration, he would want to write a different story on the book of life and no two books would have the same stories. Hence, it is blasphemous to compare ourselves with others.

 Live your life based on your priorities and values.

Opportunities are All Around Us

I long to accomplish a great and noble taskBut it is my chief duty to accomplish smallTasks as if they were great and noble

…..Helen Keller

Stop searching for earth shattering, transformational, tasks/goals which you perceive will give meaning to your life. Opportunities are all around us, it is that we are so engraved in future that we let go of the opportunities present moment reveals in front of us.

Rosa Parker had not been searching for the moment when she was denied seat meant for whites on a bus. The opportunity presented itself and she rose to the occasion. Similarly, Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr, Mother Teresa and others seized the opportunity destiny presented them with. Hundreds and thousands small acts performed daily with excellence will come together to make a masterpiece.

Use Up Your Talents

Every individual has a unique talent which he is good at. Refine your talent, be the best in that talent. Play to your strengths, live up to your potential and lead a productive life so that you do not have to look outside for meaning. Use your talents to make this world a better place to live in.

To be what we are, and to become what we are capable of becoming, is the only end of life.”
― Robert Louis Stevenson, Familiar Studies of Men and Books

Make Goals and Achieve Them

You feel stressed or life seems meaningless because you do not have set yourself worthwhile goals. Set yourself bigger goals which stretches you physically, mentally and spiritually. These goals not necessarily be revolutionary. These goals should be such that they have capacity to consume your attention and your being.

Live Your Life to the Fullest

Enjoy your life, every moment of your life is precious do not let it go waste in your chase for a bigger something which is an illusion so far. There is no fun if you become a billionaire, but your family life is broken or your integrity is compromised or your health is in bad state.

 Live In the Present

Treat every task at hand as if it is the most important task of your life and make it a masterpiece. Once you start pursuing excellence in mundane tasks it will become your second nature. The habit of excellence will then rub off to other important tasks as well. Also when you are focused on the task at hand you are not haunted by your past or by the anxieties of future.

Love Yourself and People

  

Learn to light a candle in the darkest moments of someone’s life. Be the light that helps others see; it is what gives life its deepest significance.”― Roy T. Bennett, The Light in the Heart

The person who loves himself will not feel worthless under any circumstances. He accepts himself the way he is. His self love is not contingent upon whether he achieves success or not.

When you are too preoccupied with yourself, you will encounter all sorts of anxieties in your life. If you really want to have true meaning and anxiety free life then shift your focus from yourself to others.

Try to make difference in people’s lives, help them whatever small way you can. It need not be monetary help all the time- spend 1-2 hrs every week to coach poor students in the neighbourhood school, help a disabled person to cross the street, pick us the heavy grocery bag of the old lady etc. Smile at the stranger on the street, pray silently for any unfortunate person you come across on the street. These small acts of kindness will not only help the needy person but also will make you a better and more loving person.

I believe that I am not responsible for the meaningfulness or meaninglessness of life, but that I am responsible for what I do with the life I've got.”
― Hermann Hesse

Life is not short, people start living very late,By the time we understand the journey,It is time to return back……
---Unknown ( English Translation)

So Stop Searching and Start Living before the time runs out!