Inspire Me

CREATING A SENSE OF MEANING AND PURPOSE by Susan Jeffers, Ph.D.


For too many of us, life seems inexplicably empty. No matter how much success we attain, or how many loving people there are in our lives, or how many activities we participate in, there still seems to be that deep yearning for something more. What is it that we are searching for? I propose that what many of us lack in our lives is that very important sense of our own meaning and purpose. Until we find it, our emptiness goes unabated.

How do I define meaning and purpose? As I see it, our sense of meaning is the knowledge that we truly make a difference...that we are needed...that we are important...that our lives count for something. Our sense of purpose is the determination to act in ways that are consistent with our sense of meaning...that are consistent with the knowledge that we truly do make a difference. When a sense of meaning is combined with a sense of purpose, we have found the formula for living a wonderfully fulfilling life.

In addition to filling the emptiness within, a sense of meaning and purpose takes away a lot of our fear about the future, thus helping us to embrace the uncertainty in our lives. This is because we can take our meaning and purpose with us wherever we go! It is with us in the best of times and the worst of times. It is this sense of meaning and purpose that helps us transcend the drama in our world and makes life worth living.

Inspiring words, from Susan. I read her book, Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway. It gave me a feeling of meaning and purpose and hope to feel and understand my fears but still live the life I have inspired to live.

Namaste,
Danna