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At some point, you have probably imagined yourself fighting for freedom; desperate to rail against injustice and inequality, wondered what you could do to bring an end to poverty. Those are noble desires, and why not throw climate change in there while you’re at it.

You are but one person and while you can make plenty of changes in your own life that will effect change, you don’t have to save the world to make your life one that is worth living. There is meaning in everyday life and in everyday things and actions. Small things can go a long way to making you feel that your life has meaning, and many little things add up to a whole lot.

Find Meaning In Small Actions

Trying to save the world is exhausting, especially if you don’t practice self-care. Part of finding meaning in life is by doing the things that you love doing and feeling good about it.

Not everyone can be an activist, but we can all make a difference in our own ways. However, that begs the question – how can you find meaning elsewhere, meaning in small actions that don’t have anything to do with saving the world?

It’s not as difficult as you think!

It all begins with a question – what do you value? What are your strengths? When you allow these two things to align with your actions then you are living a life of purpose of meaning. Of course, it can be difficult to recognize these things within ourselves, so you may need to speak to those who are closest to you to find out when you thrive.

You can also use the steps above as a way to take meaningful action and boost your self-confidence and happiness levels. We often feel at our best when we make a difference.

Not everyone can live their dream through their job and if you aren’t lucky enough to be able to pursue your passion in a career, you should strive to include the activities you love in your spare time. It’s vital to create spare time. It’s time to put your phone down and start truly living your best life.

Every Day Action

Believe it or not, you can make a difference without leaving your couch. Just look at these meaningful actions that can make a difference in your life and happiness. You can practice these without putting yourself under too much pressure.

• Money is a source of frustration for all of us, but by using a power strip to plug your electrical appliances into you can easily turn everything off with one flick of a switch. Not only is this going to help the environment, but it’s going to reduce your energy bill, too.
• Move all of your bills online.
• Do your research and choose to buy from companies that have green practices.

You don’t have to stop there, though, there are still things you can do from your home that will help save the planet.

• Shorter showers.
  Go meat-free three days a week.
  Recycle and compost.
  Buy energy efficient appliances

You can continue once you leave the home and it’s easier than you might think.

• Plan your meals in advance and shop smart to avoid waste.
  Buy reduced fruit – there’s nothing wrong with it, it just isn’t attractive enough for display.
  Buy sustainable seafood.
  Leave the car at home.
  Take your own shopping bags.
  Hybrid vehicle.

What about finding meaning that is about you?

• Start practicing yoga and meditation.
  Make time for your loved ones.
  Indulge your hobbies and favorite activities.
  Invest in your health and happiness.

  – Scott Blessing

“Stranger, this silent stone asks you to stop, while it reveals to you what he, whose shade it covers, entrusted it to show. Here are laid the bones of Aulus Granius the auctioneer, an honorable man of high trustworthiness. No more. This he wanted you to know. Farewell.”– Latin Inscriptions. Epitaphs.

Over two thousand years ago, relatives of Claudia wrote these epitaphs for her. It shows show affection and respect; sadness and hope. However, more importantly, it tells us what was important for common Ancient Romans.

In the 21st Century, we have more trouble thinking about death. We’re taught we ought to live in the present moment, letting go of the past and not worrying about the future.

Moreover, we’re often too busy dealing with practical matters — paying bills, running errands, fixing little problems here and there. And while these activities can be important, those little occupations may make us forget about the big picture.

But sometimes we can benefit from looking at our lives from a different perspective — the perspective of death.

You might think it’s counterproductive to reflect about your own mortality, and feelings of anguish or sadness will make the experience negative. It doesn’t have to be that way.

A University of New South Wales study in terror management (the clash between our awareness of death and our instinct of self-preservation) concluded that an awareness of death increases the subjective value of the future for participants.

Another study by the University of Missouri shows that, while reminders of death may have negative as well as positive effects, they influence people to make positive changes in their everyday lives. For example, some participants expressed intentions to exercise more or quit smoking.

This is where writing your own eulogy comes into play. By looking at your life as something fragile and limited, you can get the focus back on what matters most to you and may, therefore, find ways to create more meaning in your life.

Find a quiet time and place, get a pen and paper, and get ready for a moment of reflection.

Find the path

If you were lost in the forest, the trees and uneven terrain would make it hard for you to find your way. Therefore, to get back on your path, you could find high ground to help you see beyond the trees.

Similarly, everyday tasks and responsibilities make you lose sight of the big picture.

When you start writing your eulogy, ask yourself:
Where would you want to be by the time you die?
What would you like to accomplish?
In what areas would you like to grow?

Consider your life as a legacy

Stop thinking about success and failure for a moment. Instead, focus on what you’d like to leave behind.

The thing about legacy is that it’s something you don’t do for yourself. By definition, it’s something you leave behind for others to benefit and learn from it.

But don’t worry. Your legacy doesn’t have to be a big scientific breakthrough or a new classic of literature. Your legacy can very well be the education you leave your children, or a cause you adopt and help progress, or the help and inspiration you give to others in all areas of your life.

Take action

Now that you’ve focused again on what and who matter to you, think of how close you are to achieving the life you wrote about in your eulogy. And more importantly, determine what you need to do or change to get there.

Life is full of distractions. And because our legacy is perhaps the longest-term goal we have, it’s easy to let things slip once in a while.

In this holiday season, it might look a bit strange to write your own eulogy instead of making New Year’s Resolutions. But this will help you remember what matters most to you, and keep you motivated to work for it every day.

– Scott Blessing

Do you ever get the feeling that living a meaningful life is just a passing trend? Just one of those buzz phrases that capture everyone’s attention for a hot minute before something else crops up to take over. We understand the feeling, but the truth is there really is something to it. The problem lies in understanding what it really means and how you can get it for yourself.

What Living Meaningfully Means

Is it enough to savor the pleasures of life and engage in your hobbies? Is it enough to live positively and be in touch with your emotions? Is it enough? The majority of thought leaders don’t believe so. While all of those points are important to your overall happiness, so too is looking outside yourself. You see, to live a happy life that is filled with the satisfaction we need meaning, as well as pleasure.

How can you give your life meaning? The answer for you likely won’t be the same as it will be for your neighbor or your best friend. For many people, their meaning is in raising their children, while for others, it is rooted in their religion, and for others, it’s all about contributing to the community.

No matter what it is, what we know is that you can enhance your well-being by being part of something bigger, by engaging in things that last long beyond your life.

We all want to leave our stamp on something and be remembered positively by those we leave behind. The truth is that unless you cure cancer or invent something incredible the only people that will remember you when you’re gone are the people you knew. There’s nothing wrong with that, that’s part of humanity. Death is as inevitable as life.

That doesn’t mean you can’t make a difference to the people around you right now. Researchers in a Hungarian study found that there was a connection between a state of well-being and having a sense of meaning or purpose in life. The study invited participants to take a survey where they rated statements on well-being and life meaning. A linked study also found that people with a strong sense of meaning in their lives were more protective over their lives, thus smokers scored lower than non (and former) smokers on the life meaning scale.

Living a meaningful life is as simple as discovering your strengths and understanding your values and then using them for something that is much bigger than you. Some people are lucky enough to build a career doing that while others have to find other outlets to chase meaning.

A meaningful life, a strong sense of well-being, and happiness are three components that foster each other. Living meaningfully isn’t the same as pursuing activities and experiences that engage you and bring you joy – it means also looking outside of yourself. We are all on this planet just trying to get by, but living meaningfully is about thriving and truly living life, rather than merely surviving.

Are You Living Meaningfully?

What about you? Are you living your best life and leading a meaningful one? Or, are you still in search of something greater?

If you feel as though you’ve changed and you’re no longer living your purpose then it may be time to reassess your values. Don’t be surprised if they do change, the truth is what was important to you at 25 probably won’t be the exact same as what you care about at 50.

It’s natural for us to evolve as people and see our views and thoughts shift. It’s okay to tune into that and make changes in your life accordingly.

– Scott Blessing

Meaning in life, have you ever really thought about what it means? Do you believe your life has meaning? Are you get excited about your days?
On a scale of 1-10, where 1 is not very, and 10 is very, how content with your life would you say you are? If you find you are somewhere below the 6 or 7 marks, then the chances are, you could develop more gratitude for your life.
Studies have shown that the practice of gratitude is linked to our levels of happiness and contentment. Do you often feel dissatisfied with what you have? Are you always longing for more? Do you wish that things were different? Increasing your gratitude will help.
Gratitude is like magic! The more grateful you are the happier and the more content you become. The book, “The Magic,” by Rhonda Byrne, author of “The Secret,” takes you through a step-by-step and 28-day formula for bringing more gratitude into your life. Gratitude can truly transform your life, from one of misery and discontent to one of deep satisfaction and joy.
Ancient yogis knew about the secret power of gratitude: The yoga sutras speak of how being aware of and being grateful for the abundance of life and the flow of life that is all around us, opens the way for more streams of abundance to come to us.
When we focus on what we are grateful for, we get more of it. “That which you focus on grows,” according to mindfulness practitioners. Therefore, when you focus on what you lack, you block the flow of unlimited potential, which exists in the universe. When you focus on what you are grateful for, you open your heart to the infinite abundance, which is available to each one of us.

Here are some simple practices to get you started on the life-changing path of gratitude:

Keep a gratitude journal.
At the end of each day, write down in your journal five things that happened in your day that you are grateful for.

Carry a gratitude stone in your pocket.
Find a rock or gemstone which appeals to you and put it in your pocket. Each time you touch the stone, remember the feeling of gratitude and something you are truly grateful for.

Bless your food.
Give thanks to all the people involved in the process of bringing the food to your table and to the plants and animals who gave their lives so you could eat and sustain your own life.

Create a gratitude jar.
Each time you think of something you are grateful for, write it down on a slip of paper and pop it in the jar. When you are having a moment of sadness or negativity, you can pull out a note from the jar and remind yourself of something to be grateful for. Maybe it reminds you of a wonderful day you spent in nature, or something kind you did for someone else, or the abundance of great stuff you possess, and how wealthy you truly are. Whatever it is, the gratitude jar can help pull you out of the doldrums and back into the upward spiral of positive emotions.
Make gratitude part of your daily practice for one month and notice the benefits. You will feel happier, more joyful, centered, and content. Being grateful truly works like a miracle and can transform the way you view the world. The secret to an abundant life is all in how you view it. Even when something happens that hurts, there are a gift and a blessing to be found in the experience if only you are open to seeing what it is.

– Scott Blessing

Everybody wants to be happy, right?

The pursuit of happiness has been ingrained into our minds as the ultimate goal. Above everything else, everything we do should make us happy.

However, this approach might be counterproductive.

For example, Emily Esfahani Smith proposes in her book, The Power of Meaning, that happiness may be a distraction from finding meaning.

Happiness Is Not The Same As Meaning

There are differences between a happy and meaningful life.

Happiness refers more directly to personal gratification. It’s what we get from others or our environment that satisfy us. Binge watching a show or partying with friends might gratify us to make us happy for a moment, but those actions don’t require us to give anything in return.

In contrast, meaning refers to what we give to others. It’s our contribution to a cause, a community, a family, or any other group outside ourselves. Volunteering, taking care of family, being kind to others, and even simple actions like active listening can turn an interaction into an opportunity to give.

Does that mean happiness is selfish or bad? Not necessarily. However, in order to live a more fulfilling life, you must take into account meaning and human connection.

When you give, you give your life meaning. Which, in turn, contributes to making your life more fulfilling.

But how does giving improve your life?

You Make Connections

When you commit to a cause larger than yourself, you are creating a network. In turn, this network feeds the reason why you take action, and it also provides support for you.

Let’s say you volunteer at an animal shelter. You do it because you believe animals should be treated humanely, with compassion and love. So, you follow through with your core beliefs and give your time and energy to this cause.

In return, you get to see how the lives of the animals improve. Perhaps some are cured of diseases or adopted thanks to your efforts. You might also help educate your community about the right treatment of animals, which will also help animals live happier lives free of abuse.

If you hold these beliefs, reaching these goals can easily make you feel good about yourself. However, you also get to know more people who share your values and goals — other volunteers, veterinaries, rescuers, animal lovers looking to adoptive parents and children.

In addition, as you can see, your actions impact your community. You’re not alone. This sense of community and company is vital to feeling useful and with a purpose.

This connection is something that technology cannot give us.

Social media and other technologies claim to make us more connected, but they work specifically to gratify us. While they might be useful in some cases, excessive use of social media has been linked to depression.

Build Something Long-Term

Finally, when you give, you help build something bigger than yourself. It is connected to your intrinsic values, shared by others and that will be continued by others after you’re gone.

Often, contributing to a cause is a way for people to deal with the temporary nature of life. Therefore, in aligning your intrinsic values and beliefs with a mission and the discipline to follow through, you link your life to something that might go on even after you’re no longer a part of it.

In this holiday season, we often think about what happened in our lives in the past year. Sometimes we even make resolutions to create positive changes in our lives, to be happier, healthier, to use our time better.

However, we can find fulfillment and improvement in giving to others. This way, our lives take a new meaning — one of connectedness, kindness, and compassion.

– Scott Blessing

There is something that we are all guilty of, without realizing it and without meaning it. We all get caught up in the pursuit of happiness and take a wrong turn. Happiness, after all, is the ultimate goal for everyone, isn’t it? Unfortunately, many of us fail in this chase, tripping over steeples and wondering how it all went wrong. Here is where it all goes wrong.

What do you value?

Chances are your answer would involve material items, your career, and your paycheck. These are items that you were sure would bring you the happiness you crave. Yet, you can find more happiness in spending time doing things you love, hanging out with your loved ones, and just being. So, how is it that we get so off course?

Quite simply, we become obsessed with achieving and we chase these things telling ourselves it’s for our loved ones, it’s to make a better life for them. In reality, what makes life worth living is finding meaning and latching on to it.

What Do You Value?

So far, the pursuit of happiness has left you feeling drained and unhappy. How can you change that? Life is a journey, so answer this question. Would you embark on a long journey without knowing your destination?

No, you would want to know all about your destination, and you would more than likely need to know about the journey, too. So, why are we so ‘content’ to lead a life without direction?

Finding meaning isn’t just about you, though, while self-care is an important aspect of a meaningful life, so if giving back, whether it’s to your friends, your community or the environment. To find meaning sometimes it’s important to look outwardly.

Living a meaningful life may, for you, mean being remembered – or it may be simply touching those around you while you are here. Finding meaning gives you a purpose to go on, no matter what is going on in your life and around you.

Finding Meaning

You shouldn’t dismiss anything when you are looking to find meaning in your life – you should be prepared to be flexible and open-minded. You will have more than one core value and there’s a good chance your life has multiple purposes.

For example, you may want to be an excellent spouse, an amazing friend, a wonderful parent, an incredible teacher, businessperson, or writer. Regardless, you will have more than want value that gives you meaning. Each of those can provide you with the sense of fulfillment that you are seeking.

What’s important to understand, though, is that your meaning can change. You will change as a person over time so it’s only natural that your core values may also. So, what aspects of your life are the most important to you?

Score these from zero to five (zero being unimportant and five being incredibly important).

• Personal relationships (this includes parents, siblings, partner, children, and friends)
  Career
  Animals
  Nature
  Education/Achievement
  Healthy living
  The Environment
  Helping others
  Hobbies
  Spirituality

If you see fives then you know those are the things that are most important to you. Now that you have an idea behind what truly drives you, you can look to make the relevant changes in your life that will allow you to shift your focus to them.

You don’t need to fight crime or be a revolutionary to live a life full of meaning, you can find meaning in the seemingly small things and embrace everything that life has to offer. Happiness need not be as elusive as you think.

– Scott Blessing

We all have days when things go bad, and our mood reflects it. It is a normal part of life, as we are subject to different moods depending on our emotional state. However, bad moods should not be the norm in your life, as there is much more to live for.

If you find yourself having more bad days than normal, you should actively try to do things that improve your mood, which of course will greatly improve your quality of life and general outlook. Try the following, and your mood should reflect it.

Take A Walk

Sometimes our mood goes south from the feeling of being cooped up indoors all day, or when burdened with a stressful workload. However, this is something a simple walk can fix. Though taking a walk outside, in nature is preferable, if you find yourself unable to go outside because of being at work, take a walk through another floor or up a few flights of stairs and you will be pleasantly surprised how much your mood improves. This boost in mood could be attributed to improving blood flow to the brain, and also endorphins, which are feel-good chemicals produced during physical activity.

Get Sun

It may be surprising to hear that people living in cold and temperate climates are subject to frequent bad moods right? Well, it’s not all that farfetched, as people who are exposed to sunlight less than those living in the tropics are prone to experiencing “seasonal affective disorder.”

In addition to foul moods, lack of exposure to the sun can also promote the onset of depressive illness and ill health in general. Being exposed to just 15 minutes of radiant sunshine tends to offset these ills. This change in mood may be attributed to a deficiency of Vitamin D, which is synthesized via the skin upon exposure to sunshine. This is why phototherapy is a growing treatment modality for individuals living in countries that experience short sun hours during the winter.

Bond With A Companion

The bond a mother has with her child is strong for a reason that goes beyond emotions. How? Thanks to a hormone known as oxytocin. Oxytocin is a hormone, present in higher concentration if females than in men, which fosters relationships and a positive mood, it is released in large amounts following intercourse or following birth of a child. However, those are not the only times it is released, as being around ones you love; including pets, has been shown to profoundly improve mood. So, when feeling down and you need a mood booster, cuddle up!

Eat Some Dark Chocolate

News flash! Dark chocolate is good for you. Well, no news flash, as it has been known for a number of years, but the benefits of dark chocolate keep increasing. This time is its effects on boosting mood. Dark chocolate is rich in the amino acid L-tryptophan, which is essential in the production of the hormone serotonin. Serotonin dictates mood on many levels, as depletion of it is associated with poorer moods. Many prescription drugs to manage depression actually work via a serotonergic mechanism, proving the utility of enhancing your levels, and with dark chocolate- why not?

Exercise

We get it, when you’re feeling gloomy, or angry for that matter, exercise is the last thing on your mind. Eating it, but eating to console a particular mood is a recipe for disaster. Instead, regularly scheduled exercise sessions. We’re not saying you have to exercise when the foul mood hits, but exercise works to reduce the frequency of them or prevents it altogether. Strive to exercise between 3-5 days per week.

– Scott Blessing

If you struggle with self-esteem, you’re not alone. You’re like the millions of other people around the world who believe they are not good enough, or inadequate when the truth is far from this.

Regardless, low self-esteem can take a toll on your health; first starting with your emotional wellbeing, then dripping down to your mental and physical self as well.

However, this does not need to be the case, as you can actively improve your self-esteem, so that it does not hold you back like an anchor attached to a noose. Try the following and applying these action steps and watch your confidence grow!

Accept That You Are Not Like Everyone Else

A comparison should be the root of all evil. If you’ve ever been compared to someone else, and not measure up, you are sure to know the feeling. This is a major cause of low self-esteem, but luckily something that you can control.

As a child, it is much harder to deal with this as a source of the contention can be from the parents, but as an adult, the world is your oyster. You can politely ask someone to reserve their comments, or you can boldly let them know that everyone’s journey is different and you get there when you get there. Half of the enjoyment of life comes from the journey, and not merely reaching a seeming “end goal”.

Workout

Negative body image is a major cause of low self-esteem and something that you have almost full control over. If your appearance has you down, or you are displeased with the way you look, gift yourself a gym membership.

Sure, you may feel uncomfortable in the beginning, but this feeling will pass after a few short weeks of consistent workouts. It takes a minimum of 12 weeks to begin observing changes in your body, but when you do, you’ll be on fire.

Negative body image can turn into pride in a heartbeat, and motivate you to do more. Strength builds on strength, so just keep telling yourself that you are one workout closer to looking awesome every time you hit the gym!

Channel Your Strengths

Maybe you’re horrible at keeping your house clean. So what! Chances are there are other things you are extremely good at, so much so that you could charge for it. Maybe you are a skilled artist or illustrator, one that has won awards for outstanding work. That is a skill worth boasting about and something other people will rarely be better than you in. so, don’t beat yourself up over trivial weaknesses. You possess skills that you may not even recognize and sets you worlds apart from skills that are a dime a dozen.

Embrace Both Your Achievements And Failures

Every single we go through in life ultimately leaves us better off. Whether that be strong of crushing failures which consistently lowers your self-esteem or lucky breaks that have gotten you complacent. Everything happens just the way it should and leaves you poised to learn from it.

Every time you experience a failure, it provides a map of what not to do the next time and also eliminates a step before you achieve success. Similarly, don’t make success go to your head. Life is a series of “waves,” good periods altered with not so good ones.

The key is to ride the highs and consolidate your strength when things aren’t going your way. Don’t take to heart the bad times, but keep your eyes to the horizon for your next high should be near!

– Scott Blessing