what do you do to make your life more meaningful?

Philippines
June 11, 2012 3:45am CST
We probably all experienced times when life seems boring and uninspiring. There are low moments in our lives when we felt like life is difficult to handle and that it has become a burden. In those times, it has become difficult to find meaning in life. How about you, how do you find meaning in your own life? And when faced with difficulties, what do you do to still find life worth living?
1 person likes this
12 responses
@adforme (2114)
12 Jun 12
This is a relevant question in today's world. Life can seem like a bad joke, when things go wrong or just don't make sense. I have always tried to understand the ways of the world, and called things as I saw them. Lately I have been trying to find meaning, analyze, break things down, in other words, get to the point of matters. Well, I guess it all starts with me. When does one stop learning? When he or she chooses not too. When does one become heartless. When he or she chooses not to have sympathy. I choose to look at things this way and do something to recognize those virtues I hold dear. Lately, I am starting to understand the best things in life are free. Happiness comes from within, when you chose to have it. People will be people, but you are what you make yourself to be. I am on a mission to finding my true potential. I study, travel, create, love, and I forgive, but don't forget, and I have many things no one can take away from me. The revelation in what I learn, do and become allows me to see meaning.
1 person likes this
• Philippines
13 Jun 12
Well said, adforme! I like what you said that the best things in life are free, and I believe that. Many people try to find their happiness in the future when they tell themselves "I would be happy the moment I gain a lot of money". No, life is already a blessing right now if we learn how to search for it. You are so right when you say we are the ones who choose how we think and feel about ourselves and about our lives and life in general. "We are the captain of our ship" as some writers would put it. And yes people would be people, so it is also important to learn how to appreciate all the people that have been given to us to share our lives with.. Anyway, I hope I can travel more someday like you. That's something I would plan for :)
@adforme (2114)
13 Jun 12
I wish you luck and many blessings.
@ryanong (9665)
• Vietnam
12 Jun 12
I used to get in that feeling, i felt nothing is important at all and just wanted to give up all. I think life goes up and down..so that we can't avoid it. All, we want to do something useful and can contribute a bit to current social. Somehow, i haven't contributed anything at all, just try to be a good person...and when i have more time and money, i'd like to join a charity group.
1 person likes this
• Philippines
13 Jun 12
It's good you pointed out that life is like a roller coaster...sometimes when up and sometimes we're down. And what's important is what we do and how we think when we're down. Your suggestion to do something useful to the society is I think great advice. I have heard that people who volunteers for charitable works are some of the happiest people in the world because they are so busy making other people happy that they don't have time to think of their own troubles as they find their happiness in the process of helping others. I for one felt happy when I make someone smile and deep in my heart I know that I have been useful to the society in my own little way.
@ryanong (9665)
• Vietnam
14 Jun 12
ya, you are right..we are happy when we can bring happiness to the others...however to join a charity group is still my plan, i can't do it now...since i have many stuffs to be completed first...
• Philippines
11 Jun 12
I can also experienced this at times. I feel so empty and unworthy of my life. However, to cope, I usually listen to my favorite music and gain my mood. After that, I help others in order for them to not feel the way I feel. I live with my family and I think they're enough to make me feel that I must go on with my life.
1 person likes this
• Philippines
13 Jun 12
Yes, I think one reason why we feel lonely sometimes is because we may be focusing so much on ourselves but when we try to focus on others and try to help them in any way, we begin to forget about ourselves and find that making others happy makes us happy as well. Anyway, I also find music as a great source of emotional comfort. Sometimes we need to let go of deep sadness, and one good way to do that is to listen to songs that is close to how you're feeling at the moment and you find that emotional release you are looking for. At least for me that is what happens, does anyone have the same experience?
• Philippines
13 Jun 12
I agree with you. It's indeed a fulfillment when we help others. From that, we could gain our worth. I, too experience that.. listening to the song that could relate my mood at the moment. There are indeed a lot of ways to cope with all the problems in our lives. Life is beautiful and worth living for if you'll only search happiness from it. And that happiness could always start from you, yourself. Always remember, happiness is a choice.. and life is what you make it.
1 person likes this
• Philippines
12 Jun 12
I build my life with memories and live it with no regrets. Live life like were dying.
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• Philippines
13 Jun 12
What you just said reminds of the saying "live your day as if it's the last day of your life" which is exactly the same meaning. I also find this saying meaningful because I can imagine that for a dying person, all these problems are "small stuffs" and unimportant realities because you are going to leave this world after all, and what matters only is where you will go in the 'afterlife'. I like your attitude of "living life with no regrets". I used to live with regrets in low moments of my life and found out that regrets didn't help me one bit. In fact it led me to deeper sadness and therefore didn't help me improve my situation. Later on I also learned that attitude of "living life without regrets" and found myself focusing more in my present moments and learning how to enjoy and love that moment. Living in regrets is living in the past and when we throw away our regrets we learn to live more in the present moment.
12 Jun 12
Well.i think life is precious,if you find life meaningless,why not think about your family,your friends,because they need you,as long as you feel wanted,i think that you don't feel life is meaningless.for me,if i want to do something to make my life more meaningful,i will take part in some activities that i like,and do some interesting things,cultivate my own taste,i think that my life will be more meaningful.
1 person likes this
• Philippines
13 Jun 12
Yes, finding your meaning for those people you love and loves you...I like that! I would agree that we make life as we want it and we are free to choose how we want it to be. I would also say that what we say about our life is also important because they would be the basis of what we believe. If we say that life is meaningless, it will become meaningless for us but if we say that life is meaningful and that difficulties makes life more challenging, then our overall attitude makes a total turn-around...for the better.
• United States
12 Jun 12
Lifes is so great if u keep a opened minded veiw an strive forwhat u want by any mean
1 person likes this
• Philippines
13 Jun 12
I agree that the "go for it" attitude is important in living a more meaningful life. One of the most debilitating situation is when we do nothing about our life. So the opposite is to try to reach goals and do your best to reach them. Then life becomes a challenge, and life becomes a wonderful experience for us.
@megamatt (14292)
• United States
11 Jun 12
I just tend to go out and do the things that I want to do, the first easiest opportunity that I can do them in. Granted, this is something that really will lead to success in varying degrees. But you never really know what you are capable of until you really set out and do it. There are times where it is difficult to get these things done. However, just go out and seize the moment because you never may never have another chance. And that is the honest truth of the matter. You never really know how many chances you have in life. You might have one, you might have several right out there. However, you got to make any single chance count when you have the opportunity for things not to fall off the wagon. Just go for it in the end, that's the motto in life.
• Philippines
13 Jun 12
WEll said megamatt. And I think because we may never have another chance, it becomes important to be grateful for whatever we have and whoever we are right now. No matter what difficulties we encounter now, as long as we find things we can be grateful for we will be okay. I like your aggressive attitude because many people I believe do nothing and sulk in self-pity when difficult events happens in their life, that is why they feel worse about their situation. I like your "go out and seize the moment" attitude, and I will try to remember that every time there are difficult moments in my life.
@hestylim (1210)
• Indonesia
12 Jun 12
Hi, sometimes we do feel low in our lives. Me as well. I sometimes don't know what I suppose to do. So, I just sit down, take time to myself.. usually I go for windows shopping alone at the mall.. sometimes, I go to the temple (I am Buddhist) to sit down and just take some quiet time. Then, find ways to deal with my problems, face it, and let it go, take the lesson, forget it and move on with my life. To find meaning of my life, I usually sit down in a quiet place and ask myself "what exactly I want the most in this life?" To do something we love.. it will be meaning to your life.. :)
1 person likes this
• Philippines
13 Jun 12
Yes, I would agree that reflecting in one's life is very important and I would say that we reflect the most when we face difficulties in life. With reflection comes the solution as we find several ideas to deal with whatever difficulties we are encountering. I find going to church also as a way of deeper reflection. I like your idea of asking yourself what you want most in life, and I think if I would ask that to myself I would find answers that would help me pursue those wants to enjoy my life and make it more meaningful. Thanks for sharing :)
• Calgary, Alberta
11 Jun 12
I will audition to the Reality show Mars one, If I get accepted, I will be sent to Mars and stay there forever. To be a Pioneer and be the father of future Martians, Thats going to make my life meaningful. I will be the start of a new society. A new country, a new planet and a new world. Yup auditions of that reality show will be global. wish me luck. I want to quit my office job and live in mars,
• Philippines
13 Jun 12
That is great, CaptAlbertWhisker! Don't forget to invite me when everything's set in mars already, okay? lol. Anyway, I think people have the tendency to escape from reality when the present moment seems so unbearable. And I believe that is one purpose of daydreaming as it keeps your focus away from the difficult realities of the present. Just make sure the daydreaming does not become a habit and you don't do anything with your life ( don't worry, I don't mean you CaptAlbertWhisker :) I remember a story about Albert Einstein usually daydreams about stars and galaxies when he was young, and look what he accomplished in the world of science.
• Calgary, Alberta
13 Jun 12
Mars one is actually real, they will pick astronauts in 2013 and send them in 2023. I am not kidding. Its a national hype in Holland, because the owner of the Big Brother Franchise will fund it. They were already sending rovers and they already building the spacecraft. Its actually a global news, Auditions will open in 2013. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=75ah6L10wfA Almost every country have a big brother and deal or no deal, and that makes its owner a multi-billionaire. He have the funds NASA dont have. so yeah if I will get accepted, bye bye call center. I will try to built muscle, so I can pass a fitness test they will want.
@kkaria309 (297)
• United States
11 Jun 12
I will not tell you to serve others, do charity, find inner peace and all that. Here's what I would do. I would focus on thinking about the future. What do I see in my future? And then think about working towards achieving that. I can sit tight and be as bored as I want to be right now, as long as I know which direction my life is leading me, and whether that is the way I want to go. Does this make sense? I am doing this now, so I totally get it.
1 person likes this
• Philippines
13 Jun 12
Hi kkaria, I do believe there is a lot of sense in what you're saying. I also have a notebook solely for the goals I have in life and the steps I have to make to achieve them. It's like a diary of ideas and plans that I compile and update every time new ideas pop out of my mind. I do believe the mind is the driving force in each one of us, and if we can set our minds straight and focused on the right direction, we can feel more at ease with ourselves and with our future as well. Then as we both experience, boredom flies away as we anticipate a lot of good things to happen in the future.
@averygirl72 (37770)
• Philippines
11 Jun 12
I'm currently involved in some of our church ministries. I am happy doing my responsibilities. Serving God through my churchmates gives a lot of meaning and purpose to my life. And when things go wrong, I know that God has great plans for me and so everything will be okay soon.
1 person likes this
• Philippines
13 Jun 12
I often say to myself in moments of difficulty that God has a reason why he allows this to happen...and I feel better. It's nice to here someone involved in church ministries and I remember when I was young that I was a member of our church choir and as I get older I got involved with a few charismatic communities. I would say the idea that God is the center of our lives makes difficulties more bearable. It is not about ourselves anymore, but we find God in the difficulties that we encounter and those difficulties could be turned into blessings when we overcome them in the name of God and instead of a curse, we turned the situation as a source of inspiration to others.
• Canada
11 Jun 12
good question! well for me when I need to feel better and more human, I focus on spending time on the little things. a coffee on the deck and some time with friends. My family even why not visit them? the one thing that is most important to keep me feel like life is worth living is to dream and to always do my best. Oh and yeah my girlfriend:)
1 person likes this
• Philippines
13 Jun 12
Yes, I remember reading in a book that when you feel down there is no better solution than to be busy and do something...anything. Just don't lie on your bed counting how many lizards are there on the ceiling for it would lead you to more bad mood ( I remember the book source now, I read it in "Feeling Good" by Dr. David Burns which is one of my favorite in raising my moods ). Whatever you enjoy doing, do it. It could be spending time with people you love or with your hobbies. Play the sports you love or watch the programs that interests you, and also it's important not to neglect activities that helps improve one's lives like your work and sources of income and self-development. Oh and yes, as they say women are the spice of life :D