4 Pathways to Seek Greater Purpose

The COVID-19 pandemic has profoundly impacted the U.S. and the world. As we struggle with the day-to-day, we may find ourselves confronting situations we’ve never imagined. We face many circumstances that are beyond our control and many people are concerned about how to cope in daily life. Some of us are also thinking about how we can contribute to the greater good – to a more compassionate world, seeking greater common ground that includes all of us.

During these turbulent times, many of us are becoming more aware of the importance of meaning in our lives – pondering what really matters to us. We want to experience at least a fleeting sense of happiness, freedom, and perhaps even adventure.

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How do we guide ourselves to construct greater meaning in the darkness of this winter of the pandemic?

A recent study conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic showed that people have shifted their priorities, paying more attention to finding meaning through social responsibility, personal autonomy, and living a simpler life (Chen & colleagues, 2020).

Life can hold meaning in all circumstances if we choose to look there. Each of us is part of the interconnected wholeness of our world — each of us matters.

The search for meaning and purpose throughout our lives has been cited by many researchers and writers as an ultimate aim in life. Uncovering meaning in our own lives can enlighten our understandings, and like a compelling storyline in a good book, offers a sense of clarity and coherence (Baumeister, 1991; Chen, et al, 2020).

Psychiatrist Viktor Frankl is renowned for his writings on the search for meaning in life. According to Frankl, humans are motivated with an inner calling to seek meaning, a motivation essential to our existence. He cites three ways to discover meaning (Logotherapy, 2021): (1) Involvement in work or action; (2) Through experiences, such as relationships, creativity, and self-expression; (3) Making choices to change our attitude when we’re faced with situations or circumstances we cannot change.

Four Pathways to Help You Discover Greater Meaning and Purpose in Your Life Today

We’re all unique individuals yet also part of our interconnected world. The search for meaning is not “one size fits all.” How do we discover pathways toward what matters in our lives during this time of suffering for so many? There are many responses to this question. Here are a few ideas.

1 –Try the Meaning in Life Questionaire: If you’re interested in thinking about what feels important to you, take a look at the Meaning in Life Questionnaire (MLQ). This 10-item self-survey was designed by Michael Steger, Ph.D., and his colleagues at the Laboratory for the Study of Meaning and Quality of Life. Remember there are no right or wrong answers (Steger and colleagues, 2006).

2 – Identify Your Top Character Strengths: All 24 character strengths identified and extensively studied by positive psychologists have been linked as pathways to a meaningful life (Littman-Ovadia & Niemiec, 2016; Niemiec, 2018). These character strengths are: creativity, curiosity, judgment, love of learning, perspective, bravery, perseverance, honesty, zest, love, kindness, social intelligence, teamwork, fairness, leadership, forgiveness, humility, prudence, self-regulation, appreciation of beauty and excellence, gratitude, hope, humor, and spirituality. To identify your top character strengths, you can take the free VIA Survey. This quick (less than 15 minutes), self-assessment is highly evidence-based and has been taken by over 7 million people throughout the world. You can find the VIA here.

3 – Look Toward Your Future with Greater Meaning: After you take the VIA, consider trying an application called “What Matters Most” (Littman & Ovadia, 2017; Niemiec, 2018; Meevisen Peters, & Alberts, 2011). Let your mind imagine one aspect of your life that matters most to you six months to one year in the future. Visualize something significant and meaningful to you, something that you’d like to improve or strengthen. Set an intention to change it and create a sentence or statement that captures this. Consider your five strongest (top) character strengths and list one way you could use each strength to empower yourself to take action, thus enriching your experience of meaning – what matters most.

4 – Practice Mindfulness. Mindfulness has been connected with greater meaning in life (Littman-Ovadia & Niemiec, 2014; Niemiec, 2018). There are many pathways toward greater mindfulness.

Here are a few links to learn more about mindfulness:

• Berns-Zare, I. (2020). How to focus on what really matters: Using mindfulness moments to build resilience during COVID-19.
• Berns-Zare, I. (2019). Train yourself to react with greater ease and calm: How do we get mindful and how can we strengthen the mindfulness muscle?
• Ivtzan, I. (2015). Awareness is Freedom: Guided Meditations.

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**This post is for educational purposes and should not substitute for psychotherapy with a qualified professional.