Articles and Resources

Are You Living A Meaningful Life?

By Catherine Osborne.

Many of us are unclear about our purpose in life, or we seem to be lacking a clear direction. To others, it may appear that we have it all - success in business, a beautiful home, a great car, and all the trappings of a wonderful life. But for many of us, it just doesn’t seem like enough. We might even ask ourselves, “Is this all there is?”

People who are happy in their careers, and look forward to each day at work, are unlikely to assign credit for their satisfaction to their company’s profit margin. More likely, the fact that they are doing work that holds meaning for them, is the reason for their high level of engagement, energy, and contentment. People who find meaning in their work tend to be working in careers that are in alignment with things that hold value for them. When this is the case, the individual is more likely to consciously choose to engage and contribute more fully to the organization.

One of the main reasons people don’t get what they want out of life, is that they haven’t defined their desires in a clear and compelling manner. They need to invest time and energy to determine their true calling. Your purpose is like a foundation that you can build your life on, or a compass that will guide your way. Once your true purpose is determined, everything you do after that becomes an expression of your purpose.

A purpose-driven life helps people move forward with conviction, towards a life that is happy, fulfilling and satisfying. Imagine then, if you were certain how you could create a life like that. Think of the comfort you might have if you knew how to fulfill your potential and achieve personal satisfaction along the way.

Working with a coach can help you create more clarity on your own purpose in life. Your coach will ask powerful questions that will help you discover what inspires you, what you value most in life, and where your passions lie. In order to live a life that is on purpose and meaningful to us, we need to break the habit of making others needs and desires more important than our own, and stop discounting our own interests as not worthwhile. We need to stop settling for less than we want, and connect with our real passions. One of the greatest things a person can do for themselves is to become clear about what their true purpose is in life and then to live it fully each and every day.

Catherine Osborne
UpShift Coaching