The Four Pillars of a Meaningful Life
Did you know there is more to life than being happy?
In her book, the Power of Meaning, Emily Esfahani Smith shares her four pillars pillars of a meaningful life after realising many people were still not happy in their own world.
The Four Pillars of a Meaningful Life
1. Belonging –
Belonging comes from being in relationships where you are valued for who you are intrinsically and where you value others as well.
2. Purpose –
Finding your purpose is not the same thing as finding that job that makes you happy. Purpose is less about what you want than what you give. The key to purpose is using your strengths to serve others. For many people purpose happens at work – a “why” that drives you forward.
3. Transcendence –
Transcendence states are those rare moments when you are lifted about the hustle and bustle of daily life, your sense of self fades away and you feel connected to a higher reality. You could feel transcendence through writing, drawing, playing sport or teaching. It really depends on your gifts (hint – think about the last time you lost track of time and were really in flow).
4. Story-Telling
The story you tell yourself about yourself – how you became you. We sometimes forget that we are the authors of our own stories and we can change how we are telling them. Yes – you can edit, interpret and re-tell your story.
Living a meaningful life, takes work and every day we are constantly creating our lives. The important thing to note is – are we doing it consciously or unconsciously or as I often refer to it with my clients – living above or below the line.
You can watch Emily’s TedTalk below 🙂
Over to You…
Now you have read the 4 pillars of a meaningful life, what are you going to do to apply this information? If you are ready to reclaim your courage and take the next step towards freedom and opening your heart, why not join our Toolkit?
Reference –
Smith, E. (2017). The Power of Meaning: Finding Fulfilment in a World Obsessed with Happiness. New York, USA: Broadway Books.