We are now seeking to answer the question, what purpose does 'meaning' serve in a world of ambiguity & mystery? Or, how can the pursuit of meaning transform a life? Basically, why this quest could very well make all the difference between a life of happiness or one of futility?
- The purpose & pursuit of meaning provides us with the guidance or wisdom in making choices that will better serve our entire life. Also, taking into consideration our purpose in life will contextualize the smaller detailed goals that emerge around that vision will provide us with some protection from squandering our limited energy & time.
- Meaning has the ability to help us contextualize many of the seemingly unrelated, contradictory and even pointless features of our experience and lives. Put differently, the pursuit of meaning is capable of unifying many disparate elements of our experience, thinking & personal history for the potential creation of a coherent life story.
- When we ask ourselves how activity a pursuit or the purposes for which we live will bring us closer to creating a life - story with meaning, we very often focus on our own inner character clarifying our dreams and aspirations.
A Purpose driven quest
ehow.com
"guesses are not good enough in the journey of desire.
We must know.”
John Eldredge The Journey of Desire p-146
"Eagles may soar, but weasel does not get sucked into jet engine."
Chinese Proverb
We must know.”
John Eldredge The Journey of Desire p-146
"Eagles may soar, but weasel does not get sucked into jet engine."
Chinese Proverb
When I set out on my personal journey my goal was not specifically at finding an answer to the question 'what is the meaning of life?' Rather, I was aiming at the related questions of; why is there so much suffering in the world?, why do people commit horrible acts as those on 9-11? Perhaps, I boldly thought, I could eventually provide something of an explanation as to why a God of love could allow such things to happen? Over time I began to realize these questions were, in a sense, unanswerable in isolation without a much broader context. However, in light of the pursuit of meaning, much mystery seems to be raised, or at the least become manageable intellectually.
My research has been considerate of as many perspectives as is possible, not because I believe that every religion, individual, or worldview is relatively correct, but, that every belief system, every worldview, correct or in error, brings something to the dialog of the overall story of the human pursuit of meaning.
The goal of Meaning Tree is not specifically to answer the question of meaning, or what your purpose or my purpose is in life. Rather, I believe that like children climbing a tree we can engage in our pursuit of meaning as an incremental and deeply personal quest of discovery. A quest that we share with others, with the human story of ages past, as well as shaping our own story. Put differently, I am proposing that we all, regardless of our worldview or belief system, can with a little planning and work live a life of purpose. The question of meaning is much more about a process of discovery that may take some souls a lifetime. The desire for a sense of meaning gives us sense of purpose that focuses our life energy into worthy goals, activities, thoughts and relationships.
My research has been considerate of as many perspectives as is possible, not because I believe that every religion, individual, or worldview is relatively correct, but, that every belief system, every worldview, correct or in error, brings something to the dialog of the overall story of the human pursuit of meaning.
The goal of Meaning Tree is not specifically to answer the question of meaning, or what your purpose or my purpose is in life. Rather, I believe that like children climbing a tree we can engage in our pursuit of meaning as an incremental and deeply personal quest of discovery. A quest that we share with others, with the human story of ages past, as well as shaping our own story. Put differently, I am proposing that we all, regardless of our worldview or belief system, can with a little planning and work live a life of purpose. The question of meaning is much more about a process of discovery that may take some souls a lifetime. The desire for a sense of meaning gives us sense of purpose that focuses our life energy into worthy goals, activities, thoughts and relationships.
Confronting the big 'M' question
One of the fundamental notions being pursued at The Meaning tree is the question of how to create a life that has purpose and is meaningful. That if we were to compare our lives to the appearance of a tree our life would likewise have the appearance of being strong, healthy and fruitful in the sense that we are a blessing to those around us.
We identified earlier that the question of meaning and meaning itself is multifaceted & complex. Sooner or later we will need to, on some level confront, or at the very least be aware of, the many fundamental questions that have been raised throughout the ages related to this quandary
Why something rather than nothing?
Who or what if anything designed & created everything?
Why is creation & life so complicated?
What is my purpose in all the confusion?
As we approach these questions we do so with the goal of making our choices in an informed and rational way. In other words,
We are perhaps best off, at the very least, sensitive and aware of the issues the questions raise rather than expending our mental energy on trying to get all the answers.
We identified earlier that the question of meaning and meaning itself is multifaceted & complex. Sooner or later we will need to, on some level confront, or at the very least be aware of, the many fundamental questions that have been raised throughout the ages related to this quandary
Why something rather than nothing?
Who or what if anything designed & created everything?
Why is creation & life so complicated?
What is my purpose in all the confusion?
As we approach these questions we do so with the goal of making our choices in an informed and rational way. In other words,
We are perhaps best off, at the very least, sensitive and aware of the issues the questions raise rather than expending our mental energy on trying to get all the answers.
A tangible purpose
Trainingforpurpose.com
"A man without a purpose is like a ship without a rudder - a waif, a nothing, a no man."
Thomas Carlyle
In their moments of honesty my friends will say things to me like;
"Where the hell am I supposed to go for the answers?"
or
"I have given up on religion or any other crap out
there, at times I even feel like I there is no point to it all?
Thomas Carlyle
In their moments of honesty my friends will say things to me like;
"Where the hell am I supposed to go for the answers?"
or
"I have given up on religion or any other crap out
there, at times I even feel like I there is no point to it all?
Have you ever read a blog, book or article and felt the point that was being made was overshadowed by an agenda either announced or even subliminal. Or perhaps you have had the experience of reading something that was well written but the author was so entrenched or absorbed in their own experience they had little to offer in heart or real world experience. In the end, there would be little chance of achieving a truly balanced or objective perspective, one capable of speaking to the diversity of human experience and our personal as well. Put simply, can we really place trust in others with the precious gift of our time and how to pursue purpose or meaning in life? It seems that we need a model that is above all tangible, simple enough to live by and complex enough to address the complexity of life.
There are many in the world who feel compelled to share something of themselves or to enlighten others with their 'privileged knowledge'. For artistic or auto-biographical purposes there is little debate that a self oriented type of reflection and the unrestrained exploration and expression of the world within can lead to great works of literature, music and art. However, once we get past the entertaining aspects and even the psychological illumination that often becomes manifest in such works we are left with our own world and the need for meaning. The stories being told and artistic works can become validated because we identify something that these stories are expressing. This could be intellectual, emotional or a combination of both. This is the importance of the role of artistic expression, it can connect individuals separated by culture and time in speaking to a significant element of the human experience. Story tellers, authors, artists and thinkers, very often, have not lived in our cultures, times, in our particular context or as the famous idiom declares,'in our shoes'. However, there is a certain strength found in notions that others have discovered and are in a sense universal in nature. Those stories and tales in which a character or group of people rise despite great adversity & struggle, in which love or truth prevails and what is truly important in the human experience is discovered through the writings and artistic expressions of others. As we discover that others have had the same doubts and struggles we are encouraged to come to grips with our own struggle. This is particularly true as we address the subject of purposeful living in the pursuit of meaning.
Meditation, prayer, fasting, religious piety, ambitious philosophical inquiry, total commitment to institutions-political or humanitarian causes the pursuit of a life of pleasure and even selfless dedication to another individual in a romantic context has significantly varying results from person to person. What works for some, or even most, may or may not succeed in giving you or I, the certainty or feeling that we are living for a purpose that is fulfilling. Put differently, how do we know for sure that what works so well for one individual whether it be a religion, atheistic-secularism or even some "guaranteed path to happiness" will give us the same satisfaction in knowing our life has purpose? How do we know if any of these pursuits of purpose, so cherished by others, is in fact what is best for us and will give us a a deep sense of meaning?
Albeit, not all self-help gurus claim to be offering a method for finding life's purpose. The tone of most books, seminars and U-Tube presentations will lead many to believe that their program or method is all we need to "find what is missing in our life" to "succeed", "grow rich" have "true peace & prosperity". I hope you can understand what I am getting at. Many have fallen prey to these approaches and many more spend much life energy seeking such a 'one size fits all' solution.
There are many in the world who feel compelled to share something of themselves or to enlighten others with their 'privileged knowledge'. For artistic or auto-biographical purposes there is little debate that a self oriented type of reflection and the unrestrained exploration and expression of the world within can lead to great works of literature, music and art. However, once we get past the entertaining aspects and even the psychological illumination that often becomes manifest in such works we are left with our own world and the need for meaning. The stories being told and artistic works can become validated because we identify something that these stories are expressing. This could be intellectual, emotional or a combination of both. This is the importance of the role of artistic expression, it can connect individuals separated by culture and time in speaking to a significant element of the human experience. Story tellers, authors, artists and thinkers, very often, have not lived in our cultures, times, in our particular context or as the famous idiom declares,'in our shoes'. However, there is a certain strength found in notions that others have discovered and are in a sense universal in nature. Those stories and tales in which a character or group of people rise despite great adversity & struggle, in which love or truth prevails and what is truly important in the human experience is discovered through the writings and artistic expressions of others. As we discover that others have had the same doubts and struggles we are encouraged to come to grips with our own struggle. This is particularly true as we address the subject of purposeful living in the pursuit of meaning.
Meditation, prayer, fasting, religious piety, ambitious philosophical inquiry, total commitment to institutions-political or humanitarian causes the pursuit of a life of pleasure and even selfless dedication to another individual in a romantic context has significantly varying results from person to person. What works for some, or even most, may or may not succeed in giving you or I, the certainty or feeling that we are living for a purpose that is fulfilling. Put differently, how do we know for sure that what works so well for one individual whether it be a religion, atheistic-secularism or even some "guaranteed path to happiness" will give us the same satisfaction in knowing our life has purpose? How do we know if any of these pursuits of purpose, so cherished by others, is in fact what is best for us and will give us a a deep sense of meaning?
Albeit, not all self-help gurus claim to be offering a method for finding life's purpose. The tone of most books, seminars and U-Tube presentations will lead many to believe that their program or method is all we need to "find what is missing in our life" to "succeed", "grow rich" have "true peace & prosperity". I hope you can understand what I am getting at. Many have fallen prey to these approaches and many more spend much life energy seeking such a 'one size fits all' solution.
Does this imply that meaning or purposeful living is itself a moving target?
Is the pursuit of meaning and purposeful living a tangible goal?
Is the pursuit of meaning and purposeful living a tangible goal?
Target points
personal.develovopement.is.fun.com
- Through an open dialog and an unbiased consideration & scrutiny of the facts we are much more likely to discover truths that are useful in the pursuit of meaning.
- To identify the fundamental root relationships and core problems of the existential dilemma and what it implies to be a human possessing free will.
- To recognize that the pursuit of meaning is a very personal endeavor and no two individuals are exactly alike.
- To recognize that there simply is not enough time or resources in our short life that would enable us to gain a complete perspective of the question & purpose of meaning.
- To come to terms with the fundamental choices we collectively share in our pursuit of meaning.
- To recognize that there are some truths we can all share despite our uniqueness and diversity and even differences in beliefs religious or secular.
- To be discerning about those claiming to have a program guaranteeing results. (happiness, peace, wealth, health, purpose etc.)
- Through an open dialog and an unbiased consideration and scrutiny of the facts we may discover a model for the pursuit of meaning.