5 Ways To Live Happier And More Meaningful Lives

What is the purpose of life? And is it important to live a happier and more meaningful life? At some point in our lives, we all might wonder what is the meaning of life. It’s also tempting to run through the maze of life without pausing and thinking about it. 

We all have a different interpretation of the word “meaning of life”. For some of us, it could be living a carefree life full of joy, for others it could be serving others and finding joy in the little things. It turns out that pursuing meaning in life may have more of an impact on long-term life satisfaction than pursuing happiness. A meaningful life is one you can look back on and feel fulfilled by. Here are a few ways that can help you live a happier and more meaningful life:

1. Know what is important-To be very specific- know what is important for you. The values you want to live your life by, your opinions regarding important things, the people you want close by, and the ones you don’t.  Having an understanding of what is essential for you will help you invest more time in the things you want, that will move you towards the life you want.  Write down your top 5 things that you believe are the essence of how you want to live life. This can include things like “daily family time” or “journaling”. It can also include more complex values or ideas like “truth” and “minimalistic life”.
   
   
2. Living in the Present-When you look back at your life, you might realize that a lot of time you spent worrying - were times in which you were thinking about your past or future. Yes, past experiences do impact the way we think and feel but it’s not something we can’t move ahead of. And worrying about the future CAN NOT change it. You will always regret the things that you didn’t do more than the things you did. The only moment that’s important is the one you are in right now. Realizing that the present moment is indeed the “present” helps us be happy in life.
   
   
3. Being kind to others-Being generous or kind to others doesn’t necessarily mean being generous in terms of money, it can involve being generous with time, offering words of encouragement, providing material help, and with many other things, you may not even realize you have!  Being helpful to others is natural and humane to us as it is to eating, drinking water, and breathing. If someone comes to you and you see a way to help them, you should offer your help. Being kind to others helps us be a part of something bigger than ourselves and helps keep us grounded (that makes us feel fulfilled and happy).
   
   
4. Being mindful-A major part of living a meaningful life is to be mindful and self-aware of our actions and paying attention to how these actions are received by others. Being self-aware helps us work with our shortcomings and help us become a better version of ourselves. Being aware of yourself and your actions can help you make sure that you are living your life according to the principles you believe in, and pursuing what you are passionate about.  Review your actions each day, and take account of those that strayed from your path. Meditation is a great tool for accomplishing this task. It helps us increase our self-awareness throughout the day. Mindfulness can be practiced while listening to music, washing dishes, and even walking! All these are small steps to achieve a mindful state. 
   
   
5. Setting Daily Goals-In the morning, before you start your day, create a list of three goals that you find fulfilling and meaningful. Make sure they adhere to your set of principles and beliefs. The goals can be as simple as doing a workout to more complex ones like connecting with an old friend. Tackle the hardest things first! Try doing the tasks that you find the most difficult first followed by easier tasks. Don’t make the list too long. By placing too many things on the list, you’ll feel the urge to multi task, which is not good, or you’ll feel overwhelmed, which isn’t good either. By trying to do less, you’ll end up doing more. Accomplishing the daily goals will give you a sense of accomplishment and will help you be productive. 

A WORD FROM SOCIALLY SOULED

Life might seem overwhelming a lot of times. It is important to pause and look back at how far you have come, and actually appreciate yourself. We hope that the few ways mentioned above will help you move towards a happier and more meaningful life, just remember to take one step at a time!