There comes a time in life when existing just isn’t enough. You grow tired of the daily struggle of trying to pursue happiness in people, places, and things. You get exhausted by simply trying to survive. You become exhausted trying to define yourself in such a diverse and opinionated society. This is the point, for many people, when you ask yourself if there’s more to life.
The truth is, life is what you make it. There are some people who never find meaning or purpose and continue to struggle with their very existence. Yet, there are others who decide to grab life by the horns and figure out how they can add value to themselves and others. If you’ve found yourself at a point where you want more, these sources listed below can help you find what you’re looking for.
Find Your Purpose
The first step in adding meaning and value to your life is finding your purpose or passion. What do you believe you were put on this earth to do? This may be a hard first step but it is crucial to defining who you are and building your self-esteem which both help to improve your outlook on life. Think about things that bring you joy, things you’re really good at, or things that simply come easy to you. Consider your education, skills, and experience. If those thoughts don’t come easy to you – explore. Take classes, try new things, talk to others who are living in their purpose, and get some ideas that you can apply to your own life.
Build Strong Family Bonds
What is life without family? Your family is often what drives you to do what you do and how you feel. When you have strong ties with your family, your role in their life gives you purpose and meaning. Realizing how much your children, spouse, parents, or siblings need you (and you them) gives you a warm feeling inside. To know that you are a nurturer, provider, friend, companion, and support system makes you feel good and gives you purpose.
Help Others
Helping others can add true meaning and purpose to your life. There’s something about being able to be there for someone when they’re in need that makes you feel good about yourself. Whether it’s finding pain relief for dogs to help your pet with arthritis, working on a science project with your kids, donating your time at a local school, or giving back to a charity, when you do good it feels good and it all makes life worth living
Step Out of Your Comfort Zone
Fear can be very crippling to someone trying to find meaning and purpose in their lives. In order to achieve wholeness, you will often have to step outside of your comfort zone. Whether it’s landing that job you want, getting married, or having children, you’ll need to push the limits, take risks, and conquer fears to get where you want to be. As fear is more psychological than anything, you’ll have to quiet the mind to step outside of your comfort zone. Speaking words of affirmation, trying new things, and strengthening your faith can help you with this step.
Get Out of Your Head
So many people psyche themselves out of finding meaning and purpose in their lives. They start comparing themselves to others, allowing the opinion of others to shape their actions, and unfortunately, they get stuck. You really have to get out of your own head if you want to find purpose in your life. Focus on you, what brings you joy, and how you feel you are best needed in this world. There is no one size fits all solution to life. There are many routes to get where you want to be. At the end of the day, it’s up to you, so keep the focus there.
Life was meant to be lived to the fullest. Don’t spend the rest of your days wondering what more could be out there for you when your destiny is in your control. Begin reclaiming your life by using the above-mentioned sources and tips to add meaning and purpose to your life. Once you get out of your head and overcome your fears, then you can start searching for your passion, rebuilding relationships with loved ones, and helping others to make every second of your life worth living.