The Right Meaning to Pursue in Life

My Grandma used to tell us stories about her life a few years ago when I was growing up. She’d share some of her experiences in life including her joys and pains. At times she’d tell us how she turned some negative situations around so we could learn some lessons from her experiences.

And she’d always conclude every episode by reminding us to seek meaning that’d help us in life and not destroy us. Meaning that would add value into our lives and not otherwise. That living this way would enable us to live a life full of positive experiences and memories that’d benefit us a lot in life.

She was well taken care of by her loved ones, but what helped her to stay in a good mood before she passed on was the memories she built over the years.

We all have different perspectives about life owing to our diverse backgrounds and experiences. All these contribute to how we see life and how we choose to live our lives. To some people, life means nothing. Nevertheless, life means different things to every one of us.

Meanings are found in all the things you choose to do. The choices you make reflect your understanding of life and how you feel about life. Your decisions and lifestyle are how you give meaning to life. If what you find yourself doing every day means anything to you then that’s part of what life means to you.

But the truth about life and the different meanings you give to it is that you can put yourself in unfavorable situations while seeking meaning in life especially when you’re pursuing meaning that is incongruous with your values. One that’d not add any value to your life, rather it’d diminish your worth.

Pursue a meaning that would support you and not destroy you.

Never pursue meanings that’d cause you to become a stranger to yourself. Rather seek meanings that’d add value to your life and support the existence of other lives around you. Seek meanings that’d build and not destroy. Pursue a meaning that’d enrich your life with nice experiences and memories.

Do not allow the quest for wealth and the desire for fleeting pleasures to cause you to lose focus and direction in life. Because the riches you worked hard to amass might someday begin to irritate you. And someone you love might wake up one day and decide to walk away from you. There’s nothing you can do about it because people would live their lives exactly how they choose to live.

How would you feel if you suddenly realize that you’re losing some of the things you so much cherish? And what’s the one thing that’d always remain with you for good if you strive to nourish it and keep it safe?

One thing you should never lose, that, without it, everything you considered to be meaningful will become meaningless. And you might even begin to question your existence if you lose this one thing.

Never lose yourself while pursuing meaning in life.

Every heartbreak, loss, and failure should return you to yourself. It should be a moment to invest more time in your life, to learn from the experience, grow, and have a better knowledge about yourself and life.

There’ll be no end to pain and hurt, but always strive to keep yourself intact each time you lost anything important to you. Spend quality time to rebuild your life so you can grow — and become a better version of yourself.

Losses and pains and negative experiences don’t define you. Don’t live in pain and agony because of what you lost in life. You must always rise from the dumps after a negative experience to continue to move your life in the direction that’d benefit you.

Someday when your skin would be covered with wrinkles. And your hair if you still have any would’ve become gray. You might find yourself almost always alone. Money won’t mean much to you. Material possessions would be there staring at you. You’ll cherish the memories. You’ll accept all your mistakes and appreciate yourself for the good life you lived.

This is why you should never lose yourself while seeking meaning in life. Don’t become permanently frail no matter the difficulties you encounter in life. Always believe that you have what it takes to succeed regardless of challenges. And learn to be strong on your own.

It’s not that you would never need support from others. By all means, you do, but external supports are more effective when it works in tandem with a reliable internal support system that you instilled in your life over the years.

It’s worth it to seek meaning in life. To go after the things you want. And to follow the path you feel persuaded to follow.

But it’s important to understand that some meanings aren’t meant for you to pursue. You can acknowledge and appreciate them for meaning something to some other people.

Always seek meanings that’d enrich you and others. Never pursue meanings that’d not add value to your life. Rather seek meanings that’d serve and support you for good.

This story was previously published on medium by the same author.