I believe with ALL my heart that everyone has it within their grasp to live life meaningfully. 

I also believe that to experience life meaningfully, we must occupy ourselves sufficiently with ways of working and ways of being that fuels, not drains our vitality and success.

For a long time I construed ‘meaning’ as doing things that contribute significantly to the world and to others. I saw is as having to meet some contrived standard before meaningfulness was achieved.  

I witness the same distortion in my clients time-and-again.  

Yet, many of them have accomplished many things that are significant in impact and scale.

And somehow it is not enough. 

They feel underwhelmed by the value that they’ve put into the world.  

And so they go at it harder. 

They work more intensely.

They put in even longer hours. 

They take more courses.

They hustle more.

They push and they push and they push. 

Yet, they are unable to enjoy their output.

They are unable to experience the success they’ve created

They remain unable to experience the meaningfulness and the significance they yearn for.

And the reason is simple. So basic, we miss it.

Meaning is not simply about what we do. 

Meaning is not simply about setting and achieving our goals. 

Meaning is about doing enough of the things that don’t destroy the connection and the intimacy we have with ourselves. 

Meaning is about creating a life that keeps us sufficiently connected with the things, people and ideals that matter to us. 

Meaning is about growing and expanding in ways that feels joyful and inspired to us.

Meaning is intimate.

I’m learning more and more that even when we do the things that look great on the scorecard, it doesn’t feel meaningful if we feel separate and disconnected from ourselves. And no amount of chasing and pushing harder will make our efforts feel more meaningful. If it is not intrinsically rewarding and aligned to who we are, no amount of sacrifice and pursuit will get us to the promised land of a meaningful life. 

What happens in the small, happens in the big. And if we are able to create the approaches and the practices that keep us connected to ourselves, we can experience meaning in the small and in the big.

If you’ve been feeling that the relationship with yourself is slipping, and if you’ve been feeling like you’re being burdened with overwhelm and exhaustion for your efforts, rather that the satisfaction of meaning and significance, I’d like to invite you to join in a complimentary coaching session to see how you can change the conversation with yourself and become the true creator of meaning in your life.

Click here for more details.